Tax Returns

My mother completes the accounts for a small family business, and for some reason the numbers this year didn't add up.

I've realised that she adds up the numbers on a calculator, before entering the totals manually into the spreadsheet...

I now have the fun task of telling HMRC that my return is incorrect, and although I don't expect to have any more tax due, I would not be surprised if they are just awkward about it.

Just log in and change it. The deadline was for submission. Changes can still be made.

Changes can still be made

Although it would obviously help if somebody had already ticked the "contains provisional figures" box :)

lol. Just a reminder for anybody new here, you will never get a genuine one of these.

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I pay into a pension, which seems like a good idea as my company match my contribution up to 5% and my payment is offset against tax. Now I'd thought that this off-settting happened automatically, but learned a couple of days ago that it does not - I need to inform HMRC.

Apparently the way to do this is to enter the figure I paid into the box marked:
"Payments to registered pension schemes where basic rate tax relief will be claimed by your pension provider (called ‘relief at source’). Enter the payments and basic rate tax"

But I can't find that on my self assessment form when I try to amend it - am I looking in the wrong place?

am I looking in the wrong place?

You may have to go back to the beginning, where there are various tick boxes which determine which pages you are subsequently asked to fill in.

I found it, it would appear that I overpaid my tax by £1,700, which should come back to me over the next month or so. Winner! I shall celebrate with a cup of tea.

Not relevant to tax returns but thought someone in here might be able to help with this.

I am applying for a spouse visa for my wife and part of the financial requirements, as a self-employed person, requires me to do this:

Provide unaudited accounts for the last full financial year and an
accountant’s certificate of confirmation, from an accountant who is a
member of a UK Recognised Supervisory Body (as defined in the
Companies Act 2006) or who is a member of the Institute of Financial
Accountants.

I have no idea what the above actually means. I do my own tax returns and work as a self-employed courier so my "accounts" are just money paid weekly into my personal bank account.

How likely is it an accountant will issue a certificate for someone who is not their client?

How likely is it an accountant will issue a certificate for someone who is not their client?

By paying him to issue a certificate, you become his client. Not sure what certification without audit really means, but your accountant probably does. If you're a low-earning sole-trader, you probably file a two-line tax return, so without an audit all he can really do is look at the pdf you download from HMRC after filing your return and certify that the numbers in your statement of account are the same ones as you submitted to HMRC. Thanks to joined-up government, it's completely impossible for the Home Office to ask HMRC for the answer to that question :)

How likely is it an accountant will issue a certificate for someone who is not their client?

Dunno. Find one and ask? Could be that they need your invoices and bank statements and tax returns and they can compile them and sign them off.

If you didn’t invoice at the time you can create them retrospectively for the purpose of the accounts I guess.

I pay into a pension, which seems like a good idea as my company match my contribution up to 5% and my payment is offset against tax. Now I'd thought that this off-settting happened automatically, but learned a couple of days ago that it does not - I need to inform HMRC.

I take it the 'my company' bit means you're doing this through paye?

I've been paying into a pension since I started my current job 5 years ago, wonder if I've over paid...

How likely is it an accountant will issue a certificate for someone who is not their client?

Very likely. I had to get one year's unaudited accounts for my mortgage. I spoke to some accountants, and they sent me a piece of paper with some boxes to fill in. I filled in the boxes with the same numbers I'd put on my tax return. They copied the numbers from the boxes, did some maffs, got to the same profit figure I got when I did the maffs, signed the bottom and charged me £400 for the privilege. Total waste of time, effort and money but for some inexplicable reason the bank was very happy with their piece of paper and gave me lots of money. They then forgot to take the mortgage repayments for the first three months of the mortgage term. Fuckwits.

They then forgot to take the mortgage repayments for the first three months of the mortgage term. Fuckwits.

Same when we remortgaged. Unbelievable.

Cheers for the replies. I will try to contact a few accountants today.

Can I claim for bicycle lights, bicycle bell and a bicycle lock outside of the flat-rate mileage expense?

the flat-rate mileage expense

its either mileage or bike cost, not both.

Cheers.

Another question: How do I let HMRC know I will be working and earning less in the 2018/19 tax year? I want to reduce my 1st payment on account for 2018/19

I can't seem to find the correct section on the self-assesment form.

I don't think it's on the SA form. I seem to remember a button on your 'profile' page somewhere. I did it last year.

Thanks! Just found it.

From your profile - self assesment - view your tax year overview - reduce payments on account.

EDIT - There is also an option to reduce your payments on account after the 'your tax calculation' section when completing self-assesment.

I’ve contacted a few accountants and the only one to reply so far said they couldn’t issue a certificate of confirmation as I’ve done my accounts myself.

Found an accountant who is going to do my 2017/18 tax return and give me a 'certificate of confirmation' for £265. All the other accoutants wanted £200+vat for producing a certificate of confirmation after I have submitted my own tax return.

I have to pay my accountants fee, they have offered this optional extra for £72...

"[OPTIONAL] Tax investigation service fee - protection from the accountancy costs of
a HM Revenue & Customs Tax, VAT or PAYE investigation or compliance check."

I have a done my tax return myself as I'm a sole trader (cycle courier). Is this something I really need?

^ I declined the optional service.

Does anyone know how long after an accountant has submitted your tax return you have to wait for it to show in your GOV.UK self-assessment account?

^ Mine was available to see within 24 hours.