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Tax Return - have you done yours???


Mel B

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I've been doing ours ... what a bl**dy palaver ... took flipping ages but it's all done and dusted now for another year. :-D

 

The upshot is that hubby, according to them, has overpaid tax - I assume it was something to do with him not doing a "full year's" employment when he last worked but was taxed as if he had, so he's entitled to some dosh back! Lovely jubbly. :->

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Do you do yours on line Mel?

 

We do now that there is not the requirement for us to have certified accounts. I find it very simple.

 

Register for "Gateway" - receive your pin number - go on line again and log on - complete the sections - and that is it!

 

Have to say the HMRC have a good system here.

 

Even better is the free courses they run to talk you through their on-line system. The one we went to at Holland House Bournemouth was excellent. They gave us a fantastic briefing on how to use the system and what can and cannot be offset against tax. I doubt any individual without accountancy training will know how, for example to apply

• Annual Investment allowance

• Writing Down Allowance

• Small Pools allowance (nothing to do with swimming pools!!) it can be claimed instead of WDA above.

• Special rate pool

• Balancing Allowance/Balancing Charge

 

The courses were extraordinarily helpful and I would recommend them.

 

You register centrally by calling this number 0845 603 2691 open from 08:30 to 17:00 Mon to Fri – more details at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/bst/advice-team-events/work1.htm

 

Then they let you know the centres near you and give you a place on the courses.

 

Fair play to HMRC - they have got this spot on in my personal and professional opinion.

 

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Guest pelmetman
malc d - 2012-01-11 9:21 AM

 

pelmetman - 2012-01-11 8:59 AM

 

That's my accountants job..........hopfully I wont of made enough profit to pay any tax again this year :D

 

 

So, instead of paying tax, you pay an accountant.

 

 

 

;-)

My accountant is cheaper to run than the government :D ;-)

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Yes - because of the need for certified accounts - my accountancy bill was in the region of £800 a year. A "book-keepers" accounts would not do.

 

Now we have effectively "sold" the business to another firm and I am simply retained as a Consultant for continuity purposes my accounts are consequently far simpler and so the idea of preparing the accounts ourselves, (about half a days collecting/checking of data) and submitting them online again about half a day means that we have saved the £800.

 

So in an 8 hour day that equates to £100 an hour. A worthwhile saving.

 

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Guest pelmetman

Thats one of the reasons I never jumped on the limited company band wagon a few years back Clive.........another Brown job con ;-)

 

My accountants bills are cheaper......especially as she like me has deregistered for VAT :D

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IMO, the big advantage of doing your self-assessment return on-line is that it will work out your tax affairs for you as you go, and then, any refund (should you be entitled) is paid (very) promptly.

 

It's calculations agreed with mine (to within a couple of pence) and I was refunded several hundred pounds directly into my bank account within a week!

 

First time I've done it on-line, and it won't be the last. :-)

 

As long as the system is programmed correctly, I'd trust it more than the "humans" at HMRC.

 

In parallel, I calculated my wife's tax affairs (HMRC were banking with her due to their coding error). Via a normal tax return and communication route, it took four different sets of figures from them to finally come up with one that agreed (to the penny) what I'd calculated.

 

My last contact with the detailed general workings of the tax system (as opposed to those specific to myself) were over 30 years ago, but it appears I can still do the math better than the current incumbents. :-(

 

Unfortunately, we now have to pay the "loan" back. :-S

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We have been doing, or rather I have been doing, our Self Assessment tax returns on line since we bought the bungalow in 2006 which we rent out. One of the complications is keeping abrest of the savings, when they mature, getting the figures etc together, all the other income/expenses etc to be put on the form ... and that's before hubby suddenly remembers he's forgotten to tell me about such and such savings account or one of the figures he gave me originally was only a 'guess' and not correct!!! *-) It got a bit more complicated with him leaving work part way through a tax year too.

 

I also have an Excel spreadsheet which I set up to automatically calculate the figures to go on the site, and it splits the expenses into each of the categories ... as my tax figures match HMRC it looks like I'm doing it right at least! :-D What didn't help was that with hubby being at home I left him to do most of the day to day stuff, such as contacting the letting agents, filing the statements etc, which unfortunately didn't then get put onto the spreadsheet so I had to do it all in one hit ... I'll make sure I do it more regularly from now on ... a few minutes spent each month will save a lot of time later! :D

 

Clive, you're right - I haven't a clue what some of the things you mention are on about, but I don't need to, however I will see about getting on a training course as I'm sure I could learn something from it - thanks for the info. :->

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