Toni Hunter's SuperBlog

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has always taken a dim view of the late filing of self-assessment tax returns, but it has now introduced significant new penalties for those who fail to meet the deadlines.

The deadline

If you are registered for self-assessment and have not already filed your paper return then you will need to do so online by 31 January 2012. This may still seem a long way off, but it makes sense to start preparing now rather than leaving your return until the last minute, when it will be more difficult to deal with any issues which may arise.

The penalty

Under HMRC’s new regime, late returns will incur an initial fixed penalty of £100.

This will apply even if there is no tax to pay or any tax due for the year has already been paid on time.

If your tax return has still not been filed after three months, then HMRC will impose additional daily penalties of £10, up to a maximum of £900.

After six months, the penalty increases to either £300 or five per cent of the tax, depending on which is greater.  The penalty could increase to 100 per cent of the tax due if returns have still not been filed after 12 months.

Late tax

Any overdue tax must also be paid by 31 January.  If this deadline is missed then HMRC will impose a penalty of five per cent of the amount due after 30 days, six months and 12 months respectively. It is also worth noting that HMRC will charge interest on top of these penalties.

Stop procrastinating

As with any tax matter, it is always better to act sooner rather than later.

The longer you leave it, the bigger the penalty will be.

At George Hay, we can assist with a wide range of tax matters, including ensuring your self-assessment tax return is filed on time.

Friendly, approachable, reliable professionals

Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only. All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice. George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

The Dilnot Report offers little help

It was thought that the Dilnot Report might help to reduce the cost that individuals have to contribute to Residential Long Term Care, but very little seems to have changed since the last report on this subject.

It looks as if a lot of people will still have their homes sold for Residential Long Term Care unless they plan effectively for such an eventuality.

The Report in Summary

The Dilnot Report is some 86 pages long with a substantial amount of supporting documents, but in short, the commission is saying:

• Personal Care Costs should be capped between £25,000 and £50,000 with Dilnot’s preference being £35,000
• An individual requiring care should be expected to pay between £7,000 and £10,000 per annum for “hotel/living” costs
• Means Test threshold, currently at £23,250 or more should be switched to a sliding scale from £14,250 to £100,000
• Estate cost approximately £2 billion each year on current care costs.

Some responses to the report have been:

• Too expensive
• Cannot be taken seriously
• Dead on Arrival
• Lukewarm response from The Treasury
• Pensioners face 2 billion granny tax
• George Osborne wants to “strangle the proposals”

What it really means

The present proposals would not make much difference, for example, to an elderly lady who goes into a residential care home for four years, before she dies, and has a property worth £200,000 which is sold for the Care Home Fees.

Calculating average Care Home Fees, Personal Care, Hotel Costs, under the new scheme (capping at £35,000 and hotel costs not exceeding £10,000, the family would get £125,000 after all bills are paid.  Under present rules they would also have had to pay the council’s costs, so would receive £92,000.

The problem is getting bigger as we get older

Many who have to consider Residential Care Home fees have worked hard all their lives, were brought up believing they should save and buy their own home.  The expectation being that the “state” would care for them in their old age, and they would be able
to provide for their children and grandchildren.  Over 20,000 homes were sold last year to meet Care Home Fees costs, and this is only going to increase with an ever-growing elderly population.

Protect your home with professional planning

With proper planning these costs can be reduced, provided you have a professionally drafted will which includes the appropriate trust.  Or alternatively by setting up a Life Time Property Protective Trust (LPPT) you would be able to protect your house
from being sold and ring-fence your assets if you so desire.

The purpose for establishing a LPPT are manfold, and some are:

• No Probate fees on the value of the property/assets in the Trust
• No claim against the Trust can be made upon your death
• Protecting the family assets from potential bankruptcy of beneficiaries
• Financial protection from relationship failure

A side effect of a LPPT is that your property/assets are protected from being taken to pay for your care.  The LPPT offers effective protection from care fees provided that at the time the assets were protected it was not reasonably foreseeable that you would need to go into care.

Guest Author: Eric S Britt. Will Writer and Estate Planning Practitioner. Affiliated Member of The Society of Will Writers  Call 01480 270114 or Email: eric.britt@collectivelegalsolutions.co.uk for a confidential, no obligation review of your circumstances.

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

With 2011 more that half way through, how is your business performing?

Here are twelve tips to act an aid-memoire when trying to stay in control of your business:

1. If you are not producing regular management accounts, consider what financial information can be easily extracted from your accounting system to help you monitor the business. You can only extract meaningful information if your records are up to date and accurate.
2. If you are selling a product, make sure you know your break even sales volume – this could be higher than you realise, particularly with pressure on prices.  What level of waste are you experiencing?  Are you carrying too much stock?
3. If selling a service, check how many hours of time you are invoicing out a month – how much of it is resulting in billable income?   Are you charging at the right levels?  Are you competitive without being cheap?
4. Revisit your business forecasts and cash flow projections for the coming 12 months on a regular basis – are they still realistic in the current climate?  What costs can be trimmed back?
5. If cutting costs, make sure you know which of your costs are fixed and which are variable.
6. What can you delegate/outsource so that you can devote more of your time to looking after key clients and driving the busimess?
7. A big, bad debt can be disastrous for business, so make sure you monitor your debtors carefully.  Keep in regular contact, resolve disputes quickly and discuss options at an early stage if they are having difficulties.  A debtor making round sum payments on account is often a warning sign.  Consider credit checking businesses that do not have any history with you.
8. Look after your purchase ledger with as much care as your sales ledger.  Good suppliers are key to you being able to deliver to your customers, keeping prices down and an essential source of credit when managing cash flow.
9. Make sure you have up to date information to hand when requesting a renewal or increase in your banking facilities and keep your bank manager informed of changes to the business and its performance.
10. Check that the financial structure of your business is correct.  If you are relying on short term finance for long term projects then you need to get the balance right.  What assets do you have to secure more cost effective commercial finance?
11. Get your tax affairs up to date and make sure you have provided for payments due in January and July as well as Corporation Tax due nine months after the accounting period if trading through a Company.  This is just as important if profitability has declined as you may be able to reduce any payments on account that fall due.
12. Check you are using the most effective VAT scheme.  If you have a large sales ledger, cash accounting may be more appropriate.  Have you calculated whether the flat rate scheme results in less VAT being paid over to HMRC?

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

If you are a tutor, a fitness instructor or make your money by selling through the internet, then the taxman may soon be taking a particular interest in your financial affairs.

More targeted investigations

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is stepping up its tax investigations of specific sectors where it believes tax is being underpaid.

A date for the investigations to launch has yet to be announced and there have been no guarantees of an amnesty for those who forward to get their affairs in order wish to confess, although those who settle up any unpaid tax early are far more likely to get much better terms than those who are caught out.

Among those targeted will be private tutors and coaches who earn main or secondary income from private lessons, whether they are qualified or not, and ranging from national curriculum tutors to fitness or lifestyle coaches.

HMRC is also interested in individuals who use online marketplaces such as eBay to buy and sell goods as a trader or business without paying the resulting tax. This will, of course, not affect those who buy or sell in low volumes on eBay, such as private individuals selling unwanted items. HMRC is only interested in those who consistently use the online marketplace to make a profit.

Non-VAT registered businesses

Other traders who will come under the spotlight will be those whose turnover exceeds the £73,000 threshold but who have not registered for VAT. Don’t forget that now that the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise work together as HM Revenue & Customs, they share your business data.

Act early to mitigate penalties

As with any tax matter, it is always better to act now than to wait for the taxman to come calling.

If you fall under any of these sectors then George Hay can help you register with HMRC and get your affairs in order.

Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only. All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice. George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

For more business news updates like this, please subscribe to my monthly business support newsletters using the “join my lists”  widget in the top right of your screen.  Thank you.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

Clients often ask us “what is the best way to buy a vehicle?”  If they plan to use it in their business, should they own it personally? Should they buy it through the business? Should they lease it? The list of questions is endless and many of the answers will depend upon your particular situation and requirements but beware getting it wrong could prove costly in terms of time and money.

Your options

Martin Bessell from Midland Autolease Contracts says “The type and terms of your finance will be dictated by your circumstances, if you require a mid range car for business use this often lends itself to Lease purchase or Hire purchase.  An executive car which is mainly used for private use will often be better bought outside the business, so a personal contract purchase should be considered. If you simply need a reliable car for a short period leasing may be the answer, but talk to your accountant about each type they may have a better solution”

Taxation

The tax position regarding the purchase of your vehicle can be quite complex.

Firstly you will need to consider the VAT position. Generally you can not claim VAT on the purchase price but may be able to claim a proportion of the VAT on lease costs, this is providing it is a car you are purchasing. If the vehicle is a van different rules apply, and the debate as to what is a car and what is a van is not something I wish to discuss here!

You will also need to consider the costs that you can deduct in arriving at your taxable business profit. The rules on both Capital Allowances and Lease rental deductions changed significantly in the last budget and many clients are now taking a more serious look at leasing.

Finally don’t forget if a vehicle is provided as a company car there will be PAYE and National Insurance arising from the benefit.

Get advice

The important aspect is to seek advice when buying a vehicle don’t just be blinded by that shiny new car.  Make the right commercial decision for you and your business, search the market and then present the facts to your accountant who will crunch the numbers and tell you what the tax consequence will be.  HAPPY SHOPPING

Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only.  All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice.  George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

For more business news updates like this, please subscribe to my monthly business support newsletters using the “join my lists”  widget in the top right of your screen.  Thank you.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

New businesses excluded from a Government scheme to encourage more start-ups should still ensure they plan ahead to minimise their tax liabilities.

The National Insurance Contributions (NIC) holiday scheme

The scheme was launched on September 6th 2010 and means employers do not have to pay the first £5,000 in NICs for each of the first 10 workers during the first 52 weeks of their employment, provided that year falls within the three-year period up to September 5th 2013.

However, while new firms across the UK are set to benefit from potential tax savings of up to £50,000, those in the East, South East and London regions are being excluded from the scheme.

Another postcode lottery?

Barry Jefferd, Tax Partner at George Hay, said: “This is incredibly unfair on new businesses in the region who will be at a disadvantage compared to their counterparts in other areas.

“However, employers should still give serious thought to tax planning in order to minimise their liabilities and take advantage of any opportunities that might not be available at a later stage.

“While businesses in the East may not be able to enjoy the same tax breaks as others around the country, we can still help them make valuable tax savings, ensuring more of their hard-earned money goes back into those companies rather than the taxman’s pocket.

“Equally, if any new businesses in the area are unsure of their NIC obligations, then we can advise them accordingly.”

Further reading: NI holiday scheme slammed by Labour, Accountancy Age 04.01.12 – Administration costs more than savings.

Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only.  All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice.  George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

 For more business news updates like this, please subscribe to my monthly business support newsletters using the “join my lists”  widget in the top right of your screen.  Thank you.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

Chartered accountancy firm George Hay, which has offices in Biggleswade, Huntingdon and Letchworth, has announced of the appointment of a new senior partner.

Current senior partner Eddie Fuller  stepped down from the position on March 31^st, and partner Nick Willis has taken over at the helm.

Eddie will still continue at the practice where he has worked for over 45 years and has been a partner since 1985. He provides accountancy services to a number of clients particularly specialising in agricultural businesses.

Nick joined George Hay in 1977, and was appointed as a partner in 1987. He has built up a strong reputation specialising in small and medium-sized businesses. 

Nick is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institutes Audit and Assurance Faculty he serves as a member of the executive committee of the UK200 Group and chairs their membership service committee. The UK 200 Group is a national association of accountants and lawyers of which the practice is a member. 

Commenting on his new role, Nick said: “I am delighted to have been appointed senior partner and look forward to continuing to take the firm forward and helping it grow”.

For further information on George Hay, please visit www.georgehay.co.uk.

If you are a plumber or heating engineer and have undeclared earnings then now is the time to tell the taxman.

New amnesty launched 

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has launched a ‘tax amnesty’ known as the Plumbers Tax Safe Plan (PTSP).

The PTSP is the fifth tax amnesty to be offered to UK residents. Those targeted in previous schemes have included doctors, dentists and offshore account holders.

The amnesty provides an opportunity for plumbers who have not yet done so to make a full disclosure about their income without receiving excessive penalties and is only open until May 31^st. Those who register with the scheme before this date will then have until August 31^st to pay any back taxes as well as interest and penalties.

Potential Penalties

In most cases, HMRC will impose a penalty of 10%, although this could vary between zero and 20%, depending on your individual circumstances.

Those with undeclared earnings who fail to take advantage of this opportunity will face a crackdown by HMRC, which will be using information from the CORGI and Gas Safe registers to identify individuals it wants to question.

You can be sure that the penalties will be a lot higher if the taxman catches you out – and he is unlikely to be too sympathetic if you did not use the disclosure opportunity available.

While there are still costs involved, including the reduced penalty, the bill for making a full disclosure will still be a great deal cheaper than it would be when the taxman comes knocking.

Barry Jefferd, Tax Partner at George Hay, can advise on a wide range of taxation matters, including making a disclosure to HMRC. This opportunity is unlikely to be repeated, making it all the more important to act sooner rather than later.

Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only.  All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice.  George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

 For more business news updates like this, please subscribe to my monthly business support newsletters using the “join my lists”  widget in the top right of your screen.  Thank you.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

On 1st March 2011, HMRC finally increased their allowable fuel rates to better reflect the sustantial increases in fuel prices we have all been suffering.

To make sure you are using the correct rate to get maximum tax benefit click here.

 For more business news updates like this, please subscribe to my monthly business support newsletters using the “join my lists”  widget in the top right of your screen.  Thank you.

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

Often when I mention the words “business plan” to people, whether they are just starting up in business or already established and looking to grow or change their business, they give me the “do I have to?” look!

Business plans haven’t been dreamt up by accountants to allow them to charge a fee to their clients for “added value” services or simply to bore you to tears.  Every book you read about business success and every leader you hear speak will highlight the necessity of planning.  So “yes” you really have to, unless you like to live life by the seat of your pants.

Failing to plan and planning to fail

If you are starting up your business and you don’t have a plan, how do you know

• what that business will do
• what it’s target market will be
• how it will work  (processes, structure, personnel etc)
• how it will be financed? (funding, cash flow, collateral/security/personal guarantees etc)
• whether it will make money and
• whether you will get out of it what you want?

Are banks still lending?

There has been much reported in the news over the last year or so about how difficult it is to get bank lending nowadays for small and medium sized businesses.  Ask any business bank manager this question and they will quip “we’re always open for business” but there is no doubt that they are being very cautious. If anything is going to help you get the banks on your side,  it will be a comprehensive, well thought through business plan with back up for your assumptions and a realistic timescale for paying back the loan.

If you want to approach an investor, your business won’t even be considered for investment if you don’t have a business plan that you can back up with facts and figures that make you and your business a credible investment.

Getting value from the planning process

Planning is not just something business owners should do when setting up their enterprises or when getting finance.  There are plenty of benefits of planning on a regular basis.

1. Take the time to think through a plan and then write it down, you are more likely to actually do it than if you keep it in your head.  Even better, communicate that plan to a trusted adviser such as your accountant or a business coach who will be able to help you evaluate it and provide an objective viewpoint.
2. Take off your rose tinted glasses, a great looking plan may make you feel good now, but it will demotivate or be dismissed as irrelevant later.  Be realistic and honest with yourself and don’t forget to factor in non-monetary elements such as the amount of time you intend to invest. 
3. Use the planning process to brainstorm.  Perhaps carry out a SWOT analysis to help you to ‘stretch’ your thinking.
4. Use the plan as a way of involving key people in your business.  This will help them to be more committed to the results and encourage leadership/loyalty.
5. Most of the ‘added value’ of business planning comes from regular reflection.  Don’t take the time to write a plan and then archive it!

In summary

A good business plan will help you to understand where your business is going, give it structure and direction, provide a communication channel for key stakeholders and build credibility when obtaining any funding or investment that you need from external sources.

If you haven’t got an up to date, clear and realistic business plan, take action now. 

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.