January 31st has now passed. Most people spent the arrival of February with their tax return submitted well in advance, while others were exhausted after rushing to file it. And a few will have missed the deadline altogether.
Small Business Guides on Tax and Business Accounts
Here are some tax and finance tips which could help you save money as a limited company owner, based on our experience of running limited companies, and dealing with accountants and tax advisors over the past 15 years.
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Most small business owners will have heard of Making Tax Digital (MTD), but what exactly is it and what does it mean for your business? It’s been a hot topic in the world of finance and accounting since the government announced its plans in the spring 2015 budget. There’s no shortage of information and tax advice relating to MTD, and in fact, it can feel like there is an overwhelming amount. For those of us who aren’t financial experts, it can be confusing and hard to understand exactly what the obligations of small business owners will be under the new rules.
Readers Question: I have a trading company with a high level of retained earnings. Rather than liquidate, I am thinking of taking £500k in dividends (grossed up to £555k) and then making a donation to the charity of say £500k (adjustable for tax efficiency), which would extend my basic rate band by £625k. Am I correct in thinking that this combination of dividend and charitable donation is a tax efficient way of charitable giving, in the sense that I would avoid the higher rate dividend taxes?
Look, we’ve been there. You’re focused on delivering a project. Then another. Then something enormous comes along and takes up your time. Before you know it, the year’s up. And then it suddenly hits you that you’ve got a self-assessment return to file, and you’ve got absolutely no idea where to start.
Entrepreneurs tend to be wearing many different hats and your attention is likely to be on making more money, managing your team etc. Sometimes seeing your accountants can feel like a trip to the dentist. However, if you’re not talking to them, then given the complexity of UK tax rules, you might find yourself making these tax mistakes.
If you’re self-employed or a company director, you must fill in an annual self-assessment form. If you’re submitting your return online, don’t leave things until the last minute, as you won’t be able to do so without an activation code.
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At this time of year, you may well be planning parties, awards and gifts for staff and customers. As you do this are you checking that you are making the most of the available Christmas tax reliefs or ways to leverage your money this Christmas?
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond stayed away from big bold giveaways in his Autumn statement, but the Budget contained plenty for businesses to digest.
Here are the main small business tax rates and allowances for the tax year of 2019/20.
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Every business owner knows just how exciting starting a business or scaling up can be, but that’s not to say it doesn’t come with its own challenges. Increasing ROI and tax-efficiency are usually at the top of every small business owner’s agenda, and putting procedures in place so that you can enhance cash-flow through becoming tax-efficient doesn’t have to be hard. London based accountancy firm, 3 Wise Bears have put together five tax reliefs and tax incentives that every small business should know about, and how they can apply for them.
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Are you aware there isn’t long left until Making Tax Digital for VAT comes into force? From April 2019 VAT registered businesses with a turnover over £85,000 will need to ensure that all VAT returns are submitted digitally using the HMRC new platform known as Making Tax Digital (MTD). Around 40% of businesses that will be affected by MTD when it comes into effect are still unaware. Therefore, HMRC has recently started an awareness campaign to get businesses prepared before the date.
The time of completing and filing a self-assessment tax return is a dreaded time for the self-employed. However, being prepared and having a good working knowledge of taxes and allowable expenses will surely make the task a little easier. Figuring out which expenses you can claim can be quite difficult when it comes completing the self-assessment tax return.
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IR35 takes its name from an Inland Revenue press release which heralded the birth of new measures (The Intermediaries Legislation) aimed at preventing the use of intermediaries purely for the purpose of avoiding paying income tax and National Insurance.
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If you have registered for VAT, you may well have to wait a month, or more before your application has been processed, and you receive a VAT registration number. A commonly asked question by many business owners is how to account for VAT and issue invoices in the interim?
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When you are self-employed you will pay your tax based on the income and expenses you show on your Self Assessment tax return. Here Simple Tax will give you an insight of the Self Assessment process and your legal obligations as a self-employed individual.
As a limited company director, you will usually pay yourself a small salary, and draw down most of your income as dividends. Are there any rules which govern the level of salary you take, and what are the tax implications?
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It is not a widely known fact, but company directors can receive statutory redundancy pay from their limited company under certain circumstances. If your company becomes insolvent and has to be liquidated, whether this happens on a voluntary basis or forcibly via a creditor’s winding-up petition, you may be eligible to make a claim.
Small business owners often make the mistake of believing HMRC only investigate the tax records of big players. Wrong. Last year HMRC were seen to be cracking down on tax avoidance and increased its investigations into smaller firms.
The government are wanting to renovate the way we process and submit our taxes through Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT. Overall the scheme will allocate every taxpayer with a digital ID, this means that businesses and individuals will be able to manage all their tax activities online, reducing errors and late submissions for a more efficient system.
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