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Key Fraud Rules to Remember

HMRC will never contact customers who are due a tax refund by text message or by email. Figures from UK Finance show £366.4million was lost to financial fraud in the first half of 2017, with a further £101.2million lost through authorised bank transfer scams. 

To help people protect themselves the Take Five campaign (supported by HMRC) has issued three key pieces of advice:

1. A genuine bank or organisation will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your PIN, full password or to move money to another account. Only give out your personal or financial details to use a service that you have given your consent to, that you trust and that you are expecting to be contacted by.

2. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected e-mail or text.

3. If you're approached with a request for personal information, don't provide it. ​

If you have any questions about the above please contact us.

Are you completing your Self Assessment correctly?

Your main priority is likely to get your Self-Assessment submitted on time, but are you completing it correctly? FBTC have compiled an overview of tips for you to think about when preparing and filing your tax return.

A key element of your tax return is your income. Are you including it all?

You will have been required by HMRC to complete the tax return because you are self employed. However, once asked to complete a tax return, you have to include all sources of income. So don’t forget bank or building society interest, PAYE income and rental property income. And this is income received during the whole of the tax year. If this is the first year that you began self employment some people mistakenly think you only include income received after the self employment started. Consider all expenses that you are trying to claim for to ensure they are definitely allowable for tax purposes. Getting your income and expenses correct is important so as to reduce the chances of an HMRC enquiry/investigation.

It isn’t just about what you include it is about how and where you include it. From year to year you might miss classify your expenses, recording transactions under different categories. It’s best to be consistent.

Don’t rush to complete your return, there is a chance that you may transpose figures or add them up incorrectly, which will lead to the wrong calculations. This might mean you pay more tax than you need to and nobody wants to do this.

Deadlines are suddenly on top of us even though we know exactly when they are. Preparation is key to ensuring accuracy and filing on time to avoid the £100 late penalty charge. It is much better to know what your tax liability is in advance rather than filing it on the deadline and then not been able to pay your bill. If you were unable to pay your tax liabilities, you will start to receive late payment interest from 1^st February and further delays in payment could lead to surcharges based on a percentage of the outstanding balance.

HMRC state ‘tax doesn’t need to be taxing’, this is correct it doesn’t need to be and having a professional acting for you can be beneficial. This is not only to ensure you are compliant with HMRC regulations, but a good accountant will also save you money.

A broken laptop, a paper eating dog and a trip to Italy

The deadline to file your self-assessment tax return and pay any liabilities that are due is fast approaching, it is 31^st January 2018. Less than 6 weeks to go!

You may have a reasonable reason for missing the deadline, but this has to be communicated with HMRC and there is no guarantee they will accept your reasons.

HMRC have published some of the excuses that are given for late filing;

1.   My tax papers were left in the shed and the rat ate them

2.   I’m not a paperwork orientated person – I always relied on my sister to complete my returns, but we have now fallen out

3.   My accountant has been ill

4.   My dog ate my tax return

5.   I will be abroad on deadline day with no internet access so will be unable to file

6.   My laptop broke, so did my washing machine

7.   My niece had moved in – she made the house so untidy I could not find my log in details to complete my return online

8.   My husband ran over my laptop

9.   I had an argument with my wife and went to Italy for 5 years

10. I had a cold which took a long time to go

The above excuses were used in appeals to HMRC against penalties for late filing. As you might guess, the appeals were unsuccessful.

You will receive £100 penalty for submitting your tax return after the deadline date. 

If you would like to chat about FBTC completing your accounts and tax returns, contact us now on 0344 984 2515 or email fbtcenquiries@fbtc.co.uk

Allowable Business Expenses

It is important to know what expenses are allowable against your business profit. The following list includes the principle examples of expenses, that you are likely to incur whilst running your business.

Office Costs
Includes items such as postage, stationary, computer software, printing material.

Vehicle Costs
Franchise fees
Vehicle insurance
Cleaning
Repairs and servicing
Fuel
Leasing
Road Tax
Breakdown cover
Interest element on finance used to purchase the vehicle

Travel and Subsistence Costs
Parking
Train bus, air and taxi fares
Hotel rooms
Meals on business trips 

Staff Costs
Wages paid to another person for work done in your business

Financial Costs
Bank account charges that relate to your business
HP/Loan interest for the purchases of business assets
Accountancy Fees

Advertising and Marketing Costs
Material used to promote your business such as branded clothing and advertising material
Website 

Subscriptions
Trade magazines
Membership to professional bodies

Capital Expenditure

Certain items of expenditure are classed as capital expenditure. These items include cars, dual controls, computers, laptops, printers and Sat navs. For these items you are entitled to a capital allowance to set against your net profit to cover the depreciation of the asset and is in addition to the finance interest mentioned above under vehicle costs. FBTC will calculate the capital allowances for you.
Business mileage
Rather than claiming the vehicle costs and capital allowances on a new car, as mentioned above, it is instead possible to claim business mileage. FBTC can advise on the most beneficial option.

Private usage
Some expenses incurred may also hold an element of private usage. The private element of the expense will be disallowed.
FBTC will calculate this for you.

Do you know the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion?

The recent publicity regarding the “Paradise Papers” and last year the “Panama Papers” could lead one to think that it is only the rich and famous that need to be careful when it comes to keeping tax affairs in line.

However, we cannot stress enough that small businesses must also be vigilant. HMRC have been given significant extra resources to be able to check that businesses and their owners are paying the correct amount of tax. These resources will be increased further as Making Tax Digital is introduced.

Penalties for tax avoiders are primarily a percentage of the additional tax due ranging from 30% to 100%. Tax evasion can lead to a criminal prosecution and thus the possibility of a custodial sentence.

Do you know the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion?

• Tax avoidance involves bending the rules of the tax system to gain a tax advantage.  

• Tax evasion is the illegal evasion of taxes by for example deliberately not declaring a source of income.

Tax avoidance can quite often simply be a difference in interpretation between the taxpayer and HMRC of the tax rules. HMRC are becoming more aggressive in this area as they seek to bring in more taxes for the Government.

Keeping accurate records is vitally important, especially if you are chosen for a ‘Business Record Check’. This document will ask initial questions about your accounting records before HMRC decide if they will need to pay you a visit to carry out further checks. 

It is impossible to say when or if you will ever be chosen for the Business Record Check.  Therefore, it is vital that you keep your accounting records up to date and in a clear and satisfactory format.

This then takes us to the question, how often do you keep your accounting records up to date?  Once a week?  Once a month? Once a year?

FBTC recommends that you should try and set some time aside each week to update your accounting records and get into the habit of doing it every week, whilst the week is still fresh in your memory. 

You will find it much easier to recollect what has happened in the last seven days, than trying to think back over fifty-two weeks, if you are only completing your records after the tax year has ended.  

If you are unsure as to how to keep your records or are concerned about the standard of your record keeping, then please do not hesitate to contact us. FBTC does have an online cash book which you may find useful.

Ambition is the path to success, persistence is the vehicle you arrive in

The FBTC Tips to Business Success

Everyone has different ideas and views on what they class as ‘successful’, is it the amount of money you make or is it having the perfect work life balance (does this even exist?). If you know what you want to achieve you are heading in the right direction. The following factors will help you to achieve your success!

Focus – What do you want to achieve? Set yourself short term goals to ensure you stay on track. By knowing what you truly want, you can define your business and achieve your goals.

Believe – In yourself and your business. If you don’t who will?

Tax – Don’t forget about it! Ensure you plan for your taxes. (We can look after this area for you, one less factor to worry about!)

Creativity – Stand out from your competitors, think outside of the box, sometimes it is good to be different. Develop your business to put you ahead of the rest. It is also important to realise you don’t know everything, be open to new ideas and opportunities that approach you.

Adapt – You need to do this for your business to survive, adapt to change to ensure you are giving your customer what they want and need (they may not know they need it yet). Opportunities sometimes fall into your lap which aren’t the norm and you need to be able to understand how to deal with such happenings.  

Challenges – Identify and manage your challenges, develop your analytical skills. There is never a problem you just need to find the solution. This will help you move your business forward.

Cash -  Feed your bottom line, find ways to get money upfront to improve your cashflow. Make sure your capital expenditures aren’t draining your business.

Organisation – This is important in both your personal and business life. Been organised means you have control and this will increase your productivity. 

Understand – Spend time researching your industry and your target audience, you will then understand what your customers want and need. This way you can ensure your business is offering the correct products and services, in the right place and at the right time. 

Notes – Reflect on your business, write down your thoughts. Keep your notes to help you plan and prepare for the future. Self-reflection will help you to develop self-awareness and encourages active engagement in your work.

Technology – Stay ahead of the game, every day is changing. Does your business require you to use the latest software? Should you be liaising with your customer more, can you do this by using new technology? We can do everything we need to with our mobile phones, is their opportunity for you to make changes? Smartphones, social media, texting, emails and other communication channels make it easy to get your message out.

Add Value – Give your customers that little bit extra. Find low cost or no cost ways of making clients feel even better about the product or service you have provided. Such acts will increase your gestures of goodwill and also increase your word of mouth referrals. 

Net Profit – Keep an eye on your net profit, make sure you know how your business is operating. This then supports your focus, creativity and understanding. This also give you the opportunity to recognise any areas of concern, manage your finances and deal with any challenges.

Consistency – Ensure you develop positive habits that you can enforce over a long term. Therefore, giving each of your customers the same experience. 

You – Take time for you! You are the most important part of all!

Why do we have to pay money in advance of next year’s bill – payments on accounts? Why can't we just be charged the bill at the end of the year?

 If your total Income tax and NIC’s for the year is greater than £1,000, in addition to your Income tax and NIC bill, you will be asked to make ‘payments on account’ towards the next year.  They are payable in two equal instalments.  One by the end of January following the end of the tax year and one six months later by the end of July.

How are they calculated?  In simple terms, each of the two payments on account are calculated as 50% of your total Income tax and NIC due for the year just ended. 

When your tax bill is calculated for the following year, the total Income tax and NIC due is reduced by the sum of the two payments on account you have made in the year.  Consequently, if your profits are exactly the same amount in that year you will have already paid your total tax bill in advance.  If your profits are more or less than the previous year, this would result in a balancing payment or a refund. 

So why do these payments have to be made?  Does it sound unfair?  Not if you consider that unlike the employed paying Income tax and NIC under PAYE, the self-employed have nine months after the tax year ends in which to pay their Income tax and NIC bill.  HMRC’s view is that by then, you will have been earning towards that year so they want a cut of it before the tax year has ended.  It also keeps you up to date with your payments and gives you a clearer indication of where you are with your tax affairs. 

Under certain circumstances, payments on account can be reduced or completely removed.  This should only be done under guidance and advice from your tax adviser.  Unfortunately, the ‘I cannot afford to pay them’ reason to reduce/remove payments on account will not wash with HMRC!

Let’s clear the air!

Did you know you could receive a £150 penalty notice for failing to display a ‘no smoking’ decal in your work-related vehicles?

In line with the Smoke-Free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007, you must ensure that at least one 'no smoking' sign is displayed in a prominent position in each compartment of your vehicle. Visit Smoke Free England for more information.

According to Cancer Research UK, the number of smokers in Britain has fallen by 1.9 million since the smoking ban was enforced in England, 10 years ago.

Whether you operate your business from a vehicle or premises make sure you are meeting the regulations to prevent unnecessary costs. If you receive a penalty notice it is not an allowable business expense.

Pin a Website link to the home screen of your mobile or tablet

Look forward and see where you are heading!

Keeping the taxman at bay

Let’s talk about how and why HMRC Investigations happen, this week’s tip explains the best way to deal with an enquiry and keeping the taxman happy.

Once the Revenue has taken up an enquiry, it is in the taxpayer’s interest to settle the enquiry as speedily as possible by cooperating with HMRC and providing them with any information they request as they do have statutory powers that they can put in place if they don’t get the information that they require within specified periods of time. 

The length of an investigation can vary from months to sometimes years depending on what HMRC find and how they decide to progress.  During an enquiry, the Revenue may well look at your personal expenditure as well as your business records.  It is important that you can also account for entries on your personal bank, building society and credit card statements as well as your business statements.  The Revenue will often deem receipts that you cannot account for as undisclosed business income.

Clearly, the best way to avoid having an enquiry into your tax return, is to ensure that when your tax return is submitted it includes accurate and complete accounts information and that it also gives full details of all your non-business income such as any bank or building society interest, income from property, Capital Gains etc.  This may be stating the obvious but it can only be achieved by keeping full and accurate records:

-You should always record all sales and business receipts as you get them and retain the records;

-You should keep back-up records, for example, invoices, bank statements and paying-in slips to show where the income came from;

-You should record all purchases and other expenses as they arise and ensure, unless the amounts are very small, that you have, and retain, invoices for them.

It is important that each entry is recorded as and when it happens.  By doing this, it reduces the chance of you omitting or entering an incorrect amount if you have to record it on your records some weeks or months after the event. 

You will see from this how important it is for you to keep accurate records in both your personal and business dealings.  By doing this, the chances of you getting a letter from the Revenue will be considerably reduced.  However, if you are unlucky enough to still be selected for an enquiry, your hand is much stronger when you can produce accurate, well-kept and timely records.

The FBTC online cashbook is a great way to record your business income and expenditure. Have a read of the FBTC Online Cashbook "Simplicity at its best!"

If you have any questions about Revenue investigation or the online cashbook, please get in touch;

Call 0344 984 4445 Email  info@fbtc.co.uk

“I am writing to tell you that I intend to enquire into your Tax Return.”

The first line of the letter that tends to send a shiver down the spine of most self-employed individuals if they are unlucky enough to receive a letter from HM Revenue & Customs.

You may have submitted your Tax Return and thought ‘great, it has been accepted’. But confirmation of receipt doesn’t mean to say that HMRC have finished with it.

Under Self-Assessment, the Revenue’s method of dealing with Tax Returns is to “Process Now / Check Later.”  The Revenue then has a period of time to review the entries on the Return.  If some of the entries on the Return differ from information which they already hold or if these entries fall outside the normally accepted patterns for that particular business sector, then there is a possibility that the Return could be selected for an enquiry. 

There is a time limit within which the Revenue can take up an enquiry.  This is currently within 12 months of the normal filing date for the Return i.e. a 2015/16 Tax Return must be filed with the Revenue by 31st January 2017, therefore the window for opening an enquiry is up to 31st January 2018. 

However, it has been known for HMRC to open an enquiry outside of that time frame which is called a ‘Discovery’ enquiry.  Why can they do this you ask?  Because they can!  Such an enquiry can take place where based on the information (or lack of) shown on the tax return HMRC could not have known that the tax return was incorrect and issued an enquiry within the normal time limits.

In addition to the ‘normal’ lines of enquiry, HMRC are now carrying out random ‘Business Record’ checks in which they look into your record keeping.  If they have reason to believe that it is not up to scratch, they will arrange to make a visit.

Unfortunately, no one is immune from receiving a ‘Business Record’ check, however you can take steps to avoid a full-blown investigation.  How?  Stay tuned for our next tip – Keeping the Tax man at bay!

FBTC Online Cashbook "Simplicity at its best!"

Do you want an easy to use online cashbook system to record your business income and expenditure?

Fill your car with fuel then head to your next lesson. 5 minutes to spare before Justin Thyme arrives for his 3pm lesson, then login to your FBTC online cashbook and add the £50.00 fuel expense to your cashbook. It is as easy as that!

Record as you go then you can spend your own time reading Intelligent Instructor magazine. Prevent the end of year rush to record your income and expenditure.

Tracey Leck, FBTC Accounts Technician, advises the online cashbook is the way forward to streamline your accounts. It is the most efficient way of recording your income and expenditure.  

But don’t take our word for it, Deborah Hunter has been an FBTC client since 2011, see her thoughts on our cashbook system; “I use the online cashbook for ease. I can log at my leisure, come back to it when I please and it orders each entry in the date order. Simplicity at its best!”

Stephen Harlow is another client of ours that favours the online cashbook, “Having used the online cashbook since joining FBTC in February 2016, I can only recommend it to all, especially those currently using the paper format cashbook. Data entry is simple with nicely laid out and intuitive categories’’.

If you have any questions about our online cashbook get in touch. If you want to start using the online cashbook it is a straight forward transition and we can advise you accordingly.

Call us on 0344 984 2515 or email us at info@fbtc.co.uk  to take advantage of our FREE online cashbook.

Easter Eggs are an allowable business expense aren't they???

Sadly Easter Eggs are not an allowable business expense.

This maybe a good time to mention some expenses that are not allowed. In other words, those expense that do not meet the HMRC test of ‘wholly and exclusively for business purposes.’
 
There are a whole raft of expenses that could be deemed allowable but in fact are not.  The most commonly asked about are:
 
-Personal insurance and sickness policies.  It probably makes sense to have such insurance but unfortunately the costs are not an allowable business expense. The fact that they are personal expenses is a bit of hint.

-Work clothes and shoes.  You may quite rightly claim to your accountant: ‘I have to look good whilst I teach’.  True, but so do most people who go to work in any professional capacity and they have to personally pay for their suits, shirts and ties. It is no different for a driving instructor or any other similar profession.  However, shirts and tops are allowed for tax purposes if they display a prominent logo promoting your business.  Shoes are a definite no: we all have to wear shoes.

-Spectacles and eye tests. This is an interesting one but at the end of the day we all have to take regular eye tests, wear glasses if required, and pay for them personally.  The same applies to sunglasses.
 
The list of non-allowable expenses is understandably endless. Some of the strangest requests that have made the non-allowable list include chewing gum, gym membership and solar panels.
 
Making a claim for an expense that is not allowed for tax purposes on your tax return could land you in hot water with HMRC if they investigate the detail of your return. Usually the cost to you of that investigation will be far in excess of the expense you were endeavouring to offset against tax.  Seek expert advice before deciding whether to include an item on your tax return, if you are not 100% sure about it. Call us 0344 984 2515!

What about a chocolate calculator then??   

Happy Easter....

Your Home is no Tax Haven!

We recently wrote about ‘employing’ someone to take care of your paperwork, answering your calls and basically all things office related. A common question relates to utility bills and what can and cannot be claimed as business expenses.  Your driving school business is predominantly run from your tuition vehicle but it still may be possible to gain tax relief against certain utility bills.               

Some of your business, such as preparing lesson plans and bookkeeping is carried out at home but this would probably account for less than 10% of your time. So what expenses are allowable for tax relief?  In most cases, it will be small proportion of your heating and lighting bills.  Unfortunately, rent, rates, council tax and water rates are not allowed for tax purposes. It may be possible to gain relief by making a claim for ‘home use as office’ but whether this is beneficial is heavily dependent upon your personal circumstances and you should certainly seek expert advice before proceeding down this route!

If you decide to ‘build’ an office in your home or add an extension in which to house an office you should ask yourself if it is justifiable and necessary for the running of your business.  However, it is possible to gain tax relief on items that you purchase to ‘kit out’ your ‘office’ such as filing cabinets and the like, but not the cost of construction or converting a room into an office.

Generally, for a small business, a table in the kitchen will suffice for your paperwork! 

What would your dream office look like???

If you’d like further advice on this or any accountancy matter please contact FBTC on 0344 984 2515.

Will someone please answer the phone?

Telephone calls and paperwork! And all you want to do is go out and do what you are good at – teaching people to drive. Why not ask a family member to manage your diary, take telephone calls and more importantly keep your accounting records up to date? There is nothing like having a free administration service on hand when you need it.

But is having your family member work for free the best way? Not necessarily and it can benefit you as a self-employed individual if you ‘pay’ someone to run your ‘office’ and keep your paperwork in order as the cost is tax deductible against your trading income. 

However, in the complex labyrinth of UK tax rules, regulations and do’s and don’ts, paying someone is not as straight forward as you would think:

-You must pay the person the average hourly ‘going rate’ for the type of work they carry out;

-You have to consider whether the person already receives any other form of taxable income.  If they do, the addition of your ‘pay’ may push their total income over the taxable limit and they could end up having to register for self-assessment and paying tax themselves on this new income;

-There has to be a paper trail of payment.  This is one of the areas HMRC will look into closely if you are ever unlucky enough to be picked for an investigation, specifically transactions between family members.

Paying a family member to help you out could open a can of worms and could prove quite costly if it not administered correctly but done properly is a good way to reduce your tax bill.

If in doubt, ask! 0344 984 4445

Ensure you make time!

How often do you keep your accounting records up to date?  Once a week?  Once a month? Do you play catch up at the end of the tax year when your records are requested from your accountant?

You should try and set some time aside each week to update your accounting records and get into the habit of doing it daily or weekly, whilst the week is still fresh in your memory.  The FBTC online cashbook is a great tool to do this! Click here to find out more about our online cashbook.

You will find it much easier to recollect what has happened in the last seven days, than trying to think back over fifty two weeks, if you are trying to complete your records after the tax year has ended.

The advantages of sticking to this regime are plentiful.  As well as being able to keep a track on how your business is performing, it will assist you in answering the questions from the dreaded ‘Business Record Check’ letter should you be unlucky enough to receive one from HMRC.  Based on a set of answers you give in relation to questions about your accounting records, HMRC will decide if they will need to pay you a visit to carry out further checks.  The more accurate information you can supply them with, the better your chances are for not getting a visit.

If you’d like further advice on this or any accountancy matter please contact FBTC on 0344 984 2515.

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PLANNING FOR YOUR TAXES

Plan ahead! Look forward and see where you are heading! Plan for your taxes……

Let's get organised! Start a saving account or maybe a payment scheme with HMRC, prepare yourself for your final liability.
 
Don’t forget as well as income tax, Class 4 National Insurance also needs paying and you should be planning and accruing for this too.

Always contact HMRC should you need to discuss your tax bill, don't stick your head in the sand. They may agree a payment plan which is a much better option than accruing interest on what you owe.

If you’d like further advise on this or any accountancy matter please contact FBTC on 0344 984 2515.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages!