Don’t be one of the £2 million people who leave the updating of their Self Assessment to the last minute, or worse miss the deadline altogether. Bite the bullet if you need help then pick up the phone to an experienced professional.

Many clients that come through our doors, still needing reminding of what information is required to complete their Self Assessment online without a hitch.

Please see my 6 point plan

Your UTR Number and National Insurance
To be able to submit a Self Assessment you first have to be registered with the Inland Revenue as Self Employed. They will then issue you with a 10 digit reference number call a UTR number. This can be done over the telephone 0845 900 0444

Or online, follow the link below.

https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/shortforms/form/CWF1ST?dept-name=CWF1&sub-dept

This takes about five to six weeks for the Inland Revenue to register you, you will then have to telephone them to get your 10 digit UTR number. This is not automatically sent to you.

The Government Gateway
To register for Self Assessment online which allows you to send your Self Assessment online, you are issued with a 12 digit reference number which is printed out, and a password gets sent to your nominated address. If you are using an Accountant they will give you an 64-8 form to sign so that they can act as your agent with the Inland Revenue. They will then be able to send off your Self Assessment online through their agency number.

Partnerships
There is mis-conception that Partnership accounts are as straight forward to submit as your normal Self Assessment. You can only send out a paper version if you do this yourself by the deadline 31 October. Or you can submit the form online provided you have professional software, your Accountant professional can assist you with this.

Do not leave these to the last minute or you may find a £100 fine per partner you weren’t expecting if you miss the deadline. This needs to be completed along with your normal Self Assessment as an individual.

Paperwork Required
Self Assessment covers ALL income you receive during the financial year, 6 April to
5 April for in the UK and the rest of the world. This is determined by your residency status, all UK residents are to disclose their whole income.

All records of purchases during the financial year including any equipment or capital expenditure.
VAT return’s if that’s applicable
Your full 12 months bank statements, personal and business including saving accounts.
If you have had other employment all P60’s or P45’s
Dividend and interest payments.
Benefit payments
Property income and foreign income
Selling of personal assets and stocks and shares

All other records of income not covered above.

What you get in return
We will provide you with a full record of your income for the year for your business, along with a tax computation recording all of your other income. This takes into account the relevant tax reliefs available. Ie

Your tax code, – your tax free allowance
Capital gains tax free allowance
Pension payments
Charity payments
EIS and venture capital schemes – Investments
Capital Allowances
Rent a room relief – Property income
Wear and Tear Allowance – Property income

Deducting any tax that you have already paid.

You may be liable for tax on your trade income, and national insurance.

This is not complicated if you give yourself plenty of time to get everything together. We take you through every step of the way.

Payment
You have to make payments on account if your turnover is over £70,000, these are taken at the 31 January deadline and 31 July. We will notify you of these deadlines as they approach.

Monthly you can set up a direct debit with the Inland Revenue

Bill Pay or cheque, any balances then can be settled through the online system Bill Pay, credit card charges apply or by cheque in the post, or through the Giro system at the Post Office.

Self Assessment can be submitted anytime after the 6th April, so if theres a refund due to you why wait until January to get the paperwork to your Accountant. You can do it anytime.

These records need to be kept for six years even if you returned to the PAYE system.

Give us a call today, and make it a stress free process. 02920653995 or email Nicola@crossaccountingservice.co.uk

This blog is intended for information purposes only and is only advice from past experience, you may have other suggestions of your own. It is not intended to be used to make all of your business decisions but as a guide only.

The Financial Spring Clean

The weather is warming up and Spring is on the way, its great time for you to put some financial processes into action and start to look forward to the year ahead.

Your business plan/budget.

Keep this report in mind certainly every six months, ideally every quarter. Rolling the plan ahead and updating it with new ideas or processes you may have in place. I would also look at having a cashflow projection a year ahead, this will help you plug in cash reserves if there is a shortfall ahead of time. You will be better prepared for any challenges that await, if you see this all ahead of time.

Cash Is King

Keep your creditors and debtors up to date, I see far too many sets of accounts needing either tidying up, or money chasing from several months ago. This will keep you liquid if you are keeping the cash close to your chest. Make sure you have a fully usable process for keeping these up to date. Credit score new Customers if you are giving credit. Don’t be afraid to use outside help if some debts are getting hard to chase. By keeping this professional and not personal you are more likely to get a positive outcome.

Look at your processes

You can never spend enough time in tightening up your processes. Imagine you have moved your business from a couple of hundred thousand turnover to a million pound turnover business. If you havent addressed processes and improved efficiencies you will never cope with the increased demands. Delegate your time appropriately and keep training of your team at the heart of your business. As you grow you will be become more reliant on them, they are your future. Invest in them wisely and see the rewards, just like you would if you were buying equipment or software to run your business more efficiently.

Tracking your Sales

Are you tracking where your sales are coming from? How are businesses finding you? I always recommend you track at least the following

Where people are finding you

Long term customers/vs new business

Product/service segmentation

Average customer spend

Track every item of marketing spend you have, and make sure they are all working well.

Marketing Strategy

When was the last time you prepared a SWOT Analysis, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Your competition will be focused on this subject, you need to be one step ahead of them at all times. Dedicate at least a third of your time to marketing focus. Afterall you cant grow without increasing your new business. Track all of the spending in this area and drop what clearly isn’t working. Don’t ponder, this needs direct action.

Cost of Sales and Overheads.

Keep a close eye on your margins. Always track the service jobs you do, or check margins on the products that you make. It’s a good idea to keep timesheets and compare theses costs to the job originally quoted. This will enable you to quote better, and work on improving your margins, and in turn your profitability.

Overheads, keep a track of these. Some of these costs may be fixed, but that doesn’t mean that you cant make amendments if you need to. By knowing ahead of time it is worthwhile knowing your breakeven point. The point at which your sales match your costs, and any surplus is profit.

I hope you find these easy to follow steps and look forward to hearing from you as you develop your businesses and grow.  By managing your business as you grow you will be better prepared and find it easier to cope as the demands on your time increase.

This blog is intended for information purposes only, you may have suggestions of your own.  it is not intended to be used to make all of your decisions but as a guide only.