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Osborne embraces simplified tax accounting

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21st Mar 2012
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Once he got past the introductory Labour-baiting in his Budget speech, one of the first things Chancellor George Osborne promised was a “modernised tax system”.

Drawing heavily on proposals put forward last month by the Office of Tax Simplification, HMRC’s proposals are very far reaching, aimed principally at the 30% of small businesses that do not presently use a tax agent.

Those companies that do use an agent will also be permitted to adopt the simplification proposals.

Accounts for tax purposes

There will be a new optional basis for accounts for tax purposes. The mandatory accounting requirements for small businesses will be abandoned and small businesses will be permitted to choose either a full accounting basis for tax purposes, or a simple cash receipts and payments basis instead.

Consultation will be start on this in the next week or so, and businesses will be invited to comment on the proposals.

The proposals make it clear that standard allowances will be introduced for business use of home and of a car – likely to be 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p thereafter to mimic the allowance for employees. Businesses can already choose to use this mileage rate if they are below the VAT threshold.

The allowance for business use of home is very likely to be £4 per week, in line with the amount employees can claim from April 2012.

The requirement to deal with capital allowances will be removed; indeed for most of the affected businesses the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) of £25,000 would cover all of their capital expenditure.

The one possible distortion would be the purchase of a car which would normally attract a Writing Down Allowance of either 18% or 8% each year – but of course motoring will be covered by the per mile rate instead.

The proposals also note that the requirement to keep stock figures for tax purposes will end – a welcome help for some small businesses.

The OTS report suggested that this proposal should be available to very small businesses, but the Government has adopted the proposals with relish and stated that the new basis should be available for all businesses with receipts of up to £77,000 from April 2013. There will clearly need to be an anti-avoidance provision to prevent business splitting. Once businesses are within the scheme they will be permitted to grow up to receipts of £150,000 before being required to leave the scheme.

There is no doubt that this will be a popular proposal for business owners, but possibly not as popular with accountants and tax advisers.

Companies, as well as the self-employed will be able to opt for this simplified basis.

Disincorporation relief

The OTS also highlighted that it is difficult for those businesses which incorporated in the last few years to “change their minds” and go back to self-employed status. The government accepted this, and will come forward with proposals to help, although the detail of this is not presently known.

Business Tax Dashboard

From April 2012, businesses will be able to check online all of their taxes in one screen, by logging on to HMRC online services. The new Business Tax Dashboard has been developed for unrepresented taxpayers to help them keep track of what tax is due and what they have paid recently. It will bring together income tax liabilities for the business, VAT and PAYE & NIC (which will be more seamless once RTI comes in in 2013).

Tax and NIC

The merger of the operation of PAYE and NIC will go ahead, and in particular the NIC paid by the self-employed is likely to be merged in operation (if not in name). Consultation will start very shortly on this.

Guidance and support

HMRC also announced a package of measures of support for unrepresented small businesses, including webinars, video tutorials which can be accessed at any time, and providing a tax ready-reckoner for small businesses to help them estimate their tax liability.

Service standards

HMRC announced some service standard targets which affect small businesses (and their agents). The department will report against the following targets annually from

  •  To achieve a service level of 90% of call attempts handled
  • To deal with 80% of correspondence within 15 working days and 95% within 40 working days.

Improved digital services

HMRC plans to roll out single registration services for companies so that registering a company at Companies House will also include registration for corporation tax. Other businesses will be able to use a single registration service to register for all or any taxes that they choose.

Replies (78)

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By John R
21st Mar 2012 15:43

IR35?

Any ideas where further information on this statement (found here in the IR35 section: www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/ootlar-main.pdf ) might be available: "consulting on proposals which would require office holders/controlling persons who are integral to the running of an organisation, to have PAYE and NICs deducted at source".

I have a number of clients who were waiting to see whether there was anything adverse in the Budget before incorporating their private practice. Any thoughts?

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By Simon Sweetman
21st Mar 2012 16:14

or perhaps

The £77,000 threshold is in my view likely to sink this. The Treasury might have lived with possible losses for the very small business, but including all unincorporated businesses below the VAT threshold is probably too much.

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By Chris Wise
21st Mar 2012 16:15

Dashboard? Why only unrepresented taxpayers, I can feel the wrath of payroll colleagues from afar.

 

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By jford
21st Mar 2012 17:09

No need for accountants to be concerned

I've not read the details but any 'tax simplification plan' that introduces two ways of calculating taxable profits and allows you to choose which one to use sounds like something that will keep me in business for a while!

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By taxhound
21st Mar 2012 17:22

Simple?

Now we have to calculate everything two ways (as with VAT FRS) to see which gives the best result.  Hardly a simplification.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By abelljms
06th Apr 2012 11:52

demented

 

 

the comments say it all

"now we will have to prepare accounts under 2 sets of rules before picking" - just like the VAT flat rate coblas

"why don't politicians ever talk to us first" etc...........

 

plus ca change..........all VVVV depressing when the same shower taking this decision also 'lie' to us about the red tape challenge 'initiative', and pretend they are doing things for the serfdom.

 

i remember the telling the consultation conference how easy it is to simplify small business accounting, introducing 'cash accounting' is a step in WRONG direction - are they muppets idiots or civil servants?

 

 

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By petersaxton
21st Mar 2012 18:03

This is the problem with politicians

They have no understanding of small businesses.

Most of the small businesses I deal with are incapable of producing accounts properly using any basis and as was said above they wouldn't choose the simplified basis unless it saved them tax - they don't think about the accounting fees of working it out if it saves them tax.

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Replying to Duggimon:
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By david5541
27th Mar 2012 12:13

small business and bad-bankers-big business-bad lending

 

They have no understanding of small businesses.

Most of the small businesses I deal with are incapable of producing accounts properly using any basis and as was said above they wouldn't choose the simplified basis unless it saved them tax - they don't think about the accounting fees of working it out if it saves them tax.

I agree anyone who is clueless (as most users of  small firms of accountants are): will be the least likely to opt for this - or play ball with he current vat/corp tax /self assessment online filing malarky let alone playing ball with more big ideas from a department that seems to consistently fail in service delivery amongst the "quagmire" of small business anti-avoidance intiatives on plasterers authors doctors etc etc. - only the newly self employed academic types who reckon themselves so much they think they can handle it alone.-without an accountant- will go for it

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Andrew Grant
By Grantthechelseaboy
21st Mar 2012 18:05

Overstocking

Does anyone else see this as a massive encouragement to small businesses to spend excessively, overstock and be more likely to fail as a result?

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By petersaxton
21st Mar 2012 18:09

Of course

This is what businesses will do to reduce their tax bill.

Politicians have no understanding. This is along the lines of Gordon Brown's 0% company tax band.

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By ChrisScullard
21st Mar 2012 18:59

Cash accounting has to be a joke right?  Ever since I heard this earlier this afternoon ideas have been popping into my head about how to reduce clients' tax bills!!

Gone into the higher rate band just before the year end - bring forward buying some stock.  Or even give customers a discount for NOT paying until 6 April.

There would be more window dressing than in an interior designers convention!!

Also I can imagine the fun and games when this comes in - double relief for accrued expenses, no relief for prepaid expenses or capital expenditure.  And what about when a business goes over the threshold and has to account 'properly' again. 

This has all the makings of a farce.  But maybe a farce that will keep us busy!!

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Replying to DJKL:
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By david5541
26th Mar 2012 10:07

cash accounting joke?

[quote=ChrisScullard]

Cash accounting has to be a joke right?  Ever since I heard this earlier this afternoon ideas have been popping into my head about how to reduce clients' tax bills!!

Gone into the higher rate band just before the year end - bring forward buying some stock.  Or even give customers a discount for NOT paying until 6 April.

There would be more window dressing than in an interior designers convention!!

Also I can imagine the fun and games when this comes in - double relief for accrued expenses, no relief for prepaid expenses or capital expenditure.  And what about when a business goes over the threshold and has to account 'properly' again. 

This has all the makings of a farce.  But maybe a farce that will keep us busy!!

I agree very very few inpecxtors who work in "local compliance" have any knowledge of records "beyond cah accounting"

 

Give s set of accounts to an inpector and all he will ask for in invoices, forget about all other aspects of business recxords they are meaningless to inpectors.Lack of an invoice means lack of evidence to an inspector.

 

this is another attempt to move away from UK GAAP by the Inland Revenue

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By petersaxton
21st Mar 2012 19:03

Constant changes

I can see them changing the rules every year for a few years before they go back to how it was before they started meddling.

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John Stokdyk, AccountingWEB head of insight
By John Stokdyk
21st Mar 2012 19:15

@John R - IR35 provisions

I think the philosophy around these reforms is to steer small traders away from the incorporation route (though not professional practices, perhaps). But I shared your concern when I saw a bullet point about "Tax mitigation and IR35 ".

Still looking for details, but I think a lot of the things listed on HMRC's site hark back to previous announcements - in this case, an undertaking to review the operation of IR35 

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Replying to Tim Vane:
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By dstickl
22nd Mar 2012 18:10

Simplify IR35 for those caught by the "Granny Tax" outrage!

John Stokdyk wrote:

I think the philosophy around these reforms is to steer small traders away from the incorporation route (though not professional practices, perhaps). But I shared your concern when I saw a bullet point about "Tax mitigation and IR35 ".

Still looking for details, but I think a lot of the things listed on HMRC's site hark back to previous announcements - in this case, an undertaking to review the operation of IR35 

Hi John! Today I heard David Gauke MP (Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury) say on BBC R4 “World at One” that “those over 65 will not pay National Insurance contributions”, as part of his defence of the tax in real terms on grandparent(s).  

 But that's wrong, isn’t it, for those workers who have to work because their pensions/savings have been damaged due to the banking crisis, and who are over 65 and who are caught by IR35, because HMRC’s Tax Manual ESM3169 states "apportion [the figure at Step Seven] between the deemed payment and the employer’s Class 1 NICs due on that payment".

 

SOLUTION: May I suggest (in order to calm down the outrage of a “Granny Tax” by Chancellor Rt Hon George Osborne MP) that in future:

Employer National Insurance Class One contributions should be waived by HMRC - as part of the "admin" changes to IR35 announced by the Chancellor -  for any worker aged over 65 that might be caught by IR35, with effect from 6th April 2012?

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By Trevor Scott
21st Mar 2012 21:44

Penalties

Just think of all the penalties HMRC will "earn" by investigating all the accounts prepared by traders themselves on a "cash basis". I'd bet the  "accounts" are utter tripe.

 

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By petersaxton
21st Mar 2012 19:29

Why?

Even though they are asking for tripe?

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By Ian Bee
22nd Mar 2012 10:05

Not so simple

"A simple cash and receipts basis" we are told.

So yes it looks as though accountants won't be needed by small businesses and all they need to do is self assess tax on the cash movements in the year. But does this mean that all expenses will be allowable? And which traders will know to add back drawings?

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By petersaxton
22nd Mar 2012 10:17

This wont last long

The tax yield will fall when small businesses use stock purchases to reduce tax.

Many small businesses are incapable of even listing their receipts and expenditure so I don't know how they will manage once they are told it is so simple that they wont need an accountant. If there are standard amounts for some expenses I can't see them excluding the actual amounts from the payments.

This seems to be ideas dreamed up by people who have no knowledge of what goes on.

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By ringi
22nd Mar 2012 10:26

Only the HMRC would ,,,,,

Only the HMRC would consider “To deal with 80% of correspondence within 15 working days” a target to aim for!

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By nigelrmorris
22nd Mar 2012 10:27

Corporate or not !

The article states :

"Companies, as well as the self-employed will be able to opt for this simplified basis."

But the http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2012_complete.pdf

document shows this -

1.210 The Government is also responding to the OTS reports on small businesses taxation.22 From April 2013 the Government will introduce a new cash basis for calculating tax for small unincorporated businesses.

What have I missed ?

 

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By coolmanwithbeard
22nd Mar 2012 10:37

Companies

Are they removing the rerquirement for companies to present proper true and fair view accounts from the CA? or is it just for tax purposes? Will this mean I can charge small companies for 2 sets of accounts??

 

 

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By Exector
22nd Mar 2012 10:39

IR35 comments

@ John R

I took the note in the Budget provisions as an oblique reference to the recent controversey over higher end NHS appointments being paid through their own corporates, even tho they were in effect functioning as e/ees/office holders and I suspect it refers to (future) measures intended to target this rather than a wholesale change in the legislative approach to service companies. The take on this seems more based on looking to improve the functioning of the present IR35 system.

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By Barkster
22nd Mar 2012 10:48

See-saw tax bills

This is just going to disconnect the earning of the profits and the paying of the tax even more than it is at present.

As others have said, businesses could "stock up" at the year end to reduce tax for that year, or delay invoicing or getting paid to push it into the next year, but they can't keep on doing that year on year and the ultimate catch-up is going to be most unpleasant. And guess who they will blame ?

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By paulb
22nd Mar 2012 11:01

I think that we all know how this will end. 

We receive a call from a 'new' client stating that they did there own 'accounts' and now they have an investigation and they can't understand why HMRC want the £5000 tax rebate back that they claimed last year - it was an honest mistake they thought the CIS deductions v expenditure was ok!

 

 

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By janet.kendall.afaco.co.uk
22nd Mar 2012 11:12

More penalties for missing VAT registration

I wonder how many will miss registering for VAT on time .......... or will those limits also have the option of being calculated under cash accounting?

As already mentioned, is it not also going to raise a number of tax enquiries with GP's & expenses going up and down, or will businesses with these turnovers be excluded from enquiries?

Will the purchase of stocks at the year end cause the reduced tax liability to fall under the proposed GAAR? After all it will only have been done to avoid tax in that year.

Then of course there's how to account for the transition from one method to another and presumably back again, or maybe there's to be no option once you're on the cash accounting method you stay until you have to leave.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for simplification, but perhaps a lower limit so when the forseeable problems occur they will affect fewer businesses.

But perhaps I'm being pessimistic and all the issues raised will be sorted before the system is put in place!

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By Philip Espin
22nd Mar 2012 11:23

Disincentive to expand?

If this system comes in it will act as a major disincentive for businesses to expand beyond £150k turnover for 2 very good reasons.  Small business owners will be discouraged by getting wrapped up in red tape from expanding to the next level having never developed good practices.  Also if they have understated tax liabilities they will be reluctant to bring them to the scrutiny of a professional adviser when they get to that point so they will manage declared turnover below the threshold using means they understand much better than George does. 

Looks like a major boost to tax evasion and the black economy to me notwithstanding George apparently finds such activity "repugnant".  Could be an unintended nail in the heart for entrepreneurial growth helping the economy get back on its feet?  Correction a nail in the heart of government revenues, not the same thing!

Given that disincorporation is being simplified will the sting in the tail ultimately prove to be that this new basis will not be available to corporates?

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By The Black Knight
22nd Mar 2012 11:43

look on the bright side !

If you have a company / business with Stock and debtors you can get rid of these...result no tax for a year at least.

I think it is good that the chancellor should grant small business a tax holiday.

If companies are included.?

Directors loan account ? well that has not been received either does that get eliminated too ?

Can all small companies get their S.455 tax back as well.

Which set of accounts do you use for distributable reserves ?

Although I cannot see where it says companies are entitled to use this method in the budget report.

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By johnjenkins
22nd Mar 2012 11:47

To me

it's all just a PR exercise and a reason to keep OTS. There is nothing in the "simplification" that most of us don't do already. The problem is if that is what politicians think is simplifying things then we are in big trouble. The merger between tax and nic and getting rid of ers nic should have been number 1 on the list, but then, of course, they wouldn't have been able to reduce CT. 

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By taxinfo
22nd Mar 2012 11:48

simplification? wot simplification?

This will result in total and utter confusion across the (dash)board.

Have HMRC now moved to PROMOTING avoidance and the "back economy"?

This new proposal should be an addition to the Revenue's "Toolkits" and be called "How to keep your tax bills small with a minimalist approach to accounting".

Ye Gods.....

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Replying to ScribbleD:
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By The Black Knight
22nd Mar 2012 12:04

appears so

taxinfo wrote:

This will result in total and utter confusion across the (dash)board.

Have HMRC now moved to PROMOTING avoidance and the "back economy"?

This new proposal should be an addition to the Revenue's "Toolkits" and be called "How to keep your tax bills small with a minimalist approach to accounting".

Ye Gods.....

 

They do say one thing and do another.

From what I have seen in the field Evaders get far better deal than the honest who are hounded on the first late payment where as those that have not filed a return for a number of years (2003 record at the moment) are left well alone.

Really all you have to do is pay the penalty and the determination (very rare) and /or only submit odd years. If you miss a few years out or use uncorrected estimated figures or complete fabrication missing real sources and creating fictitious ones this all seems to work quite well.

HMRC are really not on the side of legitimate business or the honest taxpayer.

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By johnjenkins
22nd Mar 2012 12:10

I hate to say

this Black Knight, but you are spot on. (I'm not saying I hate to agree with you).

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By stevebritgimp
22nd Mar 2012 12:28

I don't know where to start with the idea of more changes of basis, especially as CIS is on a payments basis, and VAT can be on either, again depending on advantage.  I'm in favour of simplification, and some of these proposals do look like genuine simplification, but calling something simple, and it being simple, are two different things.  This will need time to digest.

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By Trevor Scott
22nd Mar 2012 12:28

Most interesting point...

... was the wish to integrate operations of income tax and national insurance.

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By mydoghasfleas
22nd Mar 2012 12:37

And the cash to conventional transition

I note the comments about cash basis and playing around with the alternative.  Then when you get to the point of being ejected from the scheme there has to be a transition.  Whatever was simplified then complicates not only because it requires a different understanding from the small business owner but also he(she) will be thrown into a bundle of transitional calculations; possibly spread over years.

Remember what it was like for barristers on the wholesale switch and new barristers who start with the cash basis and switch.  Unless the entry and exit points rise each year it will be less not more simplification.  Also many small businesses will be unaffected by this concession because they are retail so their customers pay on supply.

 

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By The Black Knight
22nd Mar 2012 12:48

In reality

Those that do their own accounts never read the first set of rules and won't read the new ones.

It is likely that there will be a mixture of the two methods as before.

It is quite common in vat to see outputs on an invoice basis and inputs on a cash basis or vice se versa.

 

 

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By yorkiehurst
22nd Mar 2012 13:22

lenders and income verification

as it is near impossible at the moment for small self employed to obtain finance for business or for home loans, even with supporting accounts, guarantors, hostages and the like, and the lenders still demanding AUDITED accounts to support appplications!!, how will the new rules be played out when applying for loans and overdrafts?

will lenders look at cash flow or accept traders own figures?

I can see this stunting both business survival/expansion and the housing market for some time, and given the time taken for lenders to understand and adapt to change (see AUDITED accounts above!) possibly decades!!

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By Eric T
22nd Mar 2012 15:43

I would like clarification as to whether limited companies are excluded from cash basis accounting.

Osborne only used the word "business" in his speech - which was totally ambiguous.

The budget brief (as quoted above) states "unincorporated businesses" - so that seems to EXCLUDE limited companies

BBC's Budget Phone In today stated that they weren't sure if limited companies were excl;uded or not.

It's all a bit of a mess.

My view is that it would be impossible to include limited companies because companies must preopare accounts iin accordance with company law - which should preclude simple cash accounting.

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Replying to stratty:
Rebecca Benneyworth profile image
By Rebecca Benneyworth
22nd Mar 2012 19:34

limited companies
Sorry the article isn't completely clear. Companies can use the flat rate expenses dealt with in the article as a simplification but I double checked with HMRC & they certainly will not be able to go for cash accounting. I thought I had written it clearly but I can see that I left room for confusion. Sorry folks, I'll edit when I get a chance to put it more clearly.

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Replying to VitorSoares:
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By ringi
23rd Mar 2012 11:09

Not yet, but if the works then LTD may be included in “round 2”

I expect in a few years time this may all be extended to Companies if it works well for sole traders. 

Hopefully not having to account for capital spending separately when the capital spending is very low will be allowed for Companies – any info on this yet?

Likewise it would be great if Companies did not have to account for stock (or work in progress)  in detail when it was below (something like) 5% of turnover.

 

RebeccaBenneyworth wrote:
Sorry the article isn't completely clear. Companies can use the flat rate expenses dealt with in the article as a simplification but I double checked with HMRC & they certainly will not be able to go for cash accounting. I thought I had written it clearly but I can see that I left room for confusion. Sorry folks, I'll edit when I get a chance to put it more clearly.
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Replying to VitorSoares:
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By The Black Knight
23rd Mar 2012 14:53

thanks

RebeccaBenneyworth wrote:
Sorry the article isn't completely clear. Companies can use the flat rate expenses dealt with in the article as a simplification but I double checked with HMRC & they certainly will not be able to go for cash accounting. I thought I had written it clearly but I can see that I left room for confusion. Sorry folks, I'll edit when I get a chance to put it more clearly.

Presumably the entries will be Credit real expenses debit directors loan account. Debit HmRC figure credit directors loan account.

or can we just make an adjustment in the tax comp at least it's a permanent difference so no deferred tax !

Simplification for the non accountant ?? can't see it ?

 

I had a client in yesterday....None of his self employed colleagues paid any tax as they had accountants that claimed for the guard dogs, the weekly packed lunches (daily meal allowance) and the 50inch plasma computer monitor.....I really did feel for him and spent an hour explaining the complexities of subsistence on business travel.....which I don't think made sense to him........His colleague has not paid tax for 10 years + and has never had a problem.

Whether they are self employed or not is a completely different matter......Probably not !

the OTS and HMRC and the UK parish council ought to take notice of these real life examples (see above too) that are everyday occurrences and are not made up or subject to spin.

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Replying to DJKL:
By petersaxton
23rd Mar 2012 15:25

Too clever?

The Black Knight wrote:

the OTS and HMRC and the UK parish council ought to take notice of these real life examples (see above too) that are everyday occurrences and are not made up or subject to spin.

They think they are too clever to get involved in reality. They think they only have to suggest some nonsense and the world will be put to rights.

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By markgosling
22nd Mar 2012 17:56

SPOT ON

IAN BEE

You are spot on. I have just had a small sole trader come to me who completed his tax return himself and did not understand why he had no tax to pay. The main reason was that he had included drawings as wages. He also had claimed fuel costs as well as milage allowance, and several other mistakes.

I have just amended his tax return and his tax bill has gone from Nil to Almost £5000 despite me claiming things he had missed.

Just proves what a mess they can get into by not employing a tax adviser.

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By abelljms
22nd Mar 2012 18:32

i shouldn't read this stuff as it always shoves up my blood pressure.

"HMRC plans to roll out single registration services for companies so that registering a company at Companies House will also include registration for corporation tax"....

 

it already is like that so what's the ACTUAL change here? you get a letter from hmrc within seconds of registering a new company already with your CT ref....grrr.

 

 

 

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Replying to Igor Nankun:
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By ringi
23rd Mar 2012 11:02

The on-line CT registration is not integrated at present

You may get the letter with your CT ref when you create a company however you still need to sent back a form and then complete a few steps to register on line for CT.   I think it is this registration for on-line CT returns they are talking about.

Then there is the PAYE registration that is yet another set of web forms and letters to setup on-line access, then pay be VAT as well….

(Can there be a single place to change a company’s address as well, I had to update Companies House and 3 separate bits of the HMRC, so 4 web forms to complete and not even a page to linked to all of them!)

 

abelljms wrote:

i shouldn't read this stuff as it always shoves up my blood pressure.

"HMRC plans to roll out single registration services for companies so that registering a company at Companies House will also include registration for corporation tax"....

 

it already is like that so what's the ACTUAL change here? you get a letter from hmrc within seconds of registering a new company already with your CT ref....grrr.

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By abelljms
22nd Mar 2012 18:39

cash accounting

i went to the official consultation on this and the verdict was 90% that this is a waste of time.

think it through you get near your y/e, and have a £50k profit looming. You send £10k on the last day of the year to a supplier for the next months purchases - bingo £40k profit.

HMRCy won't have that, so to stop it there will reams of teeeedious anti-avoidance regs thereby destroying the alleged simplification benefit etc......zzzzz

 

 

 

 

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By petersaxton
22nd Mar 2012 20:48

Confusion

What usually happens with a new small business is that you explain what they have to do and they don't do anything until the accountant is chasing them and they ignore what they have been told by their accountant and make it up as they go along. They will have more opportunity to get it wrong with this "simplification".

I send my clients templates and explain what they have to do countless times and I still get nonsense back regularly.

One client listed sales invoices on a bank payments spreadsheet despite clear headings. I wonder what they thought when they saw the sales invoices spreadsheet. I wouldn't mind if they list all the information I need but they ignore the headings that don't make sense and don't provide the information in the spreadsheets they should have used.

I have had a client today and I explained that his new company accounts data didn't make sense. His bank receipts less bank payments didn't agree to his bank balance. I told him that he had previously said he was in financial difficulties so I suggested that he should look for the differences. He said that we should call the difference sub contractor expenses! I explained that we shouldn't make up the figures but he denied that was what he was doing. He wanted me to find the difference for him and said it should only take me an hour. Can't he spend two hours doing it instead? I am going to put together a document that explains what information I need and how it should be collected. I will also explain in clear terms what happens in a business and how simple the accounts record keeping is. I should have done this previously. My next challenge will be to get my clients to use the document!

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By petersaxton
22nd Mar 2012 21:00

"Simplification"

Why does government ignore the obvious sensible simplifications and instead do things that will complicate things even more?

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By North East Accountant
23rd Mar 2012 08:40

Not Simple!

Most small traders who prepare their own accounts and tax returns have been doing them on a cash basis anyway.

Now two systems, transitional rules and probalbly higher accountancy costs as a result.

This ill thought out proposal is purely so the government can say it's making it simpler for small business. What a joke!

 

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By John Snowden
23rd Mar 2012 12:14

Sympathetic but sceptical...

I am certainly in favour of simplification, if it is real and coherent. However, a couple of issues spring to mind:

1. Transitional matters will prove very complex, and

2. There will be serious competition issues (even more than now) 

 - as between companies and unincorporated businesses on the one hand and

 - as between businesses growing from below £77k turnover but approaching £150k and those which were already above £77k in the first place and so not eligible to cash account.

(Why should there be such a big gap, I wonder? I should have thought £85-90k would be a more sensible top limit.) 

On a more positive note, if this does come in, I reckon there are things we accountants could do to help and keep helping those clients who might otherwise depart in terms of advice, assistance and tools to help them do cash accounting right. Those who are unrepresented now, well, no change there so no threat.

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