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So much for tax returns!

22nd Jan 2014
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How are you getting on?

Up to your eyes or all under control?

Me, I’m steadily getting through them, a couple will miss the deadline – they already know that, and I don’t plan on working too late on 31st.

Volume wise, work has been the same as the previous couple of months but the mix has changed – not many sets of limited company accounts this month.

What I have been surprised about this month though is the new business. I’ve gained three new clients already which I didn’t expect with another possible next week.

Hopefully the flow will continue!

Going back to timesheets– again, by tracking the time spent actually working - can be very different from the time spent at my desk ;) I’ve actually decided I do have capacity to take on and deliver more work than I had previously thought.

When I say deliver, I mean preparing accounts and tax returns, I’m happy to sub out the bookkeeping, but I don’t want to start getting others to prepare stat accounts or CT comps – maybe I’m a control freak but that’s the way I like it. If there’s a cock up made I want no-one else to blame.

By staying efficient, limiting my time on AWeb and cricinfo (what a great website for stat geeks) I can get loads more done than I had previously thought possible.

Right, back to the tax returns –  17 still to submit, 5 are with clients for approval and all of the remaining 12 are straight forward – just waiting for P60’s mileage records, interest details.

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Replies (6)

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Teignmouth
By Paul Scholes
22nd Jan 2014 18:02

Funny old January

Unlike the last few years, when there were only 1 or 2 still left after November, I actually have 4 returns to do.  All the data is in and so all I have to do is "OpenSpace" them, but I just can't get fired up enough, there's always other more interesting stuff to do.

Andy Partridge started this thread a couple of weeks ago and one of mine fits the bill.  He's a very important man (well that's what he tells me) but his wife isn't (?) and so her tax return and their joint lettings are always with me in June/July, so I do hers and hang on for his P60 & bits, which were promised on 20 June. They arrived last weekend, with no apology and a plea to do them in time (his wife doesn't know he's late and threatened to de-manhood him last year if he did it again).  So I spent the 15 mins to do the return and I'm sitting on it till next Monday.

Last year he got a £700 refund, this year his tax bill is £24K and he has no idea, but will have next Monday.  I'd love to be there when the email hits, especially if he tells his wife (which he won't).  In addition to the tax bill the email will also tell him that he can find himself another accountant, I too am a very important man.

One of the others is also a little odd.  A client and his wife finally persuaded me to do the wife's return, even though she has never had to do one, because, wait for it.....they can't get a mortgage without a SA302 and the only way to get that is to do a tax return.  Can you Adam & Eve it?

I showed them to HMRC's SA registration page 2 weeks ago and she filled out the stuff and so we waited for the UTR.  She then gets an email from HMRC to say that she can't have one because, "needing a SA302 for a mortgage application" is not a valid reason to go for Self Assessment.

In desperation the husband asked me if he should make her a director of his company, but I said it won't apply for 2012/13, he then asked, "how about her employer?" : "what the part-time bookkeeping job?"  : "Yes" : "But she's not a director" : "Yes she is"  : "WHAT!, how long for?" : "About 5 years".

I'm now toying with the idea of telling them I'll have to do 4 more returns for her, but doubt I can be arsed.

 

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
22nd Jan 2014 19:52

Nothing that 'exciting'

I saw the thread. All my tricky one's were done a while back, with one exception - he's going to be late - £100 fine to go with the £000's he owes in tax from previous year's before I took him on (why did I do it?!?).

Didn't include him in my 17.

 

 

 

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
23rd Jan 2014 11:55

Cricinfo this morning

Managed to waste some time this morning, started reading on article on team captaincy - Clarke saying how great Bailey was as a team player (well it wouldn't be for his batting), in a round about way that led to reading on article (speech) by Mike Brearley.

If work hadn't forced me to call a halt to it I would have gone through the scorecards for the 1981 Ashes series (again).

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
23rd Jan 2014 21:15

January is no big deal for me yet.

I don't have many tax only jobs and only a few partnerships and sole traders to do so not loads of work to file in January. Most if the returns I do are just simple directors only so P60 + Dividends and the off bit of rental income. Had most filed before Xmas only a few left to do. I should be finished this week. I had hoped I would get a last minute call from someone new looking for premium rate last minute return but alas not. Think I will spend next week finally sorting out my bleeding website and getting it

live.

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
23rd Jan 2014 20:20

Premium rate

@Glennzy - had one of those requests today, payment up front and I'll do it ;o)

 

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