The deadline and penaties remain
Jim Harra has said that appeals stating COVID will be accepted
What a waste of time for taxpayers and their agents
If COVID is specified then penalty appeal will be accepted. Why bother with penalty?
I would look to charge £50 minimum for all appeals submitted.
And this time I really mean it Thank you Jim for wasting our time
And yes I know all you who are so far ahead this year like never before consider this thread irrelevant
If so feel free to not comment
Replies (12)
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We are ahead but the usual ones have not provided their info due to non-Covid reasons. I don’t want to still be preparing tax returns after January so will advise clients as much and will not be appealing penalties.
If your clients have grounds then a fee for the appeal is a good idea. You should also charge a fee for filing late.
What I've got left aren't for covid reasons so no appeal will be going in.
Agree with above. Jim is probably not prepared to give everyone a free ride but recognises Covid might be a bit of an issue for some.
No doubt some folk will tell lies - it happens,
I've just got two left. A fella and his wife who live less than 5 minutes away. Just waiting for them to put their crosses on page 8.
This is really good news. None of mine are covid related, just people can't be bothered. No penalties being appealed here
I need that break each year between February and 5 April to have a break from taxes and get admin ready for the following year
I’m hugely behind and for the first time I think I could see more than a handful go in late.
Strangely enough many of the usual last minute Charlie’s got their [***] together before the summer as they had little else to do in April/may.
Most of the delays are clients fault. The rest due to slower working practices (most staff working from home). None that are what I would call directly covid related (ie client or accountant falling ill just before deadline) but many are indirectly related.
We shall see
All my ones that are late have had since April. I won't be filing any appeals. Had plenty of time to contact me to discuss circumstances. Don't see why I should appeal anything if they ring in January and expect it done within four weeks.
I think the "COVID excuse" is a good provision for us should we face sickness or isolation in January, especially nearer the 31st. It gives us cover if those we would normally manage to get in we cannot due to having to self isolate on January 22nd!
That's me done.
Last one submitted at 10:19 on 23 December.
Well done!
Is this relatively normal for you?
Absolutely not.
Whilst I've been running the practice down into a part-time one over the last five years, I've submitted only two or three fewer returns than last year, yet completed the task a month earlier.
Also a month ahead here too, looking forward to a proper Christmas break for the first time I can remember since Self Assessment started and a relaxing January too.
@ SXGuy.
Re your post at 8.15, and in appreciating that the faults lie (very probably) with the client, and of course assuming that your closing words “and expect it done within four weeks” imply that you will not be preparing the Tax Returns, I believe that you are at risk of complaint from the clients; especially (albeit not necessarily restricted to) in cases where the client claims that their tardiness was Covid-19 related.
If it is your intention not to agree a client’s request to prepare the Tax Return, if and when requested so to do, then I believe it incumbent upon you to specifically notify them immediately of your intention in that regard. Not to do so could result in a client’s approaching you, after the new 3 month appeal time limit has expired, to advise you that you, as his accountant, had failed to submit an appeal or notify them of the time limit for such appeal (with a consequent claim against you for the Penalty, and perhaps a formal complaint to your governing body).
Frankly (and in intending no offence) if it is not your intention to attend to the preparation of the Tax Return (if and when requested so to do) and not proposing to submit an appeal either, then it is very probably appropriate to formally resign as the accountant now (albeit in reality I think that such resignation should probably have been tendered already).
Basil.