MTD: Client segmentation and capability audit – sorting the wheat from the chaff
Written in collaboration with Sage, as part of our Countdown to Making Tax Digital series, Jennifer Adams looks at how you can split up your client base, and the options for segmenting, because there won’t be a one-size-fits all solution for MTD ITSA.
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Thanks for a calm, pragmatic look at what is really 'pre-planning for MTD.
Personally, I'm still more concerned about the lack of detailed info regarding Who collects What? / Who does What with it (upto/including submissions/adjustments)? / Who retains What?
Only then will it be possible to address all the Hows and Whens - necessary to devise new processes (which may well impact on both capacity and pricing within a Practice).
But I applaud your honesty - particularly where you say "If you have decided not to retire or are too young or have too large a mortgage then you need to start looking ..."
In other words, if you have no choice but to learn to live with MTD ... then buckle up for a bumpy ride!
Good advice here to help the accountancy practice facing MTD with some trepidation.
Arguably we should all review and segment clients regularly regardless of changes in regulation so we can sort out those to hold on to and those to let go. An excellent job for February and March maybe when tax returns are all filed.
But, having sifted out the chaff, and gently shown the door to the sub-optimal clients where do these former clients go? There are already reports of accountants either accelerating their retirement or deciding not to deal with some sectors - landlords look like being especially bothersome to deal with under MTD. Also reports of firms already saying that they will not take on new work.
So who is going to advise and act for these people who are not sufficiently elderly or geographically remote to score exemption on the ground of digital exclusion? What do HMRC hope to achieve by ensuring that the taxpayers least able to deal with their tax affairs themselves struggle to find accountants who will act for them?
"HMRC is determined to make it a reality not least because they have spent too much on their computer systems to cancel it"
Just because HMRC have spent a lot of OUR money on their computer systems is not a valid reason for a determination to make it work. There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that it will not work, at least not in its present format, and just wishing very hard for success is just not enough.
"experience suggests that accountants are going to bear the brunt of its implementation"
There is no requirement whatsoever for Accountants to bear the brunt of its implementation, this is entirely the responsibility of HMRC who have been paid to implement this project. We have been paid nothing at all 'to bear the brunt' and therefore have no responsibility to make it work at all.
Whilst the article is aimed at Accountants, there seems little regard for the millions of people who will have to deal with MTD themselves as their Accountants are no longer interested in them or take them on as clients as they cannot afford the fees. Who, exactly, is going to help them? Hardly a good plan for a universal success of the MTD project when millions of people may be excluded, but I suppose they can rely on the HMRC helpline for good in depth technical assistance.
Jennifer is looking solely from the viewpoint of Accountants and those in similar positions, and this is a good article on that basis, but if anything, this article just reinforces the views of many AWEB contributors that MTD for ITSA is too complex and will leave millions in the the dark (many abandoned by their Accountants) and that this project simply cannot work in its present format.
'"experience suggests that accountants are going to bear the brunt of its implementation"
There is no requirement whatsoever for Accountants to bear the brunt of its implementation, this is entirely the responsibility of HMRC who have been paid to implement this project. We have been paid nothing at all 'to bear the brunt' and therefore have no responsibility to make it work at all.'
I couldn't agree more, absolutely no responsibility for us to make it work. We run professional practices not charities or counselling services.
Maybe the software suppliers who stand to make money from the whole debacle would like set up a support network for the taxpayers who can no longer find accountants to work with them and cannot afford or cope with software 'solutions'. That way it can turn into a total shambles as the pushers of cloud accounting packages generally seem incapable of appreciating that landlords and the self employed may have other sources of income which utterly negate the promise that their accounting products will also calculate the tax.
I'm taking the coward's way out and retiring.
By 2024 I'll either be growing tomatoes and baking bread or possibly pushing up daisies.
I'm sure that bookkeepers, well digital recordkeepers, will take up the surplus not wanted by accountants. Maybe its time to let lower qualified people do what they want to do and leave the experienced accountants to focus on tax and business advice.
Clients who are due to retire in 2024/25 surely have no obligation to comply, do they ?
I would hope that a claim for exception would be favourably received but, even if not, it's unlikely that penalties will be imposed in Year 1 (whenever that turns out to be).
As an addition to my earlier post, I would be happy for anyone to tell me that my views are wrong on this and give me good reasons as to why they think I am wrong.
As a further example of HMG Projects that have been very much a waste of time and money, I would cite the case of Tagging Accounts for Tax and Filing at Companies House. Whilst checking the tags on Accounts being submitted to HMRC and Companies House in a typical set of Company Accounts prepared in VT recently, I am reminded of the absurdity of it all when the VT Notes state -
"There are potentially 100,000 different items of data that you could tag with the full UK GAAP taxonomy, but HMRC check the value of only one item in the accounts on submission. A check is carried out to ensure that the company registration number in the accounts (per the Workbook Properties dialog in VT) matches that in the CT600."
I also wonder how many people actually check the tagging on the Accounts they submit anyway. I am thinking that there is a lot of misinformation being filed with HMRC and Companies House, which clearly makes any serious use of such information very risky indeed.
MTD will be just the same. Terabyte upon Terabyte of useless information gathered just for the sake of it.
I think you are partly right in that I am now 97% sure that the MTD for ITSA limit will be set at £85,000, although I suspect this will not be done until the last minute.
This does give the project a chance of some success as many people will already be keeping digital VAT records and this would also save the smaller more vulnerable clients from being cancelled by their Accountants.
I think you are partly right in that I am now 97% sure that the MTD for ITSA limit will be set at £85,000, although I suspect this will not be done until the last minute.
This does give the project a chance of some success as many people will already be keeping digital VAT records and this would also save the smaller more vulnerable clients from being cancelled by their Accountants.
Do you think we might even see the 'soft landing' approach of £85K, then £55K, and £20K (or whatever it might be) over a number of years?
Am I the only one who lets the accounts software tag whatever it likes how it likes?
I just click to generate the ixbrl and that's it. Life's too short for combing through it - or for learning how!
The VT notes do go on to say in effect that you do not really need to bother about tagging and in the case of VT Final Accounts, if you don't do any customising of the templates then the inbuilt tags are just fine.
The point I was making is that this was a grand project to gather masses of information in a similar way to MTD but it is such a failure that it is not taken seriously by anyone and yes, who does actually care about tagging in the Accounts submitted to Companies House and HMRC.
I do the same
HMRC and Co house do not care, Why should I?
The accounts are for the client. If client can follow and understand the accounts then I have do what is needed, the client is paying, not others.
Am I the only one who lets the accounts software tag whatever it likes how it likes?
I just click to generate the ixbrl and that's it. Life's too short for combing through it - or for learning how!
I do just the same - we just let it do its thing. indeed i think anyone who has started filing accounts in the past 10 years is probably blissfully unaware of the whole thing as it just 'works' unseen in the background, well enough to get filed which is all the matters to accountants. Content is irrelevant.
its a bit like those government stat forms, you get no prizes if you spend all day filling in the nth degree recutting your accounting data to fit their requests across 6 divisions vs bashing in any random old tosh in 10 minutes.
Of course with MTD the quarterly data will be, erm, o yes! Ignored completely by HMRC. So no prizes for making the data any good.
I take no interest in the tags and never check them. Why should I because HMRC aren't interested either. The only intervention I have is when the software flags up an error (eg can't find the balance sheet date!) and won't let me file until it is corrected. I've discovered that if I delete the tag the error goes away and the accounts are successfully filed with HMRC. That proves how little notice HMRC take of the accounts.
After 40 years in Accountancy and being one of the first Accountants to use Sage and other Accounts products also dealing with ages 18 to 80 of the worst affected I think I am well qualified to comment. SAGE and all the other IT's companies historically have over promised and under delivered all the years I have been in business. Basically rip you off until challenged. HMRC can't even answer a letter or answer the phone on time , they cant open VAT and PAYE schemes in time and most staff like robots and yet they are expecting so called "customers" to keep complicated records in real time or Accountants to work harder for less money to deliver meaningless figures. I have moved to Devon and will leave my clients with a larger Firm. I don't believe the new scheme will work for a second. I will let HMRC and anyone who needs to be in Accountancy get on with it. The new system won't work however HMRC will not admit this to save face. So lucky I have the resources to get out of what is going to be the most stressful time for Taxpayers and Accountants alike.
I've been in the profession since 1965 and agree about Accounts products apart from VT. it doesn't make promises and does exactly what it says on the tin. Prior to VT I used spreadsheets linked to Accounts. Had a few problems with the links occasionally but was good fun playing with it. I love my job, each day is different. However just lately HMRC seem to have totally switched off. It's as though they don't give a monkeys about anything other than trying to sell us a scheme that hasn't got a cat in hells chance of working and they expect us to sort everything out. It is little wonder why good Accountants will fly the nest.
The only clients we are bothering with on this are those which have
(a) an existing interest or bookkeeping need to go to cloud, ie will be doing them anyway.
AND
(b) are highly likely to still be a client in 5-10 years or there is zero point investing time in them (the payback on this has got to be 10+ years of time)
AND
(c) unlikely to be taken out with the inevitable last minute softening.
This is about 10 of our 300 odd clients. For the rest I imagine many will be taken out at the last minute when the threshold goes up. I doubt it will go to VAT, but I imagine it will go to a minimum of £25,000 by either official announcement or simple practicalities of enforcement being virtually impossible below that point as there are just too many cases dropping in/out, many of whom will be barely paying any tax at all.
I also think landlords will be dropped late on as its utterly pointless for all but the larger landlords with 5+ properties, and many rich MP's and other senior decision makers (and their friends) are landlords and once they get wind of this will be doing more than having a quiet word in their friend's ears. Landlords are particularly fiendishly difficult to do given the way properties tend to be held in various holdings do you would be down to almost one return per property in many cases, and yet there is usually only big disadvantages in software so the pain factor is at is very highest here.
Agree
Existing software is aimed at trades
Landlords just do not fit, and most properties I deal with are owned jointly in varying proportions
Letting just is not a business. The income is unlikely to be wrong so MTD serves no tax gap purpose
(As if if MTD served any tax gap purpose)
I am in a similar position to yourself. However we have got all clients on some sort of digital bookkeeping system with obvious varying degrees of success and competence. For our smaller business we use VT cashbook, which is free and very easy to use so these clients can play. I think that HMRC (if this ever gets off the ground) will lower the threshold to £50k to start with, then the following year or two down to £25k
A good article and some very sensible pointers for us to consider.
For me though, it's way too early to be getting involved. At the moment its very much hit and miss as to what will be finally expected, especially the expectation that the threshold will be raised. Personally I'd like to see 50k minimum, until it's been properly evaluated in running so to speak.
I'll play it by ear, but I don't intend doing owt or letting clients know until February 2023, as by then we should have a better idea as to what to expect. My only one stipulation (at present) will be they have a business bank account, and I'll insist that is in place prior to the start of the 23/24 accounting period.
My only one stipulation (at present) will be they have a business bank account, and I'll insist that is in place prior to the start of the 23/24 accounting period.
That bit will help even if MTD never applies to the smallest of clients.
Yet another article which supports the HMRC propaganda. Specifically the Revenue are doing sod all - but leaving it to the likes of the accountancy profession to implement this unnecessary, burdensome administration called MTD.
Keep these sort of pre-emptive articles coming and HMRC will be delighted. Not to mention Software Developers rubbbing their palms with glee.
Sadly this article omits - for whatever reasons known to the writer - another client ''SEGMENTATION '' Ugh; I despair .
Rather than put HMRC's less able customers on the ''TO GO'' { Ugh again } LIST , I suggest the avenue of EXEMPTIONS is explored before throwing in the towel and let long standing clients suffer.
HMRC have already announced that applications for Exemptions from MTD for Income Tax nay be made if :-
# It's not reasonable or practical to use computers or the internet due to age , disability or location
# Objection is made on religious grounds .
# It is not reasonable or practical for any other reason.
I would say that this third point applies to all of my clients.
But to mention such advice in these articles wouldn't be good news to Software Developers. Or am I being cynical ?
There have been numerous articles on AWeb over the last several years telling me how I must get ready for MTD. But we've all got enough to do already, especially in these Covid times. And just in case we haven't, HMRC gives us something extra to do such as 30/60-day CGT, VAT CIS reverse charge, basis period reform.
There is always something more pressing than MTD so today I'm going to get on with the pressing stuff, and tomorrow, and the next day. I might have a look at MTD in 2024 but then again most of my clients are partnerships so I'll leave it till 2025. By 2025 there'll be another postponement.
Let's look at Sage. I like Sage and it's my software of choice. Before MTD VAT, Sage could already file VAT returns direct with HMRC through the software. When MTD VAT started, all that Sage needed to do was bolt on the MTD VAT API and interface. There were no fundamental changes to the software or how the VAT returns were filed. But look how long it took the software industry to respond to that small change. And what a cost. Prior to MTD VAT most of my Sage clients would buy a one-off licence for £100 which would last forever. But to get the software with the MTD module my clients had to subscribe for £30 a month! What a massive fee increase for just the MTD VAT module.
Unlike MTD VAT which required miniscule changes to the software, MTD ITSA is massive and will require a huge amount of investment by the software suppliers. If Sage is already charging £30 a month, how much extra can they charge for MTD ITSA? £nil I reckon. So why would Sage make the investment for no income? They won't. Though Sage can handle VAT, many tasks are not automated eg retail schemes, partial exemption, margin schemes. These schemes have been around since 1973 yet Sage has still not automated them (nor have QuickBooks Online or Xero). That's because the software companies have no financial incentive to automate these services. I feel this will be the same for MTD ITSA. The software suppliers have already had all they're going to get because of MTD VAT and the extra they'll get from MTD ITSA will be marginal. And if the software suppliers can't deliver, MTD ITSA won't happen.
So, until I'm convinced MTD ITSA is definitely happening, and imminently, I'm going to stick to the day job.
I retired at the end of 2020, partly because I didn't want the hassle of dealing with this.
I do wonder what will happen to all the 'no hopers'. I realised early on that MTD would make it very difficult for me to deal with any clients who couldn't get to grips with accounting software themselves and the extra time it would have taken for me to sort them out would have made my fees unaffordable. Probably <10% of my clients fell into this category, having for many years kept their records on paper or a simple spreadsheet. Many older clients said they would retire rather than have to deal with MTD (or pay significant extra fees for someone to sort out for them). One of the many (unintended) consequences of MTD?
'Score 4: The 'no hopers' - those who you can't see yourself working with, who you know you will be chasing for information, maybe even submitting estimated quarterly returns, and decide if you need to let them go. However, before you do part company, look at how long they have been a client. Have they been the perfect client and would still be if MTD wasn't coming in? Is there a way that you can do the work cost-effectively or will you have to be brave and say 'goodbye'? Costs for these clients are certain to rise - will they weather the increase? '
I am disappointed with Jennifer and find it difficult to believe that she is writing an article sponsored by Sage that effectively encourages the cancellation of everyone that is unlikely to be able to pay for professional services to help them cope with the requirements of MTD. This seems to be on the basis that MTD for VAT is set in concrete rather than suggesting anything that could be changed or improved in the project to better help the 'no hopers', something that would not be of much benefit to Sage.
The conversion of Jennifer to the dark side is just another example of how this Insidious Project can eventually influence anyone that gets caught in its web.
We've put our "no hopers" on VT cashbook (free) but it is a case where "show me a dustsheet and I'll paint, show me a spreadsheet and I'll faint".
So the software industry is saying that the 'no hopers' should become the 'unrepresented no-hopers'. I wonder how this will improve compliance? Has HMRC and the software industry the capacity to deal with all these newly-unrepresented 'no hopers'? From an agents perspective, maybe this isn't a bad thing because we'll then have more time to deal with our remaining clients and because MTD ITSA will require so much more time, we'll be able to recover the lost fees from the extra MTD ITSA services we can charge our existing clients. Good luck to HMRC and the software industry in dealing with all these 'no-hopers' cast into the unrepresented wilderness. Maybe they'll just disappear off HMRC's radar?
Quickbooks have built a neat little tool to assist with segmenting clients if you want to avoid creating your own spreadsheet. Obviously they have a vested interest but they are providing this on an agnostic basis, which for us is helpful, as we're likely to be using Xero/FreeAgent as our tools of choice. It's an interation of a tool that was around in the MTD4VAT times!
The biggest challenge with segmenting clients is getting at the data in the first instance and then cleansing it to make it useful for the intended exercise.
If MTD was the no-brainer that HMRC and the software industry say it is, wouldn't we have switched years ago?
We are switching but on a slow voluntary approach over the years. However I do not see the need for quarterly updates for non vat registered business.
On top of all that has been said with most of which I wholly agree is the basic fact that most people in small business are just not capable of being bookkeepers but are being persuaded by the likes of Xero that it can all be done by them. Press a button and all is well. Press another button and you have your annual accounts so why bother with an accountant.
I shall be retired but one can see where it will lead. Clients who duplicate invoices and payments to the nominal account, who claim all their personal expenses (and reclaim the VAT as well) and generally apply the system in their own favour. We see it , we correct it but if they do it themselves????
Didn't I read that the tax gap from MTD for VAT had widened rather than closed? Is there perhaps something for HMRC to learn there?
They won't listen, they won't learn as they think they know better but ignoring reality doesn't stop it being reality. I shall laugh from my armchair as I enjoy my retirement after 50 years in this profession. Good luck to those who have too deal with an HMRC with no understanding of the real world.
Maybe that is the point of MTD. Get rid of all one man band business, whether retired or on PAYE. They do not see the commercial suicide they are creating.
Imagine the scenario HMRC pops up on 18/03/24 and says we've listened to concerns so we're going to delay MTDfIT until 06/04/25, and then only for £85K or over.
I have used 18/03/24 as it was on the 18/03/20 that HMRC delayed the IR35 changes that were coming in on 06/04/20.......until they were delayed until 06/04/21.
The waste of time and money would be huge........and for the none public sector that matters.
Perhaps the HMRC staff involved with MTDfIT should be held accountable that it will definitely happen on 06/04/24 or they all lose their jobs and pensions.....then we might be convinced it's going to go ahead as billed.
HMRC staff are never accountable. They get promotion or knighthoods, leaving a trail of disaster in their wake that we have to fix. MTD was announced by George Osborne but he's long since scarpered. Ok, George Osbourne isn't HMRC but it demonstrates that those that have the power to force these ludicrous regimes on us never have to witness the problems they cause.
It's not the HMRC staff who are causing the delay, it's IT. I suspect that because of the change to IR35 a lot of workers in IT and HGV drivers decided to either call it a day and go elsewhere, or whatever. In any event HMRC have shot themselves in the foot. I shudder to think how much destruction MTD will do when a lot of knowledgeable people (not only in Accountancy) retire or go elsewhere.
I agree with much of the comment so won't reiterate.
This will be messy and expensive for all clients that conform and there will be a high number of unrepresented clients many of whom will "disappear", the positive being fees will increase because of the demand for services.
Whether they admit it or not, HMRC have always had a strong desire to cut the number of practising accountants, certainly sole practitioners, and also push more self employed onto PAYE, which I think will succeed to a point.
A large number of my clients will do nowt but instruct me to deal with it. But before that, a chat about the associated costs will, in many cases, stun them and look elsewhere. Good luck I say. Let's hope their contact down the pub is up to speed.
The problem you have is a lot of medium sized business (and some big ones) do not want to employ because of all the hassle employment brings. Hence many one man band business. Some of these go on to bigger things but most stay as they are and earn a reasonable living. MTD for them will be a disaster and will destroy a lot of them. If that's what the object of the exercise is then well done HMRC, you will have achieved it, but to what cost to the economy.
What have we learned from this article -
If you are Chaff you are likely to be cancelled by your Accountant (Goodbye and good luck to you)
At one I attended all the MP's did their best to put forward all the anti comments that we have all posted here over the years but the answer they got from HMRC was 'tough'.
If MPs were saying the same as us and the PBs and just about the entire human race, why are HMRC sticking to their guns? Do they still think MTD is the cure to all their evils? Do HMRC have so little regard for what just about everyone is telling them? When I speak to individual HMRC staff they all seem to think MTD is a bad idea. So how is this project staying alive? Is it a committee within HMRC, or just one director? Or is it like the Emperor's new clothes, no one quite wants to state what is now all too clear?
So we now have another ''CATEGORY'' . i.e. taking on extra staff to cope with the No Hopers.
I give up.
So we now have another ''CATEGORY'' . i.e. taking on extra staff to cope with the No Hopers.
I give up.
Jennifer Adams wrote:
At one I attended all the MP's did their best to put forward all the anti comments that we have all posted here over the years but the answer they got from HMRC was 'tough'.
If MPs were saying the same as us and the PBs and just about the entire human race, why are HMRC sticking to their guns? Do they still think MTD is the cure to all their evils? Do HMRC have so little regard for what just about everyone is telling them? When I speak to individual HMRC staff they all seem to think MTD is a bad idea. So how is this project staying alive? Is it a committee within HMRC, or just one director? Or is it like the Emperor's new clothes, no one quite wants to state what is now all too clear?
My experience of speaking up about MTD outside of this forum is that everyone is largely against it, but everyone HMRC side seems to dismiss those concerns and motor on through fingers firmly in ear, and presumably look after their own careers and move on before the problems hit. The House of Lords Select Committee on MTDfVAT was a case in point. HMRC put in zero effort (putting up some low grade staff hugely out of their depth, I think one was in tears at one point as they didn't have a clue and couldn't defend their position) and completely ignored all the recommendations.
I think Jenifer's article is pragmatic, but highlights the reality. Load of extra work, sacking good clients to make room (and you can bet few firms will be able to take them on) and/or hiring additional staff (when there is simply not any around, and staff who's shift pattern would be most odd with all the work loaded into every 3rd month so you would have to have them working all hours every 3 months and then time off in lue of something for the others) All to bung 4 unread reports to HMRC. Which might well be canned anyhow once the penny starts descending.
The utter farce from the VAT element is still being felt. Tax take down due to low quality records and huge costs of implementation. And all they have really done is replace one digital filing method with another at huge expense for UK PLC.
Utter madness, but it continues. Or at least it continues to be put off to about 3 years from now. Hopefully indefinitely.
"PS... all writers are asked to write about subjects that they dont necessarily agree with. There is also a set limit to the number of words."
The title of the article is inflammatory to start off with - Sorting the wheat from the Chaff - (our clients) - and is also sponsored by Sage who many believe to be one of the companies that have promoted the MTD project, and who are destined to make huge amounts of profits from it. (Chaff - not of any use and to be thrown away).
Not a good start.
The article is also something that I would not expect from Jennifer Adams, and as you have now implied, it does not actually reflect your own views. Possibly the views of Sage, but definitely not entirely your own views.
Writing something like this that you 'dont necessarily agree with' is not good reading and looks as through you are just saying the words of others who do not have the same values as yourself. It shows in your words.
Articles have more meaning and effect when they are written from the heart of the author and you are capable of writing an inspiring article that says exactly how you really feel and what needs to be done to save us from your "I think it is going to be hell" opinion
It is not good enough to accept HMRC telling us it is 'tough' and we have to get on with it. Those are the words of arrogance and ignorance and only inspires us to show them and others just why we do not have to just get on with it and will not do this if we do not think it is right. HMRC and the Government as a whole work for us in a democracy and we do have a say in what goes on and need to express our real feelings freely. I would add that I have been representing clients for over 50 years and my opinion of HMRC as a competent body is currently at its lowest level along with my respect for that body.
Although very laudable for you to suggest that you might need take on extra staff, this is no answer and it would cost you dearly to do this. Much better for you to work towards eliminating the need for such a necessity in the first place and campaign for changes in MTD proposals so the 'Chaff' can carry on as they are. This is a far better solution than taking on extra staff to service clients who are unable to pay for such services anyway.
Jennifer, give us an article that has fire and informed reasoning that sums up your real feelings and the alternative solutions that you think would help us move towards a more digital tax and accounting environment in a properly planned and timed conversion, always taking into account the practical needs of the 'Chaff' in particular.
Be true to your own feelings and write articles that make us sit up and really appreciate what YOU are saying .
Tornado,
You are more than welcome to express your opinions about the roll out of MTD but it is unfair to target and criticise the author of the article.
The aim of Jennifer's article was to provide practical advice for accountants managing the transition. And the article did exactly that.
It was not intended to be an opinion piece, it was a 'how to' article. I would also say that client segmentation is a worthwhile exercise for any accountancy firm beyond the looming deadline of MTD.
Hello Richard
I am prepared to stand by everything I have said. I think I have made valid points, and you can see that others agree with my comments. Also note that it was Jennifer who effectively said that that she did not necessarily agree with what she had written.
Yes, I can agree that taken purely as a factual article about client segmentation, then it does do that, but if articles like this are just meant to be read, why add a comment box?
I have read Jennifer's articles and posts for a long time now and do appreciate and mostly agree with what she says.
I am happy to apologise to Jennifer if I have caused any personal offence, but it was not the intention. I would genuinely like to see more articles from her, but with more of her own thoughts and opinions.
Richard
Aweb is not balanced
Articles on MTD are all sponsored by the industry pushing it.
Try reading the Comment section in the Taxation magazine by Alan Poole, Magazine dated 18 November 2021. Three pages of the exact same points that I and most responders are making on all MTD threads.
He omits one significant point that I have made. MTD brings in a two tier system that serves zero purpose
MTD tax returns, and non MTD tax returns, with the latter being available as paper, HMRC freeware that taxpayers can use themselves or the software we buy as agents (no freeware for agents)
No HMRC freeware for MTD so taxpayers MUST pay subsciptions and MUST pay for all support and MUST pay for learning how to operate the software.
I note that not one of my clients with income exceeding £100,000 will need to engage with this and need to buy software.
The costs will be bourne by clients who pay no tax, very little tax or basic rate tax
A significant part of that increased cost goes to your sponsors.
I have a client who is a bookkeeper
Trades as a bookkeeper, and has one let property
She tried to put of her tax stuff onto Sage
It was a complete pig's ear
I suspect the Sage answer would be that she needs 2 different software products, 2 different subsciptions, and that it just does not work if she uses the same bank account.
Another client coped adequately for VAT on the old system
Tried Sage for VAT
Could not figure it out at all
Sage charged £800 trying to teach her, but just gave up (Sage gave up on her)
I think she felt guilty as she had previously used up so much of our time
We now do the bookkeeping that previously she was capable of before MTD
Basic bookkeeping is just wtiting figures on paper
No need to understand double entry, we did all that. We did not usually find any errors in the way she did it before.
You have commentators suggesting that any accountant that does not like MTD should go out and get a different job
I consider your comment that the author has been targetted to be perhaps unfortunate
Wheat from Chaff? Not exactly inclusive when clearly a significant number of my clients fall to be defined as chaff
So not exactly an article that I could look to draw my clients' attension to
Overall are articles and webinars on Aweb simply say accept it now, start digital now despite knowing full well that it is still in flux and timings and limits quite likely to get Kicked down the road
Still no idea on anything but the most simple of partnerships yet
HMRC and IT just cannot be trusted to deliver on time
Pilot for Landlords with shared properties anytime soon?