Jennifer Adams is Consulting Editor of AccountingWEB and is a professional business author specialising in corporate governance and taxation. She runs her own accounting and consultancy business with offices based in Surrey and Dorset.
DKB's comment re VAT registration hit (struck?) a chord later in the day.. I have a client who has done everything right and is still waiting for a VAT reg number after 3 months.
Surely out of all HMRC's depts VAT registration should have some sort of priority?
Meanwhile... I did get through to a very nice lady after being cut off as per my original post and it is sorted. I opened the conversation with 'Please dont cut me off'.
I called re a tax refund that had been sitting there for weeks and the client was getting desperate. The tax return said for the refund to come to me but that was ignored and HMRC's screen showed it just sitting there as I said.
I even completed the screen refund form (this never seems to work ) but this time putting clients bank details and still nothing - hence my ringing.
Someone HMRC's side had confirmed my previous call chasing but not ticked some box or something so if I hadnt called the refund would still be sitting there.... lucky I persevered.
But where we possibly can sit on the phone (or rather on hands free) for hours, many 'customers' only have a lunch break in which to phone.
"My team and I are committed to enabling technology as the beating heart of HMRC – Making Tax Digital, administering our taxation and customs regime efficiently, and delivering a seamless experience for our customers and colleagues."
>> which means ...
'we recognise the systems are not efficient although we want them to be'
Unfortunately you are asking too late - you need to attend Accountex where you would have been able to test out all of the main software providers.
As ireallyshoudknowtis says.. make a list of the important points/needs. You dont say how large your client base is - that will depend on where you go.
The main consideration must be support. Can you get through to them.. do they answer quickly? Are their instruction videos understandable? What are they going to do about MTD (I know.. I know.. we all hope it wont come into being but we need to keep in the back of our mind at least).
We are a small mixed client firm and we use Clearbooks. Iris is, as you say, too expensive for us.
Well that's the answer to all the wasted hours hanging on the phone waiting to be put through, listening to that incessant music only to be cut off... i.e. we all need to up sticks and work from France.
Or get one of those generic phone numbers with a non UK phone number.
She needs to follow Viciuno's advice - check Experian.
My husband had this problem and it was only sorted out because ages ago I am down as agent (past 64-8 not the new govt gateway method). But even so he had to stand by me when I phoned and give his authority for HMRC to speak to me.
We only found out because he applied for a state pension forecast and was refused on the grounds that the info they had didnt match HMRC's.. so its important to get this sorted.
And what makes HMRC think that they will get the figure right?
Do their records go back that far? Ha Ha
:-)
personally for those clients for whom I didnt work with way back then .. I'm just going to go back as far as I can and estimate based on the last fig. For those for whom I did...still estimate.
One point that needs to be considered before PPR is whether it was the estate that sold the property or the beneficiaries . If it was the estate then whoever dealt with the estate missed a trick .
See here:
A Deed of Appropriation is drawn up and then its the beneficiaries who are the sellers not the estate. This way you can use 2 x allowances and the tax rate is 18%
>> many solicitors are unaware of this - but you need to find out whether such as deed was signed.
My answers
No idea.... my clients know that their lives would not be worth living if they go behind my back and ring.
DKB's comment re VAT registration hit (struck?) a chord later in the day.. I have a client who has done everything right and is still waiting for a VAT reg number after 3 months.
Surely out of all HMRC's depts VAT registration should have some sort of priority?
Meanwhile... I did get through to a very nice lady after being cut off as per my original post and it is sorted. I opened the conversation with 'Please dont cut me off'.
I called re a tax refund that had been sitting there for weeks and the client was getting desperate. The tax return said for the refund to come to me but that was ignored and HMRC's screen showed it just sitting there as I said.
I even completed the screen refund form (this never seems to work ) but this time putting clients bank details and still nothing - hence my ringing.
Someone HMRC's side had confirmed my previous call chasing but not ticked some box or something so if I hadnt called the refund would still be sitting there.... lucky I persevered.
But where we possibly can sit on the phone (or rather on hands free) for hours, many 'customers' only have a lunch break in which to phone.
The consensus of opinion here is to 'get rid' but I can see that you are loathe to do so... there is no reason to be.
Reading your comments it appears that he is taking you for a ride.
In my experience you always find another client to replace the one lost/disengaged.
Just think of the time he is wasting - reading and commenting on accweb for a start!
here is a link to an article Richard Hattersley wrote a while ago which still stands the test of time:
"When unappreciative clients take up too much time"
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/practice/practice-strategy/when-unapprec...
And my follow up article..
"Practical tactics for dealing with difficult clients"
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/practice/practice-strategy/practical-tac...
>> read through my points which should help you to decide.
And dont worry about not being paid. Set yourself a process for late paying clients and never be afraid of issuing Small Claims Court proceedings:
"Get the details right: Taking a client to court"
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/practice/general-practice/get-the-detail...
"My team and I are committed to enabling technology as the beating heart of HMRC – Making Tax Digital, administering our taxation and customs regime efficiently, and delivering a seamless experience for our customers and colleagues."
>> which means ...
'we recognise the systems are not efficient although we want them to be'
Unfortunately you are asking too late - you need to attend Accountex where you would have been able to test out all of the main software providers.
As ireallyshoudknowtis says.. make a list of the important points/needs. You dont say how large your client base is - that will depend on where you go.
The main consideration must be support. Can you get through to them.. do they answer quickly? Are their instruction videos understandable? What are they going to do about MTD (I know.. I know.. we all hope it wont come into being but we need to keep in the back of our mind at least).
We are a small mixed client firm and we use Clearbooks. Iris is, as you say, too expensive for us.
Well that's the answer to all the wasted hours hanging on the phone waiting to be put through, listening to that incessant music only to be cut off... i.e. we all need to up sticks and work from France.
Or get one of those generic phone numbers with a non UK phone number.
It is usually because the date of birth is wrong.
She needs to follow Viciuno's advice - check Experian.
My husband had this problem and it was only sorted out because ages ago I am down as agent (past 64-8 not the new govt gateway method). But even so he had to stand by me when I phoned and give his authority for HMRC to speak to me.
We only found out because he applied for a state pension forecast and was refused on the grounds that the info they had didnt match HMRC's.. so its important to get this sorted.
And what makes HMRC think that they will get the figure right?
Do their records go back that far? Ha Ha
:-)
personally for those clients for whom I didnt work with way back then .. I'm just going to go back as far as I can and estimate based on the last fig. For those for whom I did...still estimate.
Will HMRC come back and query?
Me too
One point that needs to be considered before PPR is whether it was the estate that sold the property or the beneficiaries . If it was the estate then whoever dealt with the estate missed a trick .
See here:
https://www.birketts.co.uk/legal-update/what-is-an-appropriation-2/
https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/any-answers/deed-of-appropriation-and-cgt
A Deed of Appropriation is drawn up and then its the beneficiaries who are the sellers not the estate. This way you can use 2 x allowances and the tax rate is 18%
>> many solicitors are unaware of this - but you need to find out whether such as deed was signed.