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Fitting gates must be lucrative for a sole trader to reach (or want to reach) the VAT threshold!
Fitting gates must be lucrative for a sole trader to reach (or want to reach) the VAT threshold!
Believe me - it is.
Fitting gates must be lucrative for a sole trader to reach (or want to reach) the VAT threshold!
They're a little more expensive than I'd realised to be honest. I assumed it would be about £5k or so - and you probably can get a small/lightweight one for that, or a paid of automated swinging gates which seem to be much cheaper than sliding gates. Round here, (based on quotes obtained about six months ago) a rolling metal driveway gate of reasonable sturdiness to plug a 12 foot gap, with remote controls from the house, car key fobs, and a phone number for dial-in/text access for visitors will cost anywhere between £8k and £15k, supplied and fitted. £12k gets you a very nice one (or I think so anyway) and if someone was selling a few of those a year, plus doing off bits of repairs and maintenance work, they could easily turn over far more than the VAT threshold
When i read this i immediately thought, sounds like the infamous Dr Heidi Poon and surprise surprise it was. Heidi Poon is to the Tax Tribunal what Roland Freisler was to the Justice system of Germany. The love of berating accountants before her is not a one off.
Intrigued by such negligence, I read further and the accountant said 'he was not surprised about the intervention check and that he had warned Mr Hartigan ‘several times’ about VAT.'
So, not as clear cut then. I would have followed that up with a letter recommending registration. The accountant should have been clear and covered his backside, but was he negligent? He advised the client verbally and the client (possibly) chose to ignore him. And the judge chose to side with the taxpayer's version that he had never been told.
We've all had clients like this and the client was lucky that HMRC/judge decided to accept his version (on the advice given about registration). Hence the need to be extra careful.
We have had similar cases of a shocking "Accountant" who basically made the figures up.
For example, in one case Turnover declared each year was under the VAT limit, and taxable profit under the personal allowance.
HMRC undertook a Compliance Check and refused to deal with the "Accountant" as he ignored correspondence, so the guy came to see us to get him out of the mess he was in.
The actual turnover was double the VAT limit for over 15 years, with a liability for the last 6 years alone of approx. £150K.
We negotiated a settlement of less than £15K payable over 3 years.
What really peeved me was that he then changed accountants, to another cheapo outfit. But at least we got paid!
This "Accountant" is still trading and HMRC seem to have done nothing at all about it despite the appalling work he submitted to them, and no doubt continues to do so.
Don't worry though folks, with MTD, John the Plumber can just press a button on his iPhone and his tax will be spot on.
I am often overwreaked when I come across wreaked iron gates as I am when I hear anyone has suffered a defeat "to" someone else. We are not told of the nature of the gates though they seem to have wreaked havoc and the taxpayer to have suffered a defeat "to" HMRC
I wonder what the gates were made of?
I am often overwreaked to find that havoc has been wreaked and nip out to kick our wreaked iron gates.
What were the gates made of?
I am often overwreaked to find that havoc has been wreaked and nip out to kick our wreaked iron gates