Self-Assessment
 

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[Closed] Self-Assessment

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Or rather [s]cooking[/s] doing my books for my accountant to file for me.

Realised when I logged in to FreeAgent, I'd already put all my expenses up till end of Jan 14 in. \o/ No stacks of paper in the living room separated into 27 different piles. Just need to find where I've hidden Feb & March now. 😕

Anyone else left it this late? How many waiting to do it on the 31st? 😀


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:24 pm
 IHN
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Put it this way; I banked my refund cheque in November 😉


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:26 pm
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This isn't late, I usually do min the weekend before its due. This year will be the same.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:29 pm
 DrP
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Quick question.
I've about a gazillion squids to pay HMRC...I'm about to ask my accountant 'how' I actually do this, but I imagine they'll charge me for such advice..

Do i just post the coins to HMRC???

DrP


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:29 pm
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Put it this way; I banked my refund cheque in November

Consider this a virtual pat on the back...followed by a kick in the arse. 😛


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:29 pm
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I'm about to ask my accountant 'how' I actually do this

Depends on your accountant. Mine would never charge me for a quick chat. Nor, do I take the piss with him either. He's not a doctor y'know. 🙂


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:31 pm
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Done mine this morning - or rather I drank coffee at my sisters while my BIL filled in the boxes and submitted it (he has the software and is an ex FD).
I keep saying I'll do my SA earlier than January but never seem to get round to it!
Being VAT registered I am never more than a couple of months behind on my accounts, although since changing to Quickbooks online [from having the software myself] back in September I now find I'm pretty much always up to date as it's linked to my business account and imports the transactions in the background. Way better than before.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:31 pm
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I've about a gazillion squids to pay HMRC...I'm about to ask my accountant 'how' I actually do this

If you know how much to pay then a simple online bank payment to HMRC using the UTR number on the front of your SA as the payment reference.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:33 pm
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Just submitted mine this morning and I think its the least-last-minute its ever been. I'm also vat registered so all the paper shuffling gets done quarterly and the figures I needed to submit my self assessment have actually been ready since last spring as a result..... but it just doesn't seem sporting to actually submit them.

Even having submitted the return I expect I won't actually get round to sending the money til the 11th hour.

I banked my refund cheque in November

Knowing theres money due back is a good motivator. Its spending a day doing hard sums then having to pay for the privilege, I'm sure the majority of the audience of Sunday Brunch are people who should be doing their accounts.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:36 pm
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Did mine last week - just Mrs J's to complete. Just need to play the annual game of hunt the P60 😕


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:38 pm
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Btw, ahem, if someone would like to sign up to FreeAgent, I have a referral code which would save us both 10% for the year. 🙂

(This is not the original purpose of this thread.)


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:40 pm
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Mine done last month 🙂

Doesn't the HMRC web site become almost impossible to access on the last couple of days?


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:46 pm
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Always leave it until middle of January at the earliest. Don't find it too much of a bother now I've got a routine.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:46 pm
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I always used to end up pushing an envelope through the tax office door at 22:00 on January the 31st.

This online malarkey's taken all the sport out of it.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:47 pm
 kcal
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usually do mine by end of the summer. HTH.
But it's just a small sole trader business (plus property rental and savings) so not too bad. Plus I have to do my wife's, and my mum's ...


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:49 pm
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IHN - Member
Put it this way; I banked my refund cheque in November

I was even earlier in doing mine. I was also due a refund which is why I imagine we were a bit quicker off of the mark than most 😀


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:50 pm
 mc
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Mine was submitted mid November, and I can rest safe in the knowledge that I owe the taxman a whopping £1.

If my buisness plan goes to plan, I may actually acrue a tax bill large enough to warrant actually paying in another year or two. 🙂


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:55 pm
 Alex
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Done for both of us (wife and I). Well she's done it to be absolutely accurate. We used to get the accountants to do it, but this year decided we didn't need them. Sage/VAT registered/Very simple limited company/very simple way we pay ourselves, so it should be simple, right?

I'm glad it wasn't me doing it, that's all I'm saying. Apparently they owe us some money. My view on this is a) I bet they don't and b) if they do I bet I don't get to spend it on useful household objects like mountain bikes.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 4:58 pm
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I always used to end up pushing an envelope through the tax office door at 22:00 on January the 31st.

I remember the first time I did that...thinking "I bet no other eejit's leaving it this late"...there were about half a dozen other guys in a line at the letterbox doing the same thing. 🙂


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 5:02 pm
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Completed mine and the Mrs' last week. First time ever submitting and didn't find it that much trouble but then it was only rental income on top of the P60 information.

In fact I'd go as far as saying the online SA is pretty simple....certainly a lot easier than I expected it to be.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 5:05 pm
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Top tip: marry an accountant. Pillow talk can be a bit dull but fiscal certainty is very attractive.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 5:08 pm
 Yak
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Not done yet. On my action list for the next week. Oh joy...


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 5:11 pm
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On the to do list. Pretty simple now I have a spreadsheet set up that matches the boxes on the hmrc website. Just the tedium of going through a pile of receipts and filling in the columns.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 5:31 pm
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Sweating a bit as I don't even have a UTR so chances of me submitting on time are slim to none.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 6:30 pm
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Aaargh, I got mine to do as well.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 6:32 pm
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Due to my other half going back to College I had to do mine last summer which meant I got the money they owed me before Christmas.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 6:43 pm
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I'm supposed to be doing mine now, instead I find myself browsing on here and looking on eBay for junk to buy.

Figures have been ready for months, just never seem to have got around to doing them before. I'm doing a load more subcontract work this year however and will probably be due a rebate next year so I suspect I'll be less tardy.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 7:07 pm
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Not even started yet, but do my VAT returns, so most of the info is there.

I've already given them £17k through CIS for 2013/14, so hoping there isn't much more to cough up.

I always get a little bit over excited working my tax/rebate out, then remember I've still got the blummin N.I. to pay 🙁


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 7:37 pm
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Why is it for the last year I have only been paid PAYE, earn less than the Child Benefit threshold and yet HMRC STILL think I owe them more money? WTF is all that about?


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 7:42 pm
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Are you paying in arrears Jakester? It might be that they are asking you for tax for year 13/14 which you underpaid?


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 7:59 pm
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Sent mine off to the accountant to do, have tried to do it a few times, but realistically I've got better things to do!


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:07 pm
 Solo
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[i]Anyone else left it [s]this late[/s] to it's deserved position on the to do list?[/i]
Yes. I have the papers with me for signing and returning via post, along with the bill from the accountant... If I told you my tax liability, I think Grum's and Junky's heads would explode...
**Must resist**


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:12 pm
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Stoner - Member

Top tip: marry an accountant.....
Posted 3 hours ago #
Yak - Member

Not done yet. On my action list for the next week. Oh joy...
Posted 3 hours ago #
nickjb - Member

On the to do list.......

Didn't expect that Top Tip to be so popular. Guessing beancounterdating.com is going to have a good January!


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:23 pm
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Mrs Stoner insists he comes to bed wearing a stained tie and brown socks. Talking dirty consists of relating the story of that time the spreadsheet returned that really funny result.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:27 pm
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Put it this way; I banked my refund cheque in November

never understood why people were happy with a tax refund when it often signifies your payments on account were too much becuase you earned less than the previous year. 😕


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:39 pm
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never understood why people were happy with a tax refund when it often signifies your payments on account were too much becuase you earned less than the previous year.

I pay 20% at source via CIS, so getting some back is always welcome


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:45 pm
 br
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Always submit them (mine and the wife's) before you need to be accurate, so late summer 🙂

It'd be a PITA if something cropped up and you were late, or more correctly you'd be paying a fine for a task you have to do anyway.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 8:54 pm
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@MrSmith, refunds are pretty common for people who are paid on the CIS. 20% is deducted at source (from the labour content) but in reality you'll have had tax deductible expenses associated with the invoice, for which you won't have claimed until you've filed your tax return.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 9:04 pm
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My first one. Was going to do it on paper by October but didn't. Then left it really late to do it online in January. It's only just been done. Already dreading next year's return.

Tax doesn't have to be taxing:- hmrc just like doing it that way!

Having said that, the people on the phones have been surprisingly helpful.


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 9:12 pm
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Ah most of the self employed I know are creative freelancers so all schedule D or limited not contracting/construction
I see a tax bill as like a big VAT bill, it's better to have a big one than a small one 🙂


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 9:34 pm
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True. Much as I hate the moment when my accountant tells me I owe the taxman more, in reality it means I've done better. Not that I had much to pay from 2008-2012...four pretty crap years in my game. 😐


 
Posted : 12/01/2015 9:37 pm
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Right then, come on Roll Of Shame...who's not done it yet? 😀


 
Posted : 02/02/2015 12:33 pm
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Did mine with the accountant in December. Very happy to let him do it since getting paid in the US and UK is damn complicated.


 
Posted : 02/02/2015 12:44 pm
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Did it ages ago, but seeing this has reminded me that I owe a few quid which I've not paid, (not had a reminder or anything though).

Does the Jan 31st deadline apply to payment too?


 
Posted : 02/02/2015 12:45 pm
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I submitted mine in plenty of time but my plan to only actually pay at the last minute was somewhat foiled by my not appreciating I was actually due a refund as the calculated bill when I submitted wasn't taking previous payments on account into , er, account 🙂

never understood why people were happy with a tax refund when it often signifies your payments on account were too much becuase you earned less than the previous year.

Always happier to get money back than pay it out. Its like finding money in the pocket of your winter coat when you put it on after the summer. You know its just your money but its still nice. Although thats tainted by my payments on account now probably being too low for next and this time next year is probably going to smart a bit. I'm regular freelance rather than CIS but my work tends to come in big chunks - probably half of my turn over comes from two or three big undertakings and the biggest ones always seem to fall around march/april and depending on how those chunks fall one side of the other of a year end then all the expenditure is in one return and the income is in another. It doesn't make either of those years a good or bad one but it means I tend to pendulum between big bills one year and (never quite as) big refunds the next.


 
Posted : 02/02/2015 12:47 pm
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Does the Jan 31st deadline apply to payment too?

Yes - but as it fell on a weekend I doubt there'd be a problem if you paid today


 
Posted : 02/02/2015 12:48 pm
 Yak
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Yes, all done and had overpayed on account, so due a refund. So not really good as my earnings have gone down. Also compounded by some emergency waterproofing works needed to my cellar that will swallow up the refund and a few hundred more quid too.


 
Posted : 02/02/2015 12:52 pm

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