Smarter accounting
27 March 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders
Government grant to freelancers Details of the Self-employment Income Support Scheme have now been released to support the self-employed or members of a partnership with trading income. Who can apply for the Self-employment Income Support Scheme? You can apply if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you: have submitted your […]
20 March 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, General, Musicians, Sole Traders
Payments on account cancelled in July The UK Government announced on 20th March that there would be no income tax payments due in July 2020 for the self-employed. Payments on Account Personal tax returns must be filed by 31st January following the end of the tax year. For the tax year ended 5th April 2019 […]
24 April 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, General, Musicians, Sole Traders
Grants for newly self-employed The Scottish Government has announced a £34 million Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund. The fund will be managed by Local Authorities to allocate grants of £2,000 to the newly self-employed facing hardship. The self-employed who started trading after 5th April 2019 are excluded from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. The Scottish Government […]
19 August 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders
MTD Registration – Key numbers The Making Tax Digital (MTD) rules became law for VAT periods starting on or after 1 April 2019. MTD registration requires VAT-registered businesses with taxable turnover over £85,000 to keep their VAT records digitally. They must also submit their VAT return direct from their Making Tax Digital-compatible software. The MTD […]
30 March 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders
How many VAT registered businesses in the UK are there? Figures from the Office of National Statistics state that there are 2.67 million businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE. Any business with employees must register for PAYE, but not all of these businesses are registered for VAT. This prompts the question – how many VAT […]
29 April 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders
When is my first Making Tax Digital VAT return due? If you are asking yourself “How late can I register for Making Tax Digital for VAT? (MTDfV)” you are likely to be storing up problems. Suppose you submit quarterly VAT returns to June and have to register for Making Tax Digital for VAT (MTDfV); your […]
15 March 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders
Has Making Tax Digital for VAT been delayed? Making tax digital for VAT legislation requires you to have “digital links” between your financial data and your VAT reports to HMRC. What changes might you need to make to your record keeping to achieve this? A “soft landing” delays the date that you need to have […]
2 March 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders
Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT Questions and Answers Tim Alter gave a lunchtime talk to the Scottish Bar on 1st March 2019. The members of the Faculty of Advocates were highly engaged in the session on Making Tax Digital for VAT. There was a lively and heartfelt response including a wide ranging discussion on […]
28 February 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders
Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT seminar We are looking forward to presenting the Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT seminar in the Mackenzie Building in Edinburgh on 1st March 2019. Tim Alter will be presenting the lunchtime talk to the Faculty of Advocates. For any advocates who can’t make the Edinburgh talk at 1:00 […]
22 November 2018, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, Sole Traders
HMRC VAT letter – what does it mean? Many business have received an HMRC VAT letter in the last week. This letter informs VAT registered businesses that HMRC processes are being modernised, known as Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT. What do I need to do? The HMRC VAT letter doesn’t require you to do anything […]
18 March 2017, Advocates, Barristers
The VAT Flat Rate scheme for advocates is changing along with all other Limited Cost Traders on 1st April 2017. The scheme was introduced with the intention of simplifying VAT. It was never intended to be a tax allowance or a way of saving VAT. The assumption from HMRC was that the scheme would be broadly revenue neutral.
3 January 2017, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders
The first task in working out if you need to register with HMRC is to assess whether you are self-employed.
30 September 2016, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
If a trader on the flat rate scheme for VAT purchases services from outside the UK, the business needs to account for Flat Rate Scheme Reverse Charge VAT according to Directive 2006/112/EC. Small businesses on the Flat Rate Scheme for VAT do not usually account for VAT on purchases.
7 September 2016, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
There are two new scams that you need to be aware of. Callers are leaving a phone message or posing as an HMRC investigator. If you are on the receiving end of an HMRC telephone scam you can report it on 0300 1232040 or on the Action Fraud Website.
24 August 2016, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
Following the Bank of England’s cut in its base rate from 0.5% to 0.25% on 4th August the HMRC interest rate has changed too.
20 June 2016, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
Most people will pay their tax electronically either through their payroll, direct debit or by bank transfer. Tax payments made from overseas now go to the HMRC new bank details.
7 February 2016, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
Everyone should have filed their 2015 tax return by 31st January 2016. For most people this means a sigh of relief and not thinking about it until again until next January. There is nothing to stop you filing your tax return in April or May if you have all the information you need.
29 November 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
From 5th April 2016 a new Scottish Rate of Income Tax (SRIT) will come into force in Scotland. Although is it currently anticipated that taxpayers in Scotland and the rest of the UK will pay the same rate of tax next year, it is likely that the regions will diverge in coming years as more power is devolved to Scotland.
26 November 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders
The Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015 from Chancellor George Osborne confirms that the government is committed to Digital Tax Accounts. The following extract is from the transcript of the speech delivered on 25th November 2015: “We’re going to build one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world. So that every individual and every small business will have their own digital tax account by the end of the decade, in order to manage their tax online.”
5 November 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
A new government-backed tax-free childcare scheme was set to go live in the autumn of 2015 but so far it has not materialised. What has happened and is this new scheme still going ahead or not?
8 October 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
Legal House – a new home for Alterledger Alterledger has grown significantly in the last few months. We specialise in accounting and business advice for the creative industries and legal professionals. Legal House is the ideal location as it is just across the river from Glasgow’s dynamic Merchant City, mooted as Europe’s leading cultural quarter. Legal House […]
12 May 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Companies, Musicians, Sole Traders
Input VAT is the VAT you pay on purchases of good and services. Once a business is registered for VAT, this input VAT can be reclaimed as long as it relates to taxable supplies. Under specific circumstances pre-registration input VAT can be reclaimed. View image | gettyimages.com Reclaim pre-registration input VAT Goods In most cases […]
12 May 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Companies, Musicians, Sole Traders
Cut your start up costs The timing of start up VAT registration can help you to cut costs at the most vulnerable time for your business. Most start ups find that it can take a while before they are receiving income. Rather than wait for sales before registering for VAT, you can register from the date […]
5 May 2015, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
As one door opens another closes A new tax-free childcare voucher scheme will start in Autumn 2015. When this happens the current scheme for employees will close to new entrants, but still remain in place for existing employees. If you are an employee, you will need to think about signing up now if the existing […]
12 April 2015, Advocates, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders
HMRC announced in February 2015 that registration had opened for the new marriage allowance tax break which enables couples to save the princely sum of up to £17.66 a month (£212 a year). View image | gettyimages.com Marriage Allowance not just for the married The new tax relief, which came into effect on 6 April […]
25 November 2013, Advocates, Barristers, Sole Traders
There are number of special rules governing the financial accounts of Advocates and Barristers in the UK. For an overview please refer to my blogpost on the CIMA Accountant website. Computing profits for Advocates Earnings Basis The earnings basis is calculated in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP). Advocates are taxed on the […]
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