Smarter accounting

VAT on services

VAT Expenses – What proof does HMRC need?

24 January 2020, Advocates, Companies, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

A recent case of missing documents highlights the need for supporting information for VAT expenses to minimise your VAT bill to HMRC. Make sure you have good bookkeeping systems to get the VAT back that you are entitled to.

Get £100 each for you and a friend

Love what we do? Tell a friend and get £100 each for you and them

10 June 2019, General

Get £100 each for you and a friend If you are a client of Alterledger, you can get up to £100 for yourself and for any friends that you refer to us. How do I get my reward? We’ll add credit to your account after your friend becomes a paying customer of Alterledger. What if […]

Pension re-declaration of compliance

Pension re-declaration of compliance

13 May 2019, Auto Enrolment, Charities, Companies, Employer, Sole Traders

How to complete your auto-enrolment pension re-declaration of compliance Any employers who started employing workers before 1st October 2017 will have been issued with a staging date.  This is the date when they had to have a qualifying auto enrolment pension in place.  For anyone who starting employing people after 30th September 2017 pension duties […]

Pension Re-Enrolment

Pension re-enrolment

8 May 2019, Auto Enrolment, Charities, Companies, Employer, Sole Traders

Pension Re-Enrolment due every three years All employers should now be aware of the their pension obligations.  Any employers who started employing workers before 1st October 2017 will have been issued with a staging date.  This is the date when they had to have a qualifying auto enrolment pension in place.  For new businesses / […]

Alterledger Customer Reviews

Alterledger customer reviews are now on Trustpilot

5 June 2019, General

Trustpilot Alterledger customer reviews are now on Trustpilot.  We previously used vouchedfor, but on the 4th June we started a review page on the Trustpilot site.  If you have benefited from Alterledger’s services, why not leave a review? Trustpilot Why change to Trustpilot? The vouchedfor website is specifically for accountants and other financial services, but […]

How to reclaim extra VAT

2 December 2017, Advocates, Companies, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

HMRC’s VAT Input Tax Toolkit highlights common errors businesses make when they reclaim VAT on purchases.  As you would expect from an HMRC publication it focuses on situations where you can’t or shouldn’t reclaim VAT.

Accounting for Musicians Workshop Belfast @OhYeahCentre 2017

26 November 2017, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Members of the Musicians Union are invited to a free seminar in Belfast on 7th December 2017.  See below for booking form on Eventbrite.

Charities and Corporation Tax

Charities and Corporation Tax

16 November 2017, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries

Charities and Corporation Tax returns are often misunderstood.  Charities may think that they are automatically exempt from tax on all their income.  As the article explains below, charities may be subject to Corporation Tax on profits / surpluses.

Advocate's wig on tin with library in background

VAT Flat Rate Scheme for Advocates

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.

Accounting for Musicians Glasgow 2017 @scottishmusic

26 November 2017, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Members of the Musicians Union are invited to a free seminar in Glasgow on 5th December 2017.  See below for booking form on Eventbrite.

How to register with HMRC as Self-Employed

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. 

Accounting for Musicians Workshop Belfast @OhYeahCentre

5 December 2016, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Members of the Musicians Union are invited to a free seminar in Belfast on 8th December 2016.  See below for booking form on Eventbrite.

Scottish Music Centre

Accounting for Musicians Glasgow 2016 @scottishmusic

5 December 2016, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Members of the Musicians Union are invited to a free seminar in Glasgow on 6th December 2016.  See below for booking form on Eventbrite.

Alterledger COVID-19 page

Alterledger shortlisted for International Award

2 December 2016, Artists, Creative Industries

Alterledger is delighted to be shortlisted for the @aandbscotland International Award in partnership with @waspsstudios.

Scott Fox shortlisted for Graduate Employee of the Year

Alterledger’s Scott Fox is shortlisted for Glasgow Graduate Employee of the Year

29 November 2016, General

We are excited to announce that Scott Fox has been shortlisted for the Glasgow Guarantee Graduate Employee of the Year.  Alterledger has been invited to the Glasgow Guarantee Celebration Event on 30th November when the winner will be announced.  

Money collected by Digital Tax Accounts

Flat Rate Scheme Reverse Charge VAT

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.

PAYE refund – how to get one

25 September 2016, Charities, Companies, Employer

The normal process for reclaiming overpaid PAYE to HMRC is to deduct the amount HMRC owes you from your next regular payment.  For this reason HMRC does not normally process an automatic PAYE refund.

HMRC telephone scam

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.

Firstport Start Up and Fine Tune Your Social Enterprise

Start Up and Fine Tune Your Social Enterprise

6 November 2016, Auto Enrolment, Charities, Companies, Employer

If you are thinking of starting up a social enterprise or need advice on running an existing business, come along to the Firstport event in Glasgow on Friday 11th November. A series of free workshops have been organised to help you Start Up and Fine Tune your Social Enterprise.

HMRC interest rate change can save you money

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.

Dusseldorf Exchange Artist Klara Paterok comes to Glasgow

21 August 2016, Artists, Creative Industries

The Anna Lobner Glasgow / Dusseldorf Exchange provides a valuable opportunity for artists to have the space and time to develop their practice in a new environment.  The programme started 13 years ago in memory of the German artist Anna Lobner.

Tax on bank rewards and cashback

28 July 2016, Advocates, Artists, Sole Traders

Some high street banks have been offering rewards to their customers.  A common question is whether or not you have to pay tax on bank rewards.  Rewards are typically paid subject to criteria such as paying in a minimum amount each month and setting up direct debit instructions.

HMRC new bank account

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.

RTI Late Reporting Codes

19 June 2016, Auto Enrolment, Charities, Companies, Employer

All UK employers are required to report wage payments on or before wages are paid, under the system known as Real Time Information (RTI).  Under limited circumstances HMRC will accept late payroll information.  To avoid a late reporting penalty you will need to use one of the 7 remaining RTI late reporting codes.

National Insurance for Company Directors

National Insurance for Company Directors

5 February 2017, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians

Most employees will pay Class 1 National Insurance each pay day.  The weekly threshold is £157 a week with the monthly threshold being £680.  If an employee earns above these amounts, they will start paying National Insurance above the threshold at 12%.  National Insurance for Company Directors can be worked out differently.

Marriage Allowance update April 2016

17 April 2016, Advocates, Artists, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

The Marriage Allowance is a tax break for couples where one partner doesn’t use all their tax free allowance.  For the 2016-17 tax year, which runs from 6th April 2016 to 5th April 2017 the tax free allowance is £11,000.

Fine Tune Your Social Enterprise

24 February 2016, Auto Enrolment, Charities, Companies, Employer

If you are thinking of starting up a social enterprise or need advice on running an existing business, come along to the Firstport event in Paisley on Friday 26th February.

Get your discount 2016 tax return

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.

Accounting for Musicians

29 November 2015, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Members of the Musicians Union are invited to a free seminar in Glasgow on 3rd December 2015.  See below for booking forms on Eventbrite.

SRIT – the Scottish Rate of Income Tax

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.

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