[windows_chepstow]

The weather has been rotten here, so I took the day off to do my tax return.

Since I hadn't touched my books properly since my first tax return, I had 21 months worth of receipts to go through, high-lighting the dates and amount of each purchase, stapling each onto an A4 peice of paper, putting them into date order then creating a spread-sheet for each type of item.

It was a pain and I should know better as I my last job in the army was an accountant (of sorts).

My New Years Resolution is to keep on top of my book work, and to get one of those 'spikes' you can push your receipts onto, so it's all kept in date order and not lost.

I've no fuel receipts at all for the months of July and August 04!!!

So have you got your tax return in yet?

[genesis_windows]

tax?
thats what you keep carpets down with isnt it?

[steve k]

done, sent and overpayment cheque received and cashed

[Roy Harding]

My accountant does mine.

Roy

[jeff evans]

SAME HERE USE ACCOUNTANT,WORTH THE £150.00 NOT TO HAVE THE HASSLE.JUST PUT MY TAKINGS ON A SPREAD SHEET EVERY DAY AND PRINT OF AT THE END OF THE YEAR.STILL ALLWAYS LOOKING ROUND THE HOUSE FOR MY RECEIPTS AT THE THE END OF YEAR THAT THE WIFE HAS DEFFINATLY NOT MOVED.

JEFF.

[Sir Squeaky]

Halfway through writing down 52 weeks of accounts now.

Then I'll fill in a tax calculating program on the 'puter and print it out, chuck it in an envelope with a cheque and breath again!

Used to use an accountant, but found that the things I forget to claim for might cost me an extra £100 of tax, but I was paying an accountant nearly £200.

Also I had to document it all in much more depth to give to him.

Actually easier job now and no more expensive.

Rog.

[Morph]

Same here Rog.

Done, just gotta send the cheque.
End of the week.
 
Pj

[g_griffin]

Squeaky Clean,

          Don`t forget to claim for your resin.

              Gerry.

[Sir Squeaky]

Squeaky Clean,

 Don`t forget to claim for your resin.

 Gerry.

Don't smoke it any more Gerry.

[windows_chepstow]

SAME HERE USE ACCOUNTANT,WORTH THE £150.00 NOT TO HAVE THE HASSLE.JUST PUT MY TAKINGS ON A SPREAD SHEET EVERY DAY AND PRINT OF AT THE END OF THE YEAR.STILL ALLWAYS LOOKING ROUND THE HOUSE FOR MY RECEIPTS AT THE THE END OF YEAR THAT THE WIFE HAS DEFFINATLY NOT MOVED.

JEFF.

Jeff,

You've done all the hard work, so it seems to me.  All your accountant does is take the figures you provide, put them in your tax return and send them off.

Probably around ten minutes work.

Not bad for £150.

I'd do it for £50.00.

Is an accountant really worth it?

[Sir Squeaky]

Exactly.

Lets try and put the conning sods out of business.

[jeff evans]

THATS TRUE TOSH, BUT IF I HAVE ANY SORT OF COMEBACK FROM Mr TAXMAN I DONT HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT,
PLUS I CLEAN HER WINDOWS @ £9.00 PER FORTNIGHT SO IF I SACK HER SHE IS LIKELY TO SACK ME.

JEFF

[jeff evans]

WERE DO I FIND THE TAX CALCULATING PROGRAM FOR THE PUTER.
WORTH A LOOK AT IT.

JEFF.

[windows_chepstow]

THATS TRUE TOSH, BUT IF I HAVE ANY SORT OF COMEBACK FROM Mr TAXMAN I DONT HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT,
PLUS I CLEAN HER WINDOWS @ £9.00 PER FORTNIGHT SO IF I SACK HER SHE IS LIKELY TO SACK ME.

JEFF

That's fair enough.  Your accountant's bill is tax deductable anyway and you're getting over £200 per year from her window cleaning account.

But in general, running you accounts isn't rocket science and as long as you're sensible, you can save yourself some cash.

It is called 'Self Assessment' and not 'Accountancy Assessment' after all.

[Moderator David@stives]

My accountant is worth everypenny for £200 a year they do my returns and deal with my paye every week .
 when you start getting taxed at 40% thats where you realy have to be on the ball with you tax affairs.

[thewindowcleaner1]

 clean my bookkeepers winows for free she fills in tax return for free, I pay Tax man eventually.
 Use Microsoft Money to keep books does all the work for me plus I can be creative if needed

[master cleaner]

if you use an accountant you will find it easier to get credit mortgage etc my bank would make it a lot harder for me if i didnt use an accountant
also i find it a lot less stressful

only my point of veiw

gary

[Paul Coleman]

The weather has been rotten here, so I took the day off to do my tax return.

Since I hadn't touched my books properly since my first tax return, I had 21 months worth of receipts to go through, high-lighting the dates and amount of each purchase, stapling each onto an A4 peice of paper, putting them into date order then creating a spread-sheet for each type of item.

It was a pain and I should know better as I my last job in the army was an accountant (of sorts).

My New Years Resolution is to keep on top of my book work, and to get one of those 'spikes' you can push your receipts onto, so it's all kept in date order and not lost.

I've no fuel receipts at all for the months of July and August 04!!!

So have you got your tax return in yet?

I haven't done my return yet but it's just simply a matter of submitting all the stuff to the accountant to check.  All the figures are compiled so he only has to compare my receipts to my spreadsheet records, calculate the capital items, and add up the numbers.  I make it easy for him and he charges me his minimum fee.
I could probably do it myself if I incorporated a visit to the tax office to get their help with capital items calculations.  However, if there is ever some complication or query, it's useful to have an accountant to communicate with them.
I have a cellophane sheet for each month of receipts and I never leave it more than 2 or 3 days without updating my record of work done as this prevents errors occurring.  Ideally, I prefer to update it each day I work.

[Ian_Giles]

The program I am using is one called FastTax, £17.99.

Online help desk that respond to your query through email, so far they have mailed me back withing a couple of minutes everytime I have asked them a question.

The program does all the calculations for you.

Heres a link for any who might be interested, I paid online for it and it was here the following day.

http://www.fasttax.co.uk/

Ian

[windows_chepstow]

Ian, would or could they help with items of a general nature?

I would like to know what's the best way to 'employ' Wor Lass from a tax point of view.  I think I've got the choices of:

a.  Wor Lass declaring herself as self-employed (in a partnership).

b.  Me employing her properly.

I've just phoned the Self Employed Helpline and was reffered to the Employers Helpline, but neither could advise me.

They said to speak to a financial advisor or try The Fereration of Small Businesses.