[john63.]

Is it really worth having an accountant, i have been window cleaning about 18 months now i am not making a great amount of money but it is getting better.
Been told of a few self employed that having an accountant can save you a lot of money, what do they cost.

[wpclean]

Depends on how competent you are  with figures really, you can get a lot of help with self assessment from the HMRC website.

[rah]

Yes,

He'll claim back things you hadn't thought of. I've always used one.

Rob

[Smudger]

Yes,

He'll claim back things you hadn't thought of. I've always used one.
Rob

Not always - they will only guide you - just remember YOU sign YOUR accounts to say they are correct and if not
YOU get investigated not the accountant

If your biz is straightforward  and you've read up the relevant info then do your own tax return but otherwise
an accountant is a good idea and can be of great help

Darran

[Ian101]

Just make sure u agree charge upfront as I didn't last year and was charged 1200 quid - this year having read a lot and joined a business forum I'm doing them myself.

[bobplum]

Is it really worth having an accountant, i have been window cleaning about 18 months now i am not making a great amount of money but it is getting better.
Been told of a few self employed that having an accountant can save you a lot of money, what do they cost.

it will depend on the complexity of the business
if your are self employed, sole trader i think its quite within everyone's ability to do there own returns 

contact HMRC and go to one of their workshops on self employment,its all free
also i would like me and ian go to "sageone.com"and do your accounts that way

[bobplum]

PS
unlike an accountant their is no charge for this information

[richard jagger]

If you are not making a great deal of money, you do not need one.They don`t make you money they cost you money.

[Steve H]

Firstly you need to keep a track of all your income and outgoings.
Its not that difficult, if sole trader you can simply put all your receipts in an envelope for each month (put the receipts in as soon as you get them or you will leave them all over the place) do this for each month April to March (tax year 6th April 2012 to 5th April 2013).
Keep a record of payments received, again do it each week to keep it simple.
If you pass all that to an accountant (or if its simple just a normal book keeper - no need for chartered accountants at this stage, they charge a lot more) at the end of the tax year, they will do it all for you, it shouldnt cost that much. This way you know its been done right and your not going to worry about the tax man chasing you up, if they do, you have all the records to hand. You are supposed to keep this info for a minimum of 6 years - just store it in a box in the loft or somewhere safe should you need it - done... do the same the year after, so on and so on....
If your business gets bigger and you have more complex affairs then it maybe that you need to sit down with an accountant to sort out what they want from you each year, some will agree a fee so you know what to expect, again this way you know its all done and you can concentrate on building your business up
Only my opinion, but i find it best this way, as i know its all done and i dont have to mess around trying to get it right and working out what tax rules have changed, what i can and cant claim for etc etc. A decent accountant will save you more than what they cost.

Cheers
Steve

[john63.]

cheers steve
Not spending much at the moment still trad but thinking of changing car so not sure if i can claim in buying another car, i claimed mileage last year.obviously having an accountant would help in things like this.