[dd]

Yes. Unfortunately the average accountant does not earn £80k plus a year so it would be a waste of time having to pass all those exams.

[Window Lickers]

Thanks for your offer Matt and your advice Mick and your opnion Franky. They have all been filed appropriately.

In the bin? 

[8weekly]

Yes. Unfortunately the average accountant does not earn £80k plus a year so it would be a waste of time having to pass all those exams.

The average accountant would deduce that if someone said that they would only hit the VAT threshold once they employed then they weren't turning over £80k for a start. The average accountant would also realise that turnover is not earnings. Unfortunately the average windowcleaner does not get this fundamental truth. 

[8weekly]

Thanks for your offer Matt and your advice Mick and your opnion Franky. They have all been filed appropriately.

In the bin? 

Yarp.

[dd]

If you are turning over 80k as a sole trader, unless you are doing something wrong your overheads should not be over 6k on an average year. As a higher rate tax payer a new slx 25 will only cost you around £171 and you get a free brush.

If you speak to your accountant I am sure he would recommend this option over faffing about trying to apply lacquer to a worn pole. This leaves you more time to focus on working or running your business or simply recuperating after a hard weeks work.

Just for the record I have no aspirations to be an accountant, which is why I use a window cleaning forum, although I do my own accounts. On your previous thread you indicated you were about to go through the VAT threshold even as a sole trader.

[8weekly]

Just for the record I have no aspirations to be an accountant, which is why I use a window cleaning forum, although I do my own accounts.

I suggest you take some advice then, because if you are as you stated previously claiming a sixth of your utility bills as an allowance for home office, then you are seriously misguided. 

Good luck.

[dazmond]

this thread has really made me laugh!

 trying to get someone to revamp his year old slx!its easy!just take it apart,flush with water then re assemble with new tape and a squirt of ptfe spray.job done.itll take you about 30 mins.

[dd]

Yes I do claim that. Around £3800 is the biggest expense - 45 per mile for the van.

[8weekly]

this thread has really made me laugh!

 trying to get someone to revamp his year old slx!its easy!just take it apart,flush with water then re assemble with new tape and a squirt of ptfe spray.job done.itll take you about 30 mins.

I did that but it's still lumpy. It's stiff to open and close. The clamps are fine, although the top one is just starting to go.

[8weekly]

Yes I do claim that. Around £3800 is the biggest expense - 45 per mile for the van.

You claim £3,800 for home office? What do you do, clean windows by remote control from your PC? 

Ironic that you criticise someone for paying VAT and at the same time defrauding HMRC. Lol.

[8weekly]

Yes I do claim that. Around £3800 is the biggest expense - 45 per mile for the van.

I see I misread. £3,800 is the mileage claim. It's unusual to claim that allowance if you are a tradesman.

Joking aside, if you offset the whole cost of purchasing your van against your turnover I don't think you can claim that mileage allowance. Seriously, you need advice from an expert. I could be wrong, but I thought the 45p per mile was if you used your personal vehicle for your business. Similarly, I am pretty sure you can't offset, VED, insurance, servicing if you are claiming the 45p.

[Mick Kent]

thats right you cant, i did 22000 miles last year 

[dd]

Yes I do claim that. Around £3800 is the biggest expense - 45 per mile for the van.

I see I misread. £3,800 is the mileage claim. It's unusual to claim that allowance if you are a tradesman.

Joking aside, if you offset the whole cost of purchasing your van against your turnover I don't think you can claim that mileage allowance. Seriously, you need advice from an expert. I could be wrong, but I thought the 45p per mile was if you used your personal vehicle for your business. Similarly, I am pretty sure you can't offset, VED, insurance, servicing if you are claiming the 45p.

You can claim 45 per mile for the first 10,000 (which I do not exceed). Doing this means you cannot claim the purchase price as a capital expenditure, but as I have owned the van from new for 9 years (I always planned to keep it long term), seemed the best route to go down.

If you change your van more frequently you are better going down the capital allowance route instead.

The other advantage is it is more simple in that I do not have to keep fuel receipts or any other van related bills as it all allowed for in the mileage allowance. 9 years ago though the mileage allowance was comparatively more generous than it is now.

[8weekly]

Yes I do claim that. Around £3800 is the biggest expense - 45 per mile for the van.

I see I misread. £3,800 is the mileage claim. It's unusual to claim that allowance if you are a tradesman.

Joking aside, if you offset the whole cost of purchasing your van against your turnover I don't think you can claim that mileage allowance. Seriously, you need advice from an expert. I could be wrong, but I thought the 45p per mile was if you used your personal vehicle for your business. Similarly, I am pretty sure you can't offset, VED, insurance, servicing if you are claiming the 45p.

You can claim 45 per mile for the first 10,000 (which I do not exceed). Doing this means you cannot claim the purchase price as a capital expenditure, but as I have owned the van from new for 9 years (I always planned to keep it long term), seemed the best route to go down.

If you change your van more frequently you are better going down the capital allowance route instead.

The other advantage is it is more simple in that I do not have to keep fuel receipts or any other van related bills as it all allowed for in the mileage allowance. 9 years ago though the mileage allowance was comparatively more generous than it is now.

I suggest you get an accountant or call HMRC for guidance for clarification. Generally the allowance you are claiming is for use of your personal vehicle in your business and means not only that you can't claim the capital allowance, but that you can't claim any other expenses. If you do decide to call an accountant, I recommend you call a different one to the one that advised you in the matter of your home office.

[Clever Forum Name]

I need to check this my accountant. I have just bought a new van and he has stated I should jeep fuel receipts. I intend to keep the van for 5-10 years.

I am sure the mileage rules changed. He explained (and I checked)

You cannot claim mileage to and from work. So you can only claim milage AT work. Does that make sense?

What is your 10 jobs are 10 miles apart at each one. Doesn't make sense.

[SeanK]

I need to check this my accountant. I have just bought a new van and he has stated I should jeep fuel receipts. I intend to keep the van for 5-10 years.

I am sure the mileage rules changed. He explained (and I checked)

You cannot claim mileage to and from work. So you can only claim milage AT work. Does that make sense?

What is your 10 jobs are 10 miles apart at each one. Doesn't make sense.

Your at work the minute you get into your van unless you have a unit somewhere.

[Avo]

this thread has really made me laugh!

 trying to get someone to revamp his year old slx!its easy!just take it apart,flush with water then re assemble with new tape and a squirt of ptfe spray.job done.itll take you about 30 mins.

I did that but it's still lumpy. It's stiff to open and close. The clamps are fine, although the top one is just starting to go.

sprayed with laquer this pole will slide like new 😄

[Clever Forum Name]

I need to check this my accountant. I have just bought a new van and he has stated I should jeep fuel receipts. I intend to keep the van for 5-10 years.

I am sure the mileage rules changed. He explained (and I checked)

You cannot claim mileage to and from work. So you can only claim milage AT work. Does that make sense?

What is your 10 jobs are 10 miles apart at each one. Doesn't make sense.

Your at work the minute you get into your van unless you have a unit somewhere.

That was my take on it. Every day i pretty much start a different house as such. I need to get a new one. Starting to pick holes in mine and not even had him long

[Perfect Windows]

Been watching this (and another closely related, abuse-filled) thread with bemusement.

The part I find slightly tragic is "If you're turning over £X then you shouldn't care about wasting £Y".  There's simply no logic to that.  Every business should maximise turnover and minimise expenses, no matter how far apart the two numbers are.

Argued as "You could earn more by cleaning windows for an hour than you'll save by doing Z," it makes some sense, but that wasn't related to the original question - in fact the opposite.  The OP was trying to pass off the time he'd waste and pay for it.

If it's not a simple refurb involving a wash down and tape, I still reckon that buying a new one and flogging the old one would be the best course.  You don't spend a day without the pole, you get a guarantee from Gardiners on the new pole and you'll get surprisingly close to the purchase price for the old pole.

Vin

[ChumBucket]

Been watching this (and another closely related, abuse-filled) thread with bemusement.

The part I find slightly tragic is "If you're turning over £X then you shouldn't care about wasting £Y".  There's simply no logic to that.  Every business should maximise turnover and minimise expenses, no matter how far apart the two numbers are.

Argued as "You could earn more by cleaning windows for an hour than you'll save by doing Z," it makes some sense, but that wasn't related to the original question - in fact the opposite.  The OP was trying to pass off the time he'd waste and pay for it.

If it's not a simple refurb involving a wash down and tape, I still reckon that buying a new one and flogging the old one would be the best course.  You don't spend a day without the pole, you get a guarantee from Gardiners on the new pole and you'll get surprisingly close to the purchase price for the old pole.

Vin

So in essence, you agree with what most are suggesting.