Category: Richmond

UK inflation rose by 13.4% in some areas

4/19/2022

Tax Affinity have many high street branches

The government's records for the past 12 months to March 2022 showed that consumer prices have risen as much as 13.4% in some sectors. This is much higher than the 9% reported a few weeks ago. It is therefore prudent to assume when bad news is highlighted by the government or a corporate entity it will most likely be understated.

Now that the ONS has issued more accurate figures its important medium to small sized businesses know the exact figures when it comes to costs to make sure they can budget correctly and choose to either absorb or pass on costs. So the business owner can safely steer the business through a recession or downturn.

A quick list of UK inflation figures is below and it is advised that business owners plan and manage these as soon as possible:

Transport: 13.4%
Furniture, household equipment and maintenance: 10.3%
Clothing and footwear: 9.8%
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels: 7.7%
Restaurants and hotels: 6.9%
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 5.9%
Recreation and culture: 4.9%
Alcoholic beverages and tobacco: 4.8%
Education: 4.5%
Health: 2.5%
Miscellaneous goods and services: 1.9%
Communication: 0.7%

Tax Affinity Accountants are rated as the number one business advisors for medium to small businesses. So if your a business owner who is effected by the inflation rises and need expert guidance and support then get in touch today and we will be happy to help you plan a strategy to steer your busines to growth and success.

By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants

Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success.

For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.

0 Comments

how to avoid costly mistakes on your self assessment tax return

3/4/2022

0 Comments

Tax Affinity have many high street branches

HMRC relishes the idea that tax payers will make errors in their tax returns and then they will pay higher taxes or be fines for making errors. The number of errors by members of the public doing their own self assessments has been rising steeply in the last few years and HMRC has been raking in fines for errors. So its very important to try to ensure you make none.

Why? - Well simply mistakes on your tax returns could cost you a lot of hard earned money.
Solution? - Avoid HMRC penalties and charges by making sure you don’t commit these mistakes during tax return time by getting an expert like Tax Affinity Accountants (one the most highly recommended accountants in the UK) to do calculate and submit the return for you and sleep easy at night knowing you paid the least tax and everything was correct according to HMRC rules.

Key things to keep in double check:

Numbers / digits errors. Whether it’s a National Insurance or Unique Tax Reference (UTR) number for income, incorrect numbers on any form could cost you. Be mindful when entering bank account information when opting for refund. The last thing you want is for someone else to receive your refunds. You should double check all numbers entered on your tax returns.
Maths errors. Many taxpayers use pen an paper to work out numbers for submission. Even if you use a software package, it will still not catch errors for incorrect data entry. You should double check your numbers and then double check your calculations each time.
Not declaring all the earned income. You must, must report all earned income on your tax return. When HMRC find out that you did not report everything, you could owe interest and penalties in addition to the tax owed on that income. UK banks these days can report income to HMRC without the account holders knowledge.
Not staying up to date with your tax code. Check the latest changes to your tax code before filing your own tax return. New laws affect many taxpayers and they are constantly changing.
Filing an incorrect status. With many different filing status options available, the most accurate one for a taxpayer’s situation may not be easy to use. Each filing status could have an impact on the tax liability due to HMRC.
Mismatched names. This is a common mistake for newlyweds, typically when the wife takes a new last name and has not notified the NI department. Same issue may pop up for same sex marriages. The opposite applies also for divorcees who need to have a name change notified . If your name does not match the name and NI number and HMRC has on file, the tax return could be rejected or a tax refund could be delayed.
Declaring multiple country taxes. Don’t forget that income earned in another country must be reported. If you reside in one state and work in another, a non-resident tax return must be filed in the country in which you work. Only the money earned in that country needs to be reported. However, if you fail to declare this, you could face interest and penalties, in addition to the taxes owed.
Falling for tax schemes. One of the biggest concerns for the HMRC is tax fraud and identity theft. Taxpayers have lost thousands of pounds because criminals tricked them into believing they owed HMRC. HMRC will never send an unsolicited email or contact you through social media. HMRC does not ask for personal or financial information. If you believe you may be at risk for identity theft, you should contact the HMRC immediately along with your banks etc.
Missing deductions or credits. While penalties and fees mentioned above could cost you, missing a deduction or tax break could cost you by lowering a refund or increasing taxes.
Forgoting to sign and date the forms. It is an all-too-common mistake to forget to sign and date. While this may not cost you money, it will cause a delay in receiving any anticipated tax refund. Especially for those who owe HMRC and wait until the very last minute to file, forgetting to sign and date could cost you a late fee and penalty when HMRC sends it back for signature and the deadline has passed.

A good tax accountant should save you much more in tax than what he/she charges. And having a Tax Affinity accountant calculate your personal and business tax situation will lead to zero mistakes on your return and a lower tax bill first time every time. Fill out our contact us page to find an office near you and we will be happy to help you sleep easier at night.

By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants

Tax Affinity Accountants are experts Business, Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for both individuals and small & medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting both individuals and limited company owners / self employed people throughout the UK and the world, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success.

For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.

0 Comments

summer statement 2020 - coronavirus update and government policies - key points

8/13/2020

0 Comments

£1000 Job retention bonus to encourage firms to retain furloughed staff

A one-off £1000 payment to employers for every furloughed employee retained to the end of 31 January 2021 - likely to be a credit to your paye bill rather than a cash payment
Applies to workers earning £520 plus per month

5% VAT for six months - VAT cut for restaurants, hotels and attractions only

Value added tax cut down from 20% to 5% from 15 July to 12 January 2021 for selected areas
Food and non-alcoholic drinks in restaurants, pubs and cafes, as well as hot takeaway food will be covered
Hotels and B&Bs and admission to attractions such as theme parks and cinemas are also affected
Most importantly the 5% VAT cut rate does not need to be passed on to customers or for all items or even at all, so some business may still charge 20% on items

Zero Stamp duty up to £500,000 and 'green homes grant'

The threshold for stamp duty on residential property in England and Northern Ireland will rise from £125,000 to £500,000 - 1st time buyers will gain as will landlords who will see their stamp duty reduced greatly for 2nd homes
Applies from 8 July until 31 March 2021 only
Up to £5,000 per household for 'green' projects to make homes more energy efficient in England - although the requirements and finer details mean that few people will be able to take advantage and it needs to be done via an approved builder which my end up costing you more anyway
Up to £10,000 per household fully funded for low-income households - but be careful you cannot just renew your boiler or double glazing etc

50% Discount on restaurant meals in August only Monday to Wednesday

"Eat out to help out" scheme offers up to 50% discount for every diner, up to £10 a head, from Monday to Wednesday throughout August 2020
Covers food and non-alcoholic drinks - only not other items
Applies at participating restaurants, pubs, cafes only - it is not compulsory all should participate
Restaurant owners can claim the discount in full from the government via an online form - the speed and amount of return is yet to be seen

Financial Support for young workers

"Kickstart scheme": £2bn fund to pay for six-month work placements for 16 to 24-year-olds on universal credit - you have to be on it to be eligible
Payments will cover national minimum wage for 25 hours per week, plus national insurance and pension contributions per person
£1,000 grant per trainee is available for employers who take on new trainees aged 16-24
£2,000 grant for employers per apprentice under 25 hired, £1,500 for those over 25, for six months starting 1 August
Participants can expect to receive £455 per month if they are under 18 years of age, £645 per month if 18 to 20, and £820 per month if 21 to 24
No need to retain trainee after 6 months but they must be claiming universal credits - a good way for businessess to employ young part time trainees / employees and have the government pay for their wages for 6 months

By Anni Khan at Tax Affinity Accountants

Tax Affinity Accountants are experts in Tax and Accountancy. With branches in Worcester Park and Kingston upon Thames and Epsom and Ewell they are considered in the Industry to be expert business accountants and tax advisors for small and medium sized businesses (SME's). Helping and supporting limited company owners and self employed people throughout the UK, they regularly help clients grow their business providing tailored advice and support. Their support has been considered invaluable by many clients and key to their success.

For more information visit www.taxaffinity.com. To read more interesting articles like this visit www.taxaffinity.com/blog. Please feel free to comment and share this with your friends.

0 Comments

UK inflation rose by 13.4% in some areas

how to avoid costly mistakes on your self assessment tax return

summer statement 2020 - coronavirus update and government policies - key points

Various Authors

Archives

Categories