Post your tax return angst here

[editor]

It's that time of the year, so I've been busy around the house, I've organised my photos, cleaned the kitchen, tidied my room, written some interesting articles about obscure topics, and finally rearranged my sock and undie drawer.

Yep: it's "do anything but the fucking tax return" week.

Anyone else suffering?

(*smug gits who filed their tax return months ago need not apply)

 

[equationgirl]

It's that time of the year, so I've been busy around the house, I've organised my photos, cleaned the kitchen, tidied my room, written some interesting articles about obscure topics, and finally rearranged my sock and undie drawer.

Yep: it's "do anything but the fucking tax return" week.

Anyone else suffering?

(*smug gits who filed their tax return months ago need not apply)

I knew you hadn't done it when you were playing with the logo yesterday

I did mine yesterday afternoon. It didn't take long, maybe an hour all told.
But I procrastinatined for months before doing it - I filed it earlier when I was seriously ill, so I have no excuses.

The new daily penalties were an excellent motivator for me.

 

[19sixtysix]

Us poor sods that PAYE don't get a year to pay.
So get it filled in you tax dodging bastards

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Us poor sods that PAYE don't get a year to pay.
So get it filled in you tax dodging bastards

Yeah, except we also have to pay in advance too. They did think of that one.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I not only have my tax to do but also an important deadline for work, so I'm in double procrastination mode. I even cleaned the cooker yesterday, and I'm taking an inordinate interest in developing and scanning film, and creating database records to store all the details of each roll, which tie into the scans in iPhoto. It's all very sophisticated.

eBay is also doing very well out of me.

 

[mr steev]

Yeah, except we also have to pay in advance too. They did think of that one.

That was my first thought, but it's not actually true is it? For tax owed from the previous April, the first payment on account in in January, then the second in June (which is after the ending April)... and, thankfully, you don't have to pay it (until the next year when it's due anyway)

 

[girasol]

I submited mine in July I think Now I've got the hang of it I just do little bits at a time starting from April.

Paid up at the start of January...

 

[mr steev]

I did mine earlier, but not until after I'd done some laundry and swept the floor.

Unfortunately, due to my shit estimations, what should have left me feeling good once I'd finally filed it and crossed it off the list, has left me feeling slightly anxious and a little bit depressed

 

[free spirit]

I'm er yeah erm well I've looked at the accounts earlier before getting confused by the accountant followed by more procrastination urgent work.

Fairly sure I'm not going to owe anything from that year being as we was just starting up and basically living on sod all, but the contracts signed in March but not actually paid or completed until after might be the spanner in the works on that.

 

[editor]

I've been out for lunch, wrote a piece on the Brighton Sea Railway, went for a coffee and rehearsed with my new band, and now I'm thinking of sorting out my MP3s.

Yep. Anything but the tax return.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

First one ever now in. Awaits IR getting in touch to tell me I've fucked up.

 

[ChrisD]

I normally get a reminder from my accountant in about August... didn't get any reminder this year. So spent all weekend before last sorting things out and emailed it over hoping that he had't died... Sorted yesterday (ONE WHOLE WEEK SPARE !!) now the tenth year I'm making a mental note to sort it all out in May....

 

[Gavin Bl]

Its a doddle...easy....(the accountant does it)

 

[equationgirl]

I've been out for lunch, wrote a piece on the Brighton Sea Railway, went for a coffee and rehearsed with my new band, and now I'm thinking of sorting out my MP3s.

Yep. Anything but the tax return.

BIG FAT DAILY PENALTIES FOR LATENESS!!!!!!
DO YOUR TAX RETURN!!!!!!!!!

 

[equationgirl]

First one ever now in. Awaits IR getting in touch to tell me I've fucked up.

I'm sure you won't have.

 

[19sixtysix]

I'm sure you won't have.

I did once when I had to do tax returns cause I was non-resident. I omitted to fill in one box which meant I received a large and very unexpected bill by post on a saturday morning when they are shut and you can't do noubt about except worry.

 

[mr steev]

One of the good things of doing it online is that it flags up if you leave something out and does some of the maths for you

 

[equationgirl]

One of the good things of doing it online is that it flags up if you leave something out and does some of the maths for you

Except when it gets the tax code wrong and won't let you amend it to the code HMRC sent you. But apart from that...

 

[free spirit]

aargh.

that is all.

 

[mr steev]

Except when it gets the tax code wrong and won't let you amend it to the code HMRC sent you. But apart from that...

I think there are a few other little glitches. It cost a mate of mine over £8 in talktime the other day to get through to the technical support because it wouldn't except his form... it turned out he'd entered '0' into one of the fields where he should've just left it blank

 

[ddraig]

one of the perks of being just general wage slave and not having to do it! yay
i DO feel your pain however as partner has been grrring, tearing hair out and getting very very pissed off with it

hope tis ok to ask/clarify some stuff on their behalf
does it have to be paid by tuesday? the 31 jan?
if they have earned about £680 or near that on a tv job on top of their wage of about £19k could it really mean that they have to pay £500+ ??? maybe it has put them into the next tax band
and can they offset expenses from property against other income?
cheers

 

[colacubes]

one of the perks of being just general wage slave and not having to do it! yay
i DO feel your pain however as partner has been grrring, tearing hair out and getting very very pissed off with it

hope tis ok to ask/clarify some stuff on their behalf
does it have to be paid by tuesday? the 31 jan?
if they have earned about £680 or near that on a tv job on top of their wage of about £19k could it really mean that they have to pay £500+ ??? maybe it has put them into the next tax band
and can they offset expenses from property against other income?
cheers

Re the pay date, yes unless you call and negotiate late payment. Good luck with that as the phone lines will be rather busy at the mo!

The tax sounds wrong (should be 20% until you earn over £35k total as far as I know), so should be more in the region of £120. Even if it went in the next tax band up it would still be 40% so way less than you're estimating. But you'd be better off checking with an expert on that one.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

if they have earned about £680 or near that on a tv job on top of their wage of about £19k could it really mean that they have to pay £500+ ??? maybe it has put them into the next tax band

cheers

You only get taxed in the next tax band for the amount that has gone over into the next tax band.
I

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Its a doddle...easy....(the accountant does it)

I'm seriously beginning to wonder what use personal accountants actually are now that there is the on-line thingy for everyone.
You still have to gather all your taxes and expenses together for your accountant. When you gather them together, why not type them into your computer instead of paying someone £500 to type them in for you.

If you are not claiming expenses against the tax then there is zero for them to do apart from one adding sum. If you do need to claim expenses I can't imagine it's worth £500 not to just look up what you can claim and then do your second and final adding up sum of the tax return (the form will do all the other slightly more difficult takeaway and percentage sums for you).

 

[ddraig]

thanks both

 

[Gavin Bl]

I'm seriously beginning to wonder what use personal accountants actually are now that there is the on-line thingy for everyone.
You still have to gather all your taxes and expenses together for your accountant. When you gather them together, why not type them into your computer instead of paying someone £500 to type them in for you.

If you are not claiming expenses against the tax then there is zero for them to do apart from one adding sum. If you do need to claim expenses I can't imagine it's worth £500 not to just look up what you can claim and then do your second and final adding up sum of the tax return (the form will do all the other slightly more difficult takeaway and percentage sums for you).

If that was the only thing I relied on the accountant for to run my Limited Company then I would totally agree - but it is a small perk on top of a range of other services and security they provide me.

 

[bi0boy]

I did my return in December, I then got a letter confirming what I had to pay, and I paid it.

Today I got a letter threatening me with a fine if I don't submit a return by the end of the month.

 

[editor]

Drawer tidied.
Recycling bag fixed.
Tax return 5% done.

 

[colacubes]

Drawer tidied.
Recycling bag fixed.
Tax return 5% done.

Get it done You know what'll happen otherwise - massive night Friday, epic hangover Saturday and Sunday, blind panic Monday onwards

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I did _start_ the tax return. In that I logged into the site and clicked "Begin" and then saved it and closed the window.