Accountancy Archives - Atkins & Co

Atkins Charity Skydive!

March 29, 2023 no comments in Blog, News by Raeane Atkins

On 25^th September 2022 Leah, Maddie and Adrian completed a 15,000ft skydive in support of the Royal Marine’s charity. The team collectively raised over £3,000 and held a charity quiz night as part of their fundraising!

We would like to thank our friends, families and clients for their support and donations towards a great cause.

Here’s what the team thought about their experience:

‘The skydive was the most incredible experience and one I will never forget – a true adrenaline rush!’ – Leah

‘Easily the most terrifying, exhilarating and thrilling experience of my life and I would definitely do it again!’ – Maddie

‘The scariest yet one of the most amazing experiences and one I am thoroughly proud of!’ – Adrian

As a business we are passionate about raising money for charity therefore keep your eyes peeled for our next adventure!

Are you getting seen off?

November 10, 2017 no comments in Blog by Debbie Atkins

We have seen a massive increase in clients coming to us with all sorts of tax problems, we wanted to post a guide on how to stay safe in unchartered waters and remain claim savvy!

Deed of Assignment – Some companies are operating a Deed of Assignment service – be very careful if you are signing up to this! A deed of trust instructs all proceeds to be sent directly to the company you have given authority to and these deeds can remain in place for a number of years. To revoke them you and the assigned company will need to write to HMRC, this can cause all sorts of problems. We have dealt with a number of situations where we have submitted the claim only for the clients refund to be sent to the company listed on the deed, be very careful what you are signing up to!
Tax Years being left open…..Ensure the company/Tax Agent you are dealing with has addressed ALL tax years that require a self- assessment tax return. We have seen cases where clients have had tax years left open resulting in horrendous penalties amounting to thousands. Make sure you are fully aware of which years you are claiming for.

Tax codes – Ensure your tax code has returned to normal following on from the refund process, if your refund is coded into your tax code this can disrupt your pay and tax and wipe out future refund claims. Look out for pay coding notices from HMRC and check your payslips!! If there are Job Expenses left in the code you will notice an increase in your pay and not be taxed as normal. If these job expenses are left the amount you will owe HMRC will escalate each month until they are removed fully. You may be left with a hefty liability and a considerably reduced Tax Code as HMRC apply an in year adjustment to recapture the underpaid tax.

Self – Assessment Tax Returns – Your claim for mileage relief traveling to a temporary work place is a Job Expense, this is done through self -assessment. Your Tax Agent should take care of this self -assessment when they square away your claim. You will need to instruct your agent if you are not claiming further as HMRC will expect a self -assessment tax return every year thereafter until they are instructed otherwise.
If you fail to notify HMRC and do not file a tax return before the deadline HMRC will apply late filing penalties which can escalate daily. Avoid this by ensuring your Tax Agent has fully removed you from Self- Assessment if you no longer need to claim mileage relief and have no other SA requirement.

Claiming uniform refunds – There are many companies out there claiming they can get you thousands of ££’s for relief on laundering your uniform. The long and the short of it is since 2014 for HM Forces personnel an in year adjustment should be made through your pay to reimburse this allowance the yearly allowance equates to £100 RAF, Army and Marine personal and £80 for Navy (lower due to facilities being available on board). Be careful you may end up owing the tax man!

Don’t get seen off, If you have issues following a recent mileage claim and would like some impartial advice, contact Admin@akinsandco.com or give us a call 01934 527888.

Atkins on tour!

July 15, 2016 no comments in Blog by Debbie Atkins

The summer of 16 has seen Atkins out and about! In May we were invited to Rosyth to meet and chat to Royal Navy personnel, we had a great day out and were made very welcome. It was also a pleasure to offer advice on all aspects of Accountancy.

June – Atkins were delighted to attend and have a stand at the Weston Air Festival on Armed Forces weekend, it was great to be in amongst our Tri Forces and to speak to many of our Armed Forces personnel. It made us feel very proud to be part of such a great weekend!!

Is your Tax Return scaring you?

October 26, 2015 no comments in Blog by Debbie Atkins

Finding your self-assessment tax returns scary? Atkins and Co can save you time, stress and maybe even money!

More people than ever have to file one – The record for the number of online returns, set last year when 7.93 million people filed over the internet, was also broken, as 8.48 million were sent online to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This represents 84.5% of all returns received – a record-breaking percentage.With around 10.74 million 2012 to 2013 tax returns due by 31 January, this means 93.4% met the deadlines – 31 October for paper and 31 January for online. This is the highest percentage of on-time returns ever recorded.
Do it on time – HMRC takes a dim view of people who can’t be bothered to stick to their deadlines. A life-threatening illness or the recent death of a partner are accepted as valid excuses; the dog eating your train receipts is not. If you file your return late, you’re automatically subjected to a £100 fine. If your return is more than three months late, you’re fined an additional £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900. And if you twiddle your thumbs for a whole year, you’ll be fined another £300 or 5 per cent of the tax due, whichever is higher. The deadline for paper tax returns is 31^st October, the deadline for online returns 31^st January.
If you’re self-employed, you can claim lots of things against tax – If you work from home, you can claim a proportion of costs such as lighting, heating, mortgage interest and cleaning. You can also claim for business trips and a proportion of running costs for a car also those with more than one income, and high-income parents who received Child Benefit after 7 January 2013.
Don’t get carried away – You can’t, however, claim for life insurance, home extensions, travel between home and the workplace or a 1^st class plane ticket to Bali in which you spent the first five minutes idly scribbling a business plan on the back of the cocktail menu.
Talk to HMRC – Despite their scary advertising campaign, HMRC tend to be jolly friendly, as long are you’re trying to do the right thing. And don’t forget that you can apply to reduce any payments on your account if you expect to earn less this year than last. You can also carry forward losses from one year to another
Thinking about getting an accountant – Atkins & Co provides a personalised service and we understand that each business and individual is very different and has unique concerns, responsibilities and ambitions. As we always aim to get to know our clients personally, we can tailor the services to suit their own specific needs. We provide high level accountancy and tax advice whilst conveying it to you in a straight forward easy to understand language. As registered ‘Chartered Accountants’, we are fully regulated by the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), you can be reassured of the quality of the service and advice given.

Our specialist military tax and accountancy experience has been acquired from many years and with the family connections to the military – you know you are in safe hands. Rest assured we are well versed in the ‘lingo’ and will go the extra mile to make sure that you feel at ease. We always take the time to explain things in a way you can understand, this is something we pride ourselves on. Every client is important to us.

Posts Tagged : Accountancy

Atkins Charity Skydive!

Are you getting seen off?

We have seen a massive increase in clients coming to us with all sorts of tax problems, we wanted to post a guide on how to stay safe in unchartered waters and remain claim savvy!

Atkins on tour!

Is your Tax Return scaring you?