How to handle a personal tax investigation 

Tax investigation Specilaists 

How to handle a personal tax investigation
How to handle a personal tax investigation

A considerable number of businesses will confront a regular tax investigation at any time of normal operation. More serious duty review is likely if HMRC doubts that your tax returns are incorrect.  A tax investigation or inquiry is certain to be a very difficult and stressful situation which can be quite costly in the long-term to resolve if it takes a long time to settle. Also, if you find that you are overly distracted by an HMRC tax investigation, it is likely to cause difficulties in being able to properly concentrate on your day-to-day activities of running the business. Be free to take an expert advice where you can`t settle tax audit by your own just after it starts.

Likelihood of a tax investigation

You ought to expect regular tax investigation in case you are enlisted for VAT or other have workers paid via PAYE. The duty audits will inspect your records and frameworks, concentrating on commonly mistaken areas.   Routine tax reviews are considerably less likely with regards to income duty or organization tax. Rather, the attention is emphasized on tax audits where HMRC has the motivation to trust you are either committing mistakes or intentionally concealing income.   Normally, tax reviews can be done after a period of five years, while just a couple of per cent of wage duty and company tax return are investigated every year.  Some of the most noticed reasons for the HMRC to start an investigation include records that differ vastly from similar business in the same industry, using round numbers on all entries and not the exact figures, unexplained or unusual fluctuations in the declared amounts, low-quality record keeping, a tip-off from a tenant or disgruntled employee, and certain high risk areas of business, such as construction or jobs that are likely to involve cash payments. Also, about three per cent of investigations is started on a purely random basis.

Tax investigation notification

The investigation process starts with the arrival of a letter from HMRC, indicating to you that an inquiry has been initiated into your financial affairs. Usually, you will be asked to clarify certain things and submit a few business records and therefore, you will need to take the right action to make certain this situation is resolved as effectively as possible.

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Dealing with a tax audit

On first getting the notification of being investigated you need to avoid getting into a panic and stay calm. Even in those situations where you have made errors on your tax return, you might still find that it is possible to rectify the issues by making any payments due as soon as possible. Unless a tax return features many intentional errors of a significant size, there are very few instances where a case ends with a custodial sentence.  You ought to seek guidance soonest possibly after notice of a tax investigation.  You might need to request that your bookkeeper checks your records and frameworks. The tax review will be snappier, easier and not most likely to prompt punishments if you can provide precise, updated data when the reviewer visits. It is best for you to get in touch with a tax audit specialist, who can guide you about the proper course of action to be followed from here. Quite often, expert help may lead you to identify oversights or errors on your part that could have given rise to the inquiry. You may attempt disclosing the same to the HMRC and working out a quick settlement with least amount of penalties.  In most of the tax investigations, HMRC carries out a complete review of your business matters. They may even delve into private affairs, such as investigating your expensive personal possessions. You will be requested to meet their inspectors for in-depth questioning. They might also ask you to provide comprehensive explanations and records to prove your statements. When it comes to providing any requested information or meeting with an investigator, you really want to remain truthful and provide the necessary information. Lying to the HMRC investigators is just likely to course more problems over the course of the tax review. Also, you want to make certain to be fully prepared for an in-person meeting and offer any evidence requested.

Once a duty audit has begun, it can take a few months or even more. Your bookkeeper can advise you on the way forward if HMRC is demanding too much data, taking a long period of time or generally acting irrationally.

GM Professional accountants offices are located in London , Essex and Manchester. 

 

How To Choose Accountants For Contractors

How To Choose Best Accountants For Contractors

How To Choose Accountants For Contractors

If you are searching for a skilled and qualified accountant that is able to specialize in a particular field, such as contractor accounting, then there are several key points that need to be fully considered prior to using the services of the right person.  Here are several tips to consider for choosing a reliable accountant:

1. Qualification.  In the process of searching for the right accountant, you will often come across a range of accountants offering a range of services. It is often the case that contractor accountancy requirements are often unique and specific. It is therefore vital to choose a specialized accountant that is qualified in this particular sector. Many of the larger accountancy practices or high street firms are more likely to focus on dealing with large corporations, personal tax planning, or small businesses which might not be suitable for your specific needs. In an initial interview with an accountant, you should ask whether they are specialized in dealing with matters that relate to contractors and that they are fully qualified on such requirements as the IR35. This is a key consideration and will often drop many of the high street based accountancy firms.

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2. CPA Reviews.  During your interviews, it is a good idea to have a list of questions ready for the accountants. The most important, and often overlooked, the question is whether they are a licensed CPA. Many people simply assume that all accountants are licensed. You don’t want to hire someone who does accounting on the side and never got around to being licensed. Find out how many accountants work with him at his firm. Having a large number could save you money because you could use the cheaper ones for less important issues. You also have to make sure the firm is used to dealing with a business of your size when choosing an accountant.

3. Trust.     Oftentimes, when people are choosing an accountant, the individual’s personality is forgotten. You have to remember that you will be working closely with this person, so make sure you choose someone you and the rest of your employees can trust. Convenience also should play a part in your selection. You may have found the perfect accountant. The only problem is that his firm is located hours away from your company. He no longer is the perfect accountant. Choose someone in your area because these are the people you know well and can trust.

4. Experience.    When looking for the contractor accountants it is also good to consider how long they have been in service. A contractor accountant with many years of experience has the capacity to do a good job since he/she has done the same thing over and over again. An accountant with a good experience know the various challenges likely to be encountered and how to deal with them. On the other hand, a contractor with little or no experience at all is most likely not going to give you the desired result.      The above are some of the things to look at when choosing a contractor accountant.

GM Professional accountants have offices located in London, Manchester and Essex