Annual return and online filing - SJD

[Shu]

Hello,

I received a notice from Companies House that my first annual return is due in November. I sent this on to my accountant at SJD. Although the return can be filed online for £15 SJD are saying that they are unable to submit the form online for me as the £15 needs to be paid straight from my business bank account - so it has to be done by paper at a cost of £30 (unless I want to file it online myself - but I thought that was what I have been paying SJD to do for me...). Is this the experience others have had from SJD?

[max]

Hello,

I received a notice from Companies House that my first annual return is due in November. I sent this on to my accountant at SJD. Although the return can be filed online for £15 SJD are saying that "we are unable to submit the form online for you as the £15 needs to be paid straight from your business bank account" - so it has to be done by paper at a cost of £30 (unless I want to file it online myself - but I thought that was what I have been paying SJD to do for me...). Is this the experience others have had from SJD?

Yes.

Presumably you can live with the £15 extra expense.

[malvolio]

Yes.

Presumably you can live with the £15 extra expense.

Plus the Companies House return is nothing to do with your accountant of course...

[Moscow Mule]

I'm of the opinion that it's well worth paying SJD 95 quid a year to deal with all of that Company Secretary stuff.

But then I am quite lazy.

[gadgetman]

£95 a year? What kind of deal are you on?

[DaveB]

Hello,

I received a notice from Companies House that my first annual return is due in November. I sent this on to my accountant at SJD. Although the return can be filed online for £15 SJD are saying that "we are unable to submit the form online for you as the £15 needs to be paid straight from your business bank account" - so it has to be done by paper at a cost of £30 (unless I want to file it online myself - but I thought that was what I have been paying SJD to do for me...). Is this the experience others have had from SJD?

This is normal, the Co. Return is one of the things you have to do as Co. Director, your accountant can't do it for you.

It is quick and easy to do, all you have to do is enter the relevent info, that SJD will provide for you, on the web page and hit send. Takes about 10 mins start to finish.

If you do the paper method all that happens is that SJD send you the forms to sign and you send it back to them with a cheque for £30 and they send it all off to Co.'s House.

[Moscow Mule]

£95 a year? What kind of deal are you on?

Pay them £95 a year (in addition to the accountancy fees) and they will be your company secretary.

[dude69]

Hello,

I received a notice from Companies House that my first annual return is due in November. I sent this on to my accountant at SJD. Although the return can be filed online for £15

If you can't complete this extremely simple return yourself, you're not employable and shouldn't be in business.

[xoggoth]

Eh? Unless summit has changed, the paper annual return just needs signing. Why does it take 15 mins online? Still, had not known that and 15 quid is 15 quid. I expect a holiday in Barbados for that sort of dosh.

[THEPUMA]

Pay them £95 a year (in addition to the accountancy fees) and they will be your company secretary.

Moscow Mule you ought to be very wary of allowing SJD to be your company secretary. HMRC's guidance on MSCs states that acting as company secretary constitutes an MSC provider being involved with its client so if SJD is an MSC Provider, then you would be caught by the MSC legislation.

Whether or not SJD is an MSC Provider is debatable but on the balance of probabilities I would say most firms of accountants are.