Self assessment questions

[Clippy]

A couple of questions regarding the above:

1) My accountant currently completes and files this online with HMRC for me.
As such, I do not have a record of my login details for the HMRC Online services.

Is this the same for anyone else who also uses an accountant to complete and file their self assessment for them?

2) Related to the first question, in future, I am thinking of preparing and filing my self assessment tax return online myself.

When doing this, I understand you can either use HMRC's own free online filing product: Online tax return - Self Assessment (accessed, I believe, via the link above) or compatible third-party software.

Does anyone who prepares and files their own self assessment online have any recommendations? Either HMRC's own or one of the third parties is fine as long as it is simple and provides guidance as well.

[malvolio]

1. Erm... You could always ask your accountant for your login details if you htnk you need to know them

2. HMRC's works, is free, up-to-date and fully XBRL compliant (just in case that matters in about three months time... )

[philip@wellwoodhoyle]

Your accountant will almost certainly be accessing HMRC using their own "agents' login" which gives them access to all taxpayers who've authorised that same agent. He won't have your personal access login which you need to get yourself directly from HMRC. He can't give you his login codes as that would give you access to his entire client list.

You can use HMRC's own software for filing your return, but it is clumsy and not all that user-friendly. There are loads of posts on other forums from people trying to use it and getting the "wrong" result because they don't know where to put anything unusual, like loss relief claims etc. A good alternative is www.taxcalc.com which costs just £24.99 for a proper piece of software which helps you prepare your tax return and then submits it. We use it in-house for our clients and would highly recommend it as it is a lot more helpful especially for those who don't really know what they're doing.

Either way, you'll need to register yourself with HMRC to get your login details etc which can easily take a week or two, so you really need to register immediately if you are to have any hope at all of getting your tax return submitted by the deadline.

[lje]

I've used sa2000 for many years (http://www.sa2000.co.uk/). They give you a spreadsheet for free which does all of the calculations. You don't have to pay until you want to send it to HMRC. So you could use it to do calculations and then enter the data into HMRC's software if you wanted and pay nothing.

When you want to electronically submit your return you pay for a code (can't remember exactly how much but less than £10) and the software will submit it for you. You would need to register with HMRC yourself though.

[Darren@UptonAccountants]

Tax sOftware

Agree with WHA, taxcalc is a good piece of software and very user friendly, we also use it.

[Clippy]

Your accountant will almost certainly be accessing HMRC using their own "agents' login" which gives them access to all taxpayers who've authorised that same agent. He won't have your personal access login which you need to get yourself directly from HMRC. He can't give you his login codes as that would give you access to his entire client list.

Either way, you'll need to register yourself with HMRC to get your login details etc which can easily take a week or two, so you really need to register immediately if you are to have any hope at all of getting your tax return submitted by the deadline.

Just a couple of follow up questions:

1) If I register for my own login details, will my (current) accountant still be able to access my details via his agents login?

2) If I obtain my own login details will HMRC expect me to submit future Self Assessment returns myself or can I still ask an accountant to do so?

The questions may seem strange but I wanted to access HMRC online services myself, in the first instance, to print off my previous Self Assessment submissions BEFORE I ditch my current accountant who is incompetent - hence, I want to do this without him knowing.

Thereafter, I want to get my 'contractor accountant' to also do my self assessment returns from next year onwards and want to present them with the print out of previous returns for their records.

(Oh, and the delayed response was due to waiting for HMRC to issue an amended Self Assessment statement for last year before I could start the process of changing accountants).

[Clare@InTouch]

1. Yes
2. You can still ask your accountant to do it

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

I don't think you'll be able to access your tax return (if thats what you mean by submissions) as the SA online system shows mostly just statements of account; payment details etc.

You could ask your current accountant for a copy. Or even HMRC will give you one.

But when you change accountants your new guy will write for clearance to the old guy and will get a copy of this as a matter of course. Unless he hangs on to it because you owe him fees or just because he's being awkward.

[Clippy]

1. Yes
2. You can still ask your accountant to do it

Excellent, thanks.

I don't think you'll be able to access your tax return (if thats what you mean by submissions) as the SA online system shows mostly just statements of account; payment details etc.

Yes, that is what I am referring to.

Is this the case for the agents login and my personal login or does the agent login show previous years tax returns.

You could ask your current accountant for a copy. Or even HMRC will give you one.

But when you change accountants your new guy will write for clearance to the old guy and will get a copy of this as a matter of course. Unless he hangs on to it because you owe him fees or just because he's being awkward.

Trying to avoid this as my current accountants support staff, who would perform this task, are pretty useless - I'm still waiting for a copy of a letter that I requested 3 weeks ago! Otherwise, am on good terms with him so may end up having to go down this route.

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

Excellent, thanks.

Is this the case for the agents login and my personal login or does the agent login show previous years tax returns.

I think, although I may be wrong, that you can only get tax return details off the HMRC system if they were submitted using the HMRC site, NOT a third party software option. Your accountant will almost certainly have used third party software so you're probably snookered. Sorry.

Phone up the HMRC helpline and ask them to send yuo a copy. With luck you'll get it before your first christmas card.