HMRC audit going badly

[Jog On]

Policy affects you situation example below, plus the fact you are asking a lot of questions



Random question showing misunderstanding



You are not £200 down observation is the fact you are getting so upset about it when really you were only gaining the taxable part of it anyway as pointed out on page 8



But if you were permie it would cost you that anyway so you are not losing anything any which way?



Not without showing some understanding of exactly why you feel the need to vent. Nothing worse than people going off on one without understand the nature of the problem and the real outcome. Makes you look a bit daft when you find out that actually it is valid, fair and hardly affects you anyway.

Sorry

Think I'll just stick with "I'm angry about how HMRC force the 24 month rule based on geographical location"

I take you you were being sarcastic when you said: "This policy obviously affects you so why are you making no attempt whatsoever to understand it?"...

Obviously I don't understand it hence my making no effort to attempt to understand it with all my random questions..

Anyway - I'll let you have the last word - go on

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

An accountant is not your company's financial director so don't expect them to pick up on every single expense you have put through unless it looks odd compared to other contractors, or you have specifically asked them if it's an allowable business expense.

Completely agree with SueEllen - this is really not the sort of thing that you would expect an accountant to pick up; an umbrella company would because we have to but not an accountant

[northernladuk]

Anyway - I'll let you have the last word - go on

Bioastronautics

[Robot]

Completely agree with SueEllen - this is really not the sort of thing that you would expect an accountant to pick up; an umbrella company would because we have to but not an accountant

That is a poor comment IMHO... and a very bad slight on Accountants !

Wonder what the accountant bods on here think of that comment !?!

[SueEllen]

That is a poor comment IMHO... and a very bad slight on Accountants !

Do you know what the difference is between an accountant, a bookkeeper and a financial director?

[Fred Bloggs]

That is a poor comment IMHO... and a very bad slight on Accountants !

Wonder what the accountant bods on here think of that comment !?!

IANAA, but I would say there's about zero chance that an accountant would question any travel claims made by the average contractor unless they were totally outrageous in some way.

[northernladuk]

IANAA, but I would say there's about zero chance that an accountant would question any travel claims made by the average contractor unless they were totally outrageous in some way.

As directors are ultimately responsible for the finances of the LTD i try and make it my business to know everything about what i can and can't claim. I don't expect my account to do it for me. It would be nice but it's my business ultimately.

To be fair though SJD have mailed me about the 24 month rule as well as phones, claimes for home office and other useful stuff.

[Robot]

Do you know what the difference is between an accountant, a bookkeeper and a financial director?

Contractor Accountants should know better, there is not much to a set of contractors accounts, travel rules and reviewing the 24 month rule (outside IR35) must be the biggest thing to review IMHO.

Note the director needs advice from the accountant, to be tax efficient and know they are doing things in proper manner.

Bookkeeper wouldn't know much about the 24 month rule.

[xoggoth]

this is really not the sort of thing that you would expect an accountant to pick up

Depends what one has agreed. If you ask them only to do end of year accounts and pay accordingly fair enough but I'd geuss most contractors pay for a full service including advice on both their company affairs and personal tax returns. The ads sell you on all the expertise etc but if advice is only given in response to a specific question it's of little use, if you knew what questions to ask you could find the answers yourself anyway. Why would a total newbie even know length of time at a contract site was an issue anyway?

Is it really so much to suggest that new clients should be given a few pages of written guidance on the essential basics - use of bank accounts, keeping records, their reporting duties, how to deal with invoices, what sort of things you can claim etc etc? Few do in my experience.

Maybe we should have a condensed guide on the CUK First Timers link.

[configman]

That is a poor comment IMHO... and a very bad slight on Accountants !

Wonder what the accountant bods on here think of that comment !?!

I understand where you are coming from but when accountancy rules require lawyers to understand their complexity and grey areas it does become unworkable to the accountancy profession without further expense of using lawyers. All an accountant can do is highlight the law to you, they cannot for each individual company implement the law and that has to be the job of the Directors to ensure they comply with the 24 month or any other rule.

IMHO the correct people to vent any anger at is HMRC, your MP etc as effectively this rule is denying people the right to work. I have seen in this thread someone from Bournemouth, and another from Devon who are effectively being denied the right to work (or having to pay higher tax) because they live in an area where their skills are not required and most/all their work has been confined to one square mile of London.