December 2023 | DSK Partners LLP

More time to file company accounts

Posted on December 7, 2023 by

The normal filing deadline for filing the accounts of a private limited company is nine months after the company’s financial year end. Known as the accounting reference date. For example, many companies have a year-end date of 31 March and are therefore required to file their accounts by the following 31 December. For public companies, the time limit is 6 months from the year end.

There are automatic late filing penalties if your company accounts are delivered late. The penalties depend on how long has passed from the due date for payment and whether the company is private or public.

It is possible to submit a request for more time to file company accounts. However, you can only apply to extend your accounts deadline if you cannot send your accounts because of an event that’s outside of your control – for example, because of an unexpected illness or if a fire has destroyed company records a few days before your filing deadline. An application must be made before the original filing deadline.

Source: Companies House Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Autumn Finance Bill 2023 published

Posted on December 7, 2023 by

The government published the Autumn Finance Bill 2023 on 29 November 2023. The Bill is officially known as Finance Bill 2023-24. The Bill contains the legislation for many of the tax measures announced in the recent Autumn Statement.

The Autumn Finance Bill will likely be followed by the main Spring Finance Bill 2024 which will be published after the Spring Budget and will cover any remaining tax measures needed ahead of April 2024.

Some of the many measures included within the Bill are:

Making full expensing permanent for expenditure on plant & machinery.
Extending the sunset clause for the Enterprise Investment Scheme and the Venture Capital Trust scheme to 6 April 2035.
Reforming the film, TV and video games tax reliefs to refundable expenditure credits.
Expanding the ‘cash basis’ – a simplified way for over four million smaller, growing traders to use a simpler method of calculating their profits and pay their income tax.
Legislating for more generous support for loss-making R&D intensive SMEs as announced in the spring.
Setting the rates of excise duty and certain environmental taxes.

The Bill received its first reading in Parliament on Monday 27 November 2023. It will now follow the normal passage through Parliament.

A separate Bill called the National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Bill, was published on 23 November 2023 and will enact the NIC changes for employees and the self-employed as announced in the Autumn Statement.

Source: HM Treasury Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Working from home tax relief

Posted on December 7, 2023 by

Employees who working from home may be able to claim tax relief for some of the bills they pay that are related to your work.

Employers may reimburse employees for the additional household expenses incurred if regularly working at home. The relief covers expenses such as business telephone calls or heating and lighting costs for the home-based workspace. Expenses that are for covering private and business use (such as broadband) cannot be claimed. Employees may also claim tax relief on equipment they have bought, such as a laptop, chair or mobile phone.

Employers can pay up to £6 per week (or £26 a month for employees paid monthly) to cover an employee’s additional costs if they have to work from home. Employees do not need to keep any specific records if they receive this fixed amount.

If the expenses or allowances are not paid by the employer, then the employee can claim tax relief directly from HMRC. Employees will qualify for tax relief based on their highest tax rate. For example, if they pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on £6 a week, they will receive £1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of £6). Employees can claim more than the quoted amount but will need to provide evidence to HMRC. HMRC will accept backdated claims for up to 4 years.

Employees may also be able to claim tax relief for using their own vehicle, be it a car, van, motorcycle or bike. As a general rule, there is no tax relief for ordinary commuting to and from your regular place of work. The rules are different for temporary workplaces where the expense is usually allowable or if and when an employee uses their own vehicle to undertake other business related mileage.

Note, that if an employee who agreed with their employer to work at home voluntarily, or if they choose to work at home, they cannot claim tax relief on the bills they have to pay. If an employee previously claimed tax relief when they worked from home because of coronavirus (COVID-19), they may no longer be eligible for relief.

Source: HM Revenue & Customs Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Focus on bottom line

Posted on December 5, 2023 by

Most dictionaries define “bottom line” as “the most important thing to consider”.

In financial circles it’s taken to mean a focus on profitability (the last line on a P&L accounts) or net worth (the bottom line of your Balance Sheet) rather than an obsession with sales (the top line on a profit statement).

Sales/turnover is obviously a key element of your business activity and meeting sales targets is usually uppermost in the minds of most small business owners.

However, profits – particularly profits retained in a business – are the cheapest way to maintain and increase net worth and cash flow.

Without retained profits, you will need to increase borrowings or capital introduced to maintain your balance sheet bottom line.

If you succeed in retaining profits this will have an immediate, positive impact on net worth, and eventually, will help you reduce debt (borrowings) and increase cash flow.

A focus on sales should always be accompanied by a keen interest in the bottom line indicators. Most accounts software will make these numbers available at the click of a mouse. If you need help to discover how your account’s software could produce indicators that will help you better manage your business during the present difficult times, please call, we can help.

Source: Other Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Company accounts filing – don’t be late…

Posted on December 5, 2023 by

It’s the directors’ responsibility to file their company’s accounts, and make sure they’re filed on time. It’s important to understand your role and how late filing could affect your company.

Missing your filing deadline could affect your credit score or access to finance. It can affect how others view your company and whether they want to do business with you. There are also financial penalties and legal consequences – you could get a criminal record, a fine or disqualification.

If you employ an accountant to file your company’s accounts, it’s still your responsibility, as director, to make sure they’re filed on time.

Over 65% of companies use software filing as their preferred method.

There are a variety of software providers who offer a range of accounting packages to prepare and file accounts. Most types of accounts can be filed using software, depending on the functionality of the software package you’re using.

If you file using the Companies House online services, you will be sent an email to confirm safe receipt. You will also be sent a further email when your accounts are registered at Companies House.

Company accounts need to be filed nine months after the accounting year end.

Which means before the end of December 2023 you will need to file accounts with a year end of 31 March 2023.

And on or before the 1 January 2024, you will need to pay any Corporation Tax due for the same year, to 31 March 2023.

Source: Other Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0100

Month: December 2023

More time to file company accounts

Autumn Finance Bill 2023 published

Working from home tax relief

Focus on bottom line

Company accounts filing – don’t be late…

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