Posts

Stephen Barrett

Are you claiming VAT on mileage?

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If not why not?

If you are a VAT registered business using the standard VAT accounting method (not the Flat Rate Scheme) you can claim VAT back on the petrol element of a mileage claim.  Whether it’s the directors or staff members making a claim for mileage, it makes no difference.

To make a claim you have to establish what proportion of the pence per mile is for petrol, don’t panic, there are no detailed calculations needed.  HM Revenue & Customs  have listed the pence per mile for company cars based on the fuel type and engine size, which represents the petrol element.

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Stephen Barrett

Bookkeeping made easy peezy….

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With so many choices on how to keep your books we think Xero is the best option for small businesses.

Plus until the end of March 2015 we can offer two months’ free subscription worth over £40!!

 

Owner managed businesses have a wide choice when it comes to the ways they can undertake and record their bookkeeping. Below are the more common ones, along with our preferred method and supplier:

Manual books
OK, there’s not many of these around these days, but I do know a few people that are still using them!

Spreadsheets
These are frequently used and I am always amazed by the mistakes they contain. There are often errors in the formulas, the formatting could be improved, wrong dates are included – all of which can lead to additional time and costs at the year end.

Bookkeeping packages
These rely on backups of the software being emailed to accountants at the year end.  Not to mention the need of data backups and disaster recovery in case your computer dies.

Cloud packages
We think this is the best solution, and is something we are passionate about. They offer a number of benefits over the other options above.

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Stephen Barrett

simple but effective

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A simple but effective video from HMRC about record keeping, especially about making it easier to see how much tax is likely to be due  (I would say that as an accountant though!).  If you struggle with keeping your books and records up to date/in order, get in touch, we can help.  As accountants we can put you on the right track by recommending which record keeping method may suit you best.  We don’t charge for an initial consultation, so get in touch using the contact section above.

Company cars
Stephen Barrett

Company cars are rubbish, right?

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You would be forgiven for thinking that the personal tax on company cars would put your right off having one through your business. But it’s worth considering them as a tax planning vehicle (pardon the pun) to help #keepmoremoney in YOUR pocket.

How it works…
The personal tax charge on company cars is based on the official CO2 emissions of the car along with it’s showroom price when new. If the CO2 emissions and showroom price are relatively low, the tax charge will also be relatively low.

“Green” cars…
There is a reasonably new breed of cars now on the market with exactly that, lower showroom prices and low CO2 emissions. The tax liability on these cars is therefore significantly lower than you may think.  A full list of the cars by CO2 emissions can be found at http://bit.ly/1kKGpvq, the CO2 bands to look at from a tax point of view are the first three up to 94g/km.

The tax bill…
Take the Toyota Auris Hybrid, which is one of the more expensive cars, with a showroom price of almost £23,000 and CO2 emissions of 91g/km. The annual personal tax burden for the company car and having all the fuel would be approximately £985 for a 20% taxpayer, and £1,970 for a 40% taxpayer.

The tax savings…
The tax saving comes about as ALL the car running costs, including petrol, can be paid for by your company, resulting in a corporation tax saving starting at approximately £450 (based on estimated running costs, but will depend on your annual petrol and other running costs). In addition, the company gets a corporation tax reduction of £4,600 in year one due to the low CO2 emissions!

The overview…
Sadly there will still be some tax to pay on having a company car, and it’s not something that should be done on a whim. But, if you are thinking of changing your family car, it’s worth exploring if a company car would be a good option. Don’t forget that the above only applies to brand new cars.

Guiding you through it…
Although a little complex, if you’re thinking of changing your car it’s worth getting in touch to see how we could help you #keepmoremoney
t: 07869 285081
e: steve@keepmoremoney.co.uk