Tax FAQs for Individuals, Landlords and Businesses

You may need to file if you are self-employed, a landlord, a partner, a company director with untaxed income, or you have foreign income, Capital Gains Tax, dividends, high income child benefit charge, or other income HMRC has not taxed through PAYE. The need to file depends on the income type, amount, tax year and whether HMRC has issued a notice to file.

You usually need P60s, P45s, payslips, dividend vouchers, interest statements, pension details, rental income and expense records, business income and expenses, student loan details, pension contributions, Gift Aid payments, foreign income records and HMRC correspondence. Where figures are estimated or incomplete, this should be made clear before filing.

Yes. Once appointed and authorised, we can prepare the return, send the figures to you for review and file online after you approve the submission. You remain responsible for checking that the information is complete and accurate before filing.

Yes, but penalties and interest may apply. If several years are missing, or HMRC has already contacted you, the matter may need a disclosure or careful explanation rather than simply filing late returns without context.

Payments on account are advance payments towards the following tax year. They can surprise taxpayers because 31 January may include the balancing payment for the year just ended and the first advance payment for the next year.

You may need to consider Capital Gains Tax when selling or gifting property, shares, crypto, business assets or other chargeable assets. The gain is usually based on proceeds less allowable costs and reliefs, but the calculation can change where there are connected parties, part disposals, valuations or earlier transfers.

UK residential property disposals can have a separate reporting and payment deadline. If tax is due, the disposal may need reporting sooner than the normal Self Assessment deadline. Do not wait until January without checking the reporting position.

Yes, Private Residence Relief may reduce or remove CGT if the property was your only or main residence for all or part of the ownership period. The calculation depends on occupation history, ownership dates, periods of absence, letting and use of the property.

You usually need purchase details, sale details, legal fees, estate agent fees, improvement costs, valuations where relevant, ownership dates, mortgage redemption costs where relevant to proceeds, and details of any period you lived in the property.

Yes. We can calculate the gain, review reliefs, prepare the reporting position and help with Self Assessment where the gain also needs to be included on the tax return.

You may need to register for VAT when taxable turnover exceeds the VAT registration threshold or when you choose to register voluntarily. Timing matters because registration can be required before a business realises it has crossed the threshold.

Making Tax Digital requires VAT records and VAT returns to be kept and submitted digitally using compatible software or an approved digital process. Manual calculations can still exist in limited situations, but the digital record and submission route must be handled properly.

Yes. We can prepare or review VAT returns, check input and output VAT, deal with MTD filing and advise where records need correction before submission.

VAT errors should be reviewed carefully. Some errors can be corrected on a later return, while larger or more serious errors may need separate disclosure to HMRC. The right route depends on the value, reason and timing of the error.

Messy records increase the risk of incorrect VAT claims or underdeclared VAT. A review can help identify coding issues, missing invoices, mixed-use costs, reverse charge points and incorrect VAT treatment.

If you pay employees or directors through PAYE, you may need payroll records, payslips, PAYE calculations and RTI submissions to HMRC. The position depends on pay levels, benefits, directors’ pay and whether there are employees or only directors.

RTI means Real Time Information. It is the system used to report payroll information to HMRC each time employees are paid. Late or incorrect submissions can create HMRC notices and penalties.

Yes. We can help with director-only payroll, payslips, PAYE reporting and salary planning for limited company directors.

Employers may have workplace pension duties depending on their workers. Payroll should consider pension assessment, deductions, re-enrolment and record keeping where auto-enrolment applies.

Yes, but the correction depends on the type of mistake, tax year, payroll software and HMRC reporting position. It is better to correct errors quickly and keep a clear record of the correction.

Ask before making a decision, filing a return, selling property, incorporating a business, replying to HMRC or correcting past mistakes. Advice is usually more valuable before action is taken.

Yes, where appropriate. Written advice usually requires a review of documents, facts, tax years and the specific question being asked. A short answer without full facts may not be reliable for complex tax decisions.

Yes. We can compare tax, National Insurance, Corporation Tax, dividends, payroll, VAT, compliance costs and commercial risk. The best structure depends on income, business risk, profit extraction and long-term plans.

Yes. This is strongly recommended where Capital Gains Tax, main residence relief, joint ownership, non-residence or reporting deadlines may apply.

Yes. Filing records figures on a return. Advice considers the tax treatment, risk, reliefs, options and HMRC position before deciding what should be reported.