The P11D and P11D(b) forms should be completed by now as the deadline was the end of June, so you can turn your attention to the SA tax returns. But before you plough ahead read our update on the latest software issues, and how to avoid them. We also have a tale of what can go wrong where your client doesn’t provide all the facts about the land he has sold. Finally, you need to be aware of new anti-money laundering regulations.
Below is just an extract from last week’s tax tips email. To receive the full email when it is published each Thursday, simply follow the link on the right (or below, if you’re reading this on a mobile device)
Problems with SA filing
Personal tax is now so complicated that it can require a complex algorithm to work out the most beneficial off-set of allowancesagainst classes of income for an individual taxpayer. We explained the problems this is causing in our newsletters on 30 March and 27 April 2017.
HMRC’s current work-around is to issue a list of SA exclusions for online filing. If the taxpayer’s circumstances fall within one of those exclusions, the SA tax return for 2016/17 should be filed in paper form, not online. HMRC has recently issued version 4 of this list (see below).
The list of exclusions covers much more than incorrect allocations ofreliefs and allowances. For example, averaging for farmers and artists (exclusion no.61), and trade or property losses broughtforward into 2016/17 (exclusion no. 58) may cause problems. If your client has any unusual circumstances to report on their 2016/17 tax return, check the exclusions list before attempting to file online.
All software providers should have incorporated HMRC’s exclusionslist into their 2016/17 tax return software, but as version 4 of this list was published on 19 June, it will take sometime for all tax return software to be updated. In the meantime, the advice from the professional bodies is to wait a few weeks before filing in paper form, as an electronic solution may become available.
HMRC has some other problems with its online SA service.Taxpayers who access the service through the GOV.UK Verify (identity checking service), can’t request reductions to payments on account or set up a direct debit to pay their tax. A work-around is to set up a one-off tax payment through the taxpayer’s bank account, and used the paper form SA303 submitted by post to reduce a payment on account.