Sole Traders - You're Not Alone

As the deadline draws near for filing self assessed tax returns in the UK, and only days after a family member secured her first order for her new business, I thought it might be useful to summarise the key requirements of a sole trader.

For many, the very thought of tax returns and record keeping can be daunting enough to put them off following their dreams, but it's important for people to realise that there are plenty of ways to get answers to your questions and that with a bit of organisation you can easily manage the financial aspects of your business.

Registration

You are required to inform HMR&C when you have become self-employed within 3 months of starting your new business. You will be asked to provide the details laid out in form CWF1 either over the phone (0845 9 15 45 15) or by post.

Filing Requirements

Once registered, you will be required to file an annual self-assessed tax return. The tax year runs from April to the following March ie. the current tax year runs from 01/04/2007-31/03/2008 (2007/08).

If you were registered before the end of the tax year, you have to file the return no later than the end of January following the tax year, in this case 31/01/2009. If however, you wish to simply submit your documentation and ask the revenue to do your calculation for you, the deadline is the end of September in this case 30/09/2008.

While this may sound like a long way off, I would strongly advise tackling this important step as soon as possible while events are still fresh in your mind and before the pile of invoices gets even bigger!

Don't forget, a late filing will result in a fine of GBP100.

National Insurance Contributions

As a self-employed person, you may be required to pay two different types of NIC:

(i) Class 2:

This is a fixed weekly amount that can be paid monthly or quarterly through a direct debit. The current amount is GBP2.20 and this will go up to GBP2.30 from April 2008.

NB - if you earn less than GBP4,635 in this tax year (GBP 4,825 in the next tax year), you are entitled to apply for a Small Earnings Exception (SEE). See form CF10. However, be mindful that any gaps in your contributions could reduce the pension amounts you are entitled to upon retirement - see blog entry "Bridging The Gap".

(ii) Class 4:

This is a variable that is determined by the amount of annual taxable profit you make.

• If you make less than GBP5,225 in this tax year (GBP5,435 in the next tax year), you are exempt from this tax.
• You must pay 8% on taxable profits between GBP5,225 - GBP34,840 in this tax year (between GBP 5,435 - GBP40,040 in the next tax year).

Example: if you make a taxable profit of GBP 20,000 this year, you will pay 8%*(20,000-5,225) = GBP1,182.

• Any taxable profits above GBP34,840 (GBP40,040) are taxed at 1% for class 4 contributions.

VAT

For VAT requirements see blog entry "VAT as easy as ABC"

Keeping Records

As a sole trader, you are now responsible for your tax returns and the basis upon which your tax liability is calculated.

To ensure you pay the correct amount of tax and don't risk paying fines, it is essential that you keep clear and well organised records of everything occurring in your business.

A good approach is to set up a file with the following sections, where you should file documents as you receive them in chronological order:

1. Correspondence and forms sent to/from HMR&C
2. Bank statements
3. Receipts for business expenses
4. Invoices received
5. Invoices issued
6. Business bills - electricity/telephone/heating etc

I would also advise setting up an excel spreadsheet with a separate worksheet for income and expenses, where you should input the details of each invoice and receipt. This will make filing your annual return a much less stressful experience.

Records should be kept up to 5 years after you have filed the related tax return, you never know when you might be asked to justify something you put in an old return.

Additional Support

For more information, take a look at the excellent guide provided by HMR&C - "Working for yourself - the guide" .

All that remains to be said is good luck with your new ventures and don't be afraid to ask for help...

Where has all my money gone?

We are now half way through what is widely regarded as the most depressing month of the year, January! Personally I find January a great time for rebirth, re-growth and renewal. To this end I have decided to take my own financial advice and keep a record of every cent I have spent since the start of the month. Now I agree this is hardly the most exciting way to spend those long, dark January nights when all you can think about is the hot water bottle and some comfort TV, but bear with me.

For the last number of years I have attempted to get good control and proper management of my finances. My motto has always been to try and make the money I work so hard to earn work harder for me. I have kept reasonable control on my monthly spending, but just keeping a record of everything I have spent since the start of the month has been a revelation. Two things really stand out:

1. You spend less: The simple process of recording everything you spend really makes you tighten your spending. It’s totally psychological but if you have to record everything you buy you tend to really consider all purchases. At the weekend I was about to buy yet another work shirt for EUR 55 and then I just asked myself, James you already have ten shirts for work why the hell do you need more! Having to write things down acts as a value check on your spending.

2. You identify your weaknesses: For the longer term this is probably more significant. Certain patterns emerge regarding your spending. For example I realized that I spend far more at the weekend than I thought. I have been kidding myself that a Saturday night out cost EUR50 when in actual fact I withdrew 50 at 9.30pm and another 50 at 1.30am!!!

Understanding where your money is going and where you can make real long term saving will greatly help improve your financial health in 2008.

So go ahead, start today, write down every single purchase for 1 month, I guarantee you at the end you will have saved money but more importantly will start to get a real handle on where your money is going. If it worked for me, it can work for you.

Interesting Quote!!

I picked up this quote from the Sunday Business Post Online, and while I agree with the sentiment, as an accountant I can hardly claim to be a sex guru!!!

‘‘Money management is like sex,” according to Gibbons Burke, a US technical analyst. ‘‘Everyone does it one way or another, but not many like to talk about it and some do it better than others. But there’s a big difference: sex sites on the web proliferate, while sites devoted to the art and science of money management are somewhat difficult to find.”

Mr Burke clearly hasn't logged onto FinLowe Finance yet!!

Financial Makeover Part Two

I hope all our keen bloggers have completed their homework and now have a more realistic view of their finances.

Now we move onto the second step of the budgeting process. Allocating your income.

As we pointed out in the previous post, our philosophy is to treat personal finances the same way the professionals treat theirs. By saving and managing your money effectively over a twelve month period and by planning expenditure for the following twelve months, you can avoid credit card and other high interest debt and ensure that you can pay your bills on time and still afford that holiday in the sun.

Short term expenses: These are your regular monthly bills: mortgage/rent, phone, shopping, electricity, gym membership, car repayment, any loan repayment etc. These expenses will be paid monthly directly from your current account.

Medium term/long term expenses: These expenses, such as car insurance, house insurance, summer holiday, any planned home improvements, estimated doctor/ dentist visits, clothes, should be totalled for the entire year and divided by the number of months remaining in the year. This calculated amount should then be transferred from your current account into a “savings 1” account which you should set up through your bank.

By setting up a savings account where you have instant access to your funds, you will benefit from a higher interest rate on cash you will have transferred there during the year. As these bills fall due you can then pay them from this account.

Of course not all annual bills fall due in December, therefore you will need to plan the amount to be transferred based on when bills fall due i.e. should you require 1000 for your car insurance in May you would need to save 200 a month towards this.

Discretionary income and investment: The remaining amount should be transferred to a “savings 2” account. This account can be investment in pensions/fund/ property and should represent your long-term savings/retirement/investment plan.

It is very important that all short-term debt such as credit cards, personal loans, car loans be repaid BEFORE you begin investing. Remember the bank will always pay you less interest than it's charging you, that's why they make massive annual profits!!!

Starting this process as soon as possible will help you to get far greater control of your finances and hopefully create good financial habits that will ensure you continue in good financial health throughout 2008 and beyond.