As we head towards the end of the tax year and one of the busiest sales periods for many businesses, one vital task can easily escape your mind…
Your taxes.
If you’re running your business as a sole trader, you might feel like 31 January is a long way off, and you have the security blanket of time to help you get your accounts in order.
But this is one of the biggest mistakes business owners can make this time of year… waiting till January to get organised only to find themselves unnecessarily stressed sorting paperwork and finding the money to pay their tax bill.
There’s an even bigger danger, according to Informi’s self-assessment research:
“One in 14 small business owners we spoke to said they have missed the tax return deadline on more than one occasion… for those businesses the average fine was £284.56.”
We want to help your businesses prosper here at Informi, so let us help you avoid any fines and undue stress by sharing four things you can do now.
1. Know your deadlines
First and foremost, it’s vital to know what tax deadlines are coming up:
- 5 October 2017
Register for self-assessment if you have yet to do so. You need to register by 5 October in your business’s second tax year. You could be fined if you don’t.
- 31 October 2017
Paper tax returns due.
- 31 January 2018
Online tax returns due. Make sure you’ve registered for an online account with HMRC.
- 31 January 2018
Pay the tax you owe or you could be fined upwards of £100.
2. Enlist professional help now, if you need it
If you want to hire a bookkeeper or accountant to help you prepare and submit your tax return, now is the time to find and hire one.
Professionals are under a lot of pressure in January to help existing clients get their taxes sorted, often at the eleventh hour. You may find, if you leave it till the New Year, there are less people available.