Today, (Monday 6 April 2020) is the start of the UK’s£2020/21 tax year, and despite fears and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, industry professionals are encouraging SME owners to consider?submittingtheir 2019/20 tax returnsat the earliest opportunity.
Research released by?Informi, the website offering free practical advice and support for small businesses, showcased that last year£177, 745 professionals failed to submit their returns on time.
If HMRC receives your tax return late, you will automatically incur a 100?penaltyeven if you have no tax to pay or the tax due is paid after three months.
we know that many people required to submit their tax returnswill bebattling tokeep financiallyafloat during the ongoingcoronaviruspandemic. Thepriority’should be for them (small business owners) to ensure theymanage their finances as wellas possibleat this time”, said’steven Drew, spokesperson forinformi.
“However, as we have seen with the use of the past three years? tax returns to help determine the size of support grants for those who are self-employed during the crisis, returns are of critical importance to the Treasury.Therefore, we would encourage those who cando soto submit their 2019/20 tax return as early as possible.
“As well as having the advantage of doing so during atypicallyquieter periodat HMRC, potentially speeding up the process, they’re also more likely to have all the necessary information on hand and will allow themselves more time to deal with any problems, and avoiding potentially crippling fines, ?he added.
Small business ownersmay feel ill-equipped to submit their tax returns on time, considering the financial and operational chaos caused by the coronavirus outbreak. In fact, a general lack of financial expertise costs UK SMEs the equivalent of £2.9 billion?due to issues such as tax miscalculations and unpaid invoices.
Meanwhile, according to feedback from SME owners, businesses may also struggle due to issues with budgeting
evenfor those whoare prepared well in advance, submitting your tax return can often seem like a difficult and daunting process, however long you’ve been running a small business.
The new online courses will help small businesses owners to tackle their tax return with confidence and develop the financial skills they need to enable their business to not only survive, but thrive, and all small business owners should strongly consider taking them, adds Drew.
Today, (Monday 6 April 2020) is the start of the UK’s£2020/21 tax year, and despite fears and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, industry professionals are encouraging SME owners to consider?
