The Salary Calculator

Well. 2020 was quite a year, for all of us, and unfortunately Covid-19 is still with us even as we go into 2021. Most of our plans that we made a year ago had to be rearranged or abandoned altogether, for reasons out of our control. New Year’s resolutions for a promotion or a new career were replaced by simply trying to make ends meet while on furlough or through redundancy.

I have had to adjust my expectations for 2020, as I’m sure most of you have too. It would be easy to be disappointed by all the things we have missed out on – but I think we should congratulate ourselves for coming this far! We have reasons to be optimistic as 2021 begins – vaccines for coronavirus, of course, and the possibility of being able to return to our favourite activities from before the pandemic. But also, the changes that the pandemic forced upon us, such as reduced business travel and easier working from home (for some), might continue even when Covid is no longer a concern.

So I would encourage you to look forward with optimism rather than backward with disappointment. Things will still be difficult at the start of 2021, but as the year goes on, things should gradually improve – and that’s worth waiting for!

There are always people who prefer paper-based accounting and self-assessments, reluctant or uninterested to learn to use new tools, they prefer physical copies over digital documents. But this could come at a cost.

By transitioning to digital, your accounts will be easier to manage and they’ll take a fraction of the time to process, enabling you to work on other elements of your business.

We’ve asked Mike Parkes from GoSimpleTax to explain more, and highlight how you can benefit from going paperless.

Real-time answers

Paper, by nature, is chaotic. You’ll need to file and accurately record your accounts – up to six years of your accounts, in fact, to ensure that you are covered if HMRC launch an investigation into your tax return. That’s sure to take up a lot of space, and it also doesn’t provide you with an easy-to-access overview of what you owe the taxman.

Digital files, on the other hand, are much easier to read. Especially if you invest in a tax return solution like GoSimpleTax. Tools like these allow you to record your income and expenditure in real time, meaning that whenever a you wish to know your tax liability it is available in a few short clicks.

Plus, as some tax return software providers also highlight any opportunities to claim tax relief, there’s an extra incentive for you to stay on top of your record-keeping.

Record income more easily

Another benefit of going digital is the ease with which you can record your income. At the moment, you have to log each of your paid invoices into your tax returns. But with invoicing tools, that all changes.

By using software to request payment, any invoices paid will automatically update your accounts. For example, if you receive a payment for an invoice you sent, your predicted tax bill will be automatically updated based on the amount of that payment. This saves you time and also unifies two of your businesses most important admin tasks: invoicing and the tax return.

You can also use these digital tools to understand when to schedule sending invoices as well as the follow-up emails to ensure that customers pay on time. Integrations with online payment solutions like SumUp and PayPal can additionally help your customers pay you more quickly using a debit or credit card, saving you from chasing payments in the first place.

Each of these payments will then filter into your tax returns, making the 31st January tax return deadline much easier.

Enhance security

Tax return and invoicing software also allows you to log all income and expenses in the system. That means no more hoarding scraps of paper – instead, you can take photos of your expenditure and you can upload it to the cloud, where it’s secure and less likely to be stolen.

Be MTD-ready

Last but not least, going digital means you’ll be ready for upcoming legislation. Making Tax Digital (MTD) was a government initiative launched in 2019 to gradually digitalise the UK tax system. It started with MTD for VAT, which stipulated that VAT-registered businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold would need to digitalise their accounts by 2022.

Soon this will extend to all self-employed individuals with an annual income above £10,000. The reason for this is that the government believes, by using software to submit tax returns, there will be fewer avoidable mistakes. These mistakes cost the government £8.5 billion in 2018/19.

By adopting this software now, you’re well ahead of the MTD for Income Tax roll-out date. So, not only will you be compliant with the incoming legislation, but you’ll also benefit from a streamlined workload well ahead of your competitors.

About GoSimpleTax

GoSimpleTax software submits directly to HMRC and is the solution for self-employed sole traders and anyone with income outside of PAYE to log all their income and expenses. The software will provide you with hints and tips that could save you money on allowances and expenses you may have missed.

Trial the software today for free – add up to five income and expense transactions per month and see your tax liability in real time at no cost to you. Pay only when you are ready to submit or use other key features such as receipt uploading.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Pro-Rata Calculator had the details of the Job Support Scheme added to it. This scheme was meant to come in to effect on 1st November but at the last minute it was put on hold and the Furlough scheme was extended. At the time, I left the Job Support Scheme on the calculator in case it might be useful for people to see what the effect of it might be in the future. However, it is uncertain whether this scheme (in its current form) will ever return – so I have removed it from the calculator in order not to add confusion. The Furlough calculator is still available.

** 25/01/21 HMRC updated their guidance to state that they would not be issuing fines for late self-assessment tax return submissions until 28th February 2021. However, the deadline of 31st January remains for payments and any late payments will incur interest at 2.6%.

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If you are a self-employed sole trader, partnership or limited company in the UK a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number is required. The number is unique to the individual or organisation and will never change.

You will also need a UTR if you have other forms of income or expenses that require you to file a Self-Assessment tax return.

Should you not yet have a UTR you will be unable to submit your self-assessment tax return and could run the risk of upsetting HMRC. Penalties are introduced by HMRC for late filing**.

So, to help reiterate the importance of UTR numbers and how to correctly acquire your own, we’ve asked Mike Parkes from GoSimpleTax to shed some light on their role in tax return submissions.

What is a UTR?

A UTR helps HMRC identify and process tax returns against the correct taxpayer’s records.

If you have income outside of PAYE or own a business and don’t act compliantly when it comes to your Self-Assessment tax return, you could face criminal prosecution.

Who uses them? 

Any individual with self-employed income or income from rental property probably forms the biggest group that will need a UTR.

These individuals will need to perform a Self-Assessment tax return. For other taxpayers, it may also be relevant when registering for the Construction Industry Scheme or working with an accountant.

How can I get one?

As you won’t receive a UTR number unless you’re registered as either self-employed or a new business, you’ll need to do so on HMRC’s website. Alternatively, you can call them on 0300 200 3310. There is no cost to doing either.

Be careful if you have already started trading. HMRC expects you to register within at least three months of the end of your first month in business. They will consider strict penalties if you fail to do so.

To avoid these fines, register as soon as you can with all the below information to hand:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Email address
• Home address
• Phone number
• National Insurance number
• The date you started self-employment

Double-check that you have fully completed the process if you’re still waiting on your UTR following registration.

What if I’m already registered?

You should already have a UTR code somewhere. If you’ve misplaced it, start by checking any correspondence that you may have received from HMRC. All previous tax returns will reference it, along with any notices you may have had to file a return, payment reminders or statements of account.

In addition, your HMRC online account will also display the code, provided you can access it. If none of these options prove fruitful, contact the Self-Assessment helpline.

About GoSimpleTax   

​GoSimpleTax software submits directly to HMRC and is the solution for freelancers and the self-employed alike to log all their income and expenses. The software will provide you with hints and tips that could save you money on allowances and expenses you may have missed.

Get started today, it is free to try – add up to five income and expense transactions per month and see your tax liability in real time at no cost to you. Pay only when you are ready to submit or use other key features such as receipt uploading.

In September I added the then-newly-announced Job Support Scheme to the calculator, and last month I updated it with the revised employer and government contribution levels – however, just before it was due to start on 1st November, the chancellor announced that the already-running furlough scheme would be extended, first until December and then until the end of March. This is in place of the proposed Job Support Scheme.

It is not yet clear whether the Job Support Scheme will return at the end of March, or if furlough will be extended further, or if some other scheme will be in place. With Covid-19, the future is even harder than usual to predict. For now, I will leave the Job Support Scheme details on the calculator, so you can see what the effects of it might be if it were to be reintroduced. You can of course continue to use the calculator as before to work out the impact of furlough. If it becomes clear that the Job Support Scheme will not be returning, or if it is too confusing for people, I will remove it from the site.