Directors may not have to file a tax return

A recent First Tier Tribunal case examined whether a company director had an obligation to submit a Self Assessment tax return without receiving a notice to file. The taxpayer in question appealed against penalties totalling £1,300 relating to his 2014-15 Self Assessment return on the basis that he had a reasonable excuse for his appeal.

Part of the appeal was based on the interesting anomaly that there is no legislation stating that an individual must file a tax return on the sole basis that they are director of a company. The taxpayer also contested that he had never received a notice to file a 2015 tax return and that had he done so, he would have filed a return immediately, and that as he had no liability that tax year, it would have been very easy and straight forward for him to do so.

HMRC’s guidance states:

‘As a director of a limited company, you must: register for Self Assessment and send a personal Self Assessment tax return every year.’

The Tribunal agreed that this guidance does not have the force of law and that the taxpayer was under no obligation to follow it. The Tribunal went further, saying that the guidance does not accurately reflect what the law says. The taxpayer also stressed that he had paid tax on his employment income through PAYE and had no further tax to pay.

The Tribunal agreed that the taxpayer had a reasonable excuse and his appeal against the penalties was allowed in full. It is unlikely that this case will change HMRC’s position in respect of directors of limited companies being required to file tax returns annually, but this case has highlighted an apparent discrepancy between HMRC’s guidance on this matter and the underlying legislation.

Planning note: We are waiting for the dust to settle, and for informed opinion to reach a conclusion on this issue, before considering any action that may be required for our director clients. To some extent, the matter will be resolved if HMRC’s plans for Making Tax Digital proceed. Over time, this process will lead to the end of a requirement to submit an annual tax return for most taxpayers. 

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The Tax Man

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Business Valuation in Distress

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FD in The Cupboard

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The Tax Man

The Tax Man

A new client was introduced to us via a recommendation with whom we arranged to meet on a regular basis in order to determine a number of changes that we felt were needed to their business structure. The client was at the time operating as a husband and wife partnership. The business was flourishing and had a number of large contracts with big organisations.

At the start of the process they were still heavily immersed in their day to day operations so we can get a full flavour for their ambitions, aspirations and growth plans. We quickly recognised there were sufficient tax savings which can be achieved by changing the structure from a partnership to a corporate entity. We carried out a business valuation and disposed of the goodwill from the old to the new business. Unfortunately, as often is the case with efficient tax planning, HMRC got involved and disputed our valuation.

An HMRC investigation can be a very stressful time for any client, even for those best prepared. However, our client had minimal input in the HMRC communication as we dealt with this professionally behind the scene. As an added benefit, our client could rest on the security that all work was covered by insurance and therefore all costs and time in dealing with this enquiry were covered by the fee protection policy we had put in place.

The initial approach taken by HMRC was very aggressive and they tried to present an argument that there was no goodwill in the business. We challenged HMRC’s view that the goodwill was worthless. After lengthy correspondence and numerous telephone calls, HMRC agreed 100% with our original valuation, which preserved our original tax saving plan for the client. Tax savings on this case where in the region of £75K at the outset, with ongoing savings of £6,000 per annum. We are pleased to add another happy client to our portfolio.

Business Valuation in Distress

Business Valuation in Distress

Selling a business is never an easy process, but when disputes arise, the need for a reliable third party due diligence process is even greater.

Tearle & Carver have extensive understanding of the requirements for remaining objective when managing a potentially difficult company buyout. In one such case, we were approached by the courts to act as independent accountant for an acrimonious business sale in which one partner was exiting the business and selling shares to the other. Given the circumstances, both sides had totally polar views of what their business was worth.

After arranging an initial meeting with the company, we were thorough in ensuring we completed due diligence, validating the figures in the accounting records, carrying out adjustments where appropriate, and drafting a set of reliable management figures within the framework required by the court.

A draft version of the report detailing our findings and conclusions was submitted to both parties, giving them the opportunity to voice any queries or concerns and ensure all relevant factors had been taken into account.

Through this process, we were able to submit a final report to the courts that was both binding and acceptable to both parties, effectively resolving what could otherwise have been a time consuming and costly process for all sides.

FD in The Cupboard

FD in The Cupboard

For smaller companies, it is often not possible or cost effective to pay for a full-time Financial Director.
Many of our clients therefore make use of Tearle & Carver’s extensive expertise to provide the services of an FD as and when required.

In this case, we were approached by the management team of an organisation looking to acquire the existing business via an MBO (Management buy out). Their business plan had proved ineffective for securing funding, and what they needed was financial expertise from someone with a developed understanding of the company’s internal workings.

Tearle & Carver helped deliver the solution our clients were looking through utilising our bank contacts in order to make the MBO viable, while also building a robust business plan and preparing our client for the rigorous vetting process. To help with cash flow issues, we introduced factoring which led to improved cash flow management.

We advised on the appropriate business valuation and structure, and continued to prepare monthly accounts to track profgress once the management were fully in command of all the information they needed to move their business forward.

In order to best assist these clients through the crucial first year of ownership, we attended board meetings on a regular basis, a service that we continue to provide to date.

With our continually developing understanding of their business, this client is able to remain confident that Tearle & Carver can provide any financial support they may need, now and in the future.