tax returns whilst on benefits?

[bellybuttonfairy]

My mum was self employed and had an accountant that did her tax returns. She gave the business up a few years ago as she was unwell.

She is now disabled (visually impaired) and a year off retiring.

She just told me that she is still having to do tax returns via her accountant 9 years after she closed the business. When she questioned her accountant - he stated that this is still required by the tax office.

Mums sight is very poor and needs help to fill out forms etc. I have offered to help her but she has carried out with her accountant 'as he knows what he's doing'.

Surely - she shouldn't need to do this? She's on a low income (benefits). Does anyone know much about this?

Sounds a bit odd...

Unless she has complex sources of income, however small, or is carrying back losses or other stuff as a result if earlier self employment, it's unlikely the tax office would require returns at all....

If you are absolutely certain she has nothing out of the ordinary, it may be worth calling the tax office to check if returns are required, and have a look at the last one to see if there is anything complex or out of the ordinary ....

If it's a standard tax return with low income from benefits, it shouldn't need an accountant to complete it....

Even if she still has to submit tax returns (and I would query that with HMRC directly) she doesn't have to employ an accountant. I use a piece of personal taxation software called TaxCalc, for example, to file my own and my elderly parents' tax returns online.

Ive always thought her accountant was a bit creepy - hence my post. I will query it with the hmrc.

Thank you!

Once you are in the self assessment regime HMRC will keep sending you notifications to do tax returns.
What you need to do, if you no longer need to complete returns, is contact them inform them why you don't need to do returns and get them take you out of the self assessment regime.
If she doesn't need to be doing returns I would say her accountant has been negligent in not doing so.
If this dies turn out to be the case I would lodge a complaint with his regulatory body.

self assessment for most people is actually fairly easy. I sat down to do mine last week (not simple since I had changed my circumstances during the tax year) thinking it would take me hours and I was all done and paid up in 45 minutes.