Oh sh*t! Who hasn't even thought about their tax return either?

[alfiesbabe]

As the title says. Tell me I'm not the only one. And can anyone remember how you do it online? Am i right in thinking you need to register several days before the deadline...

Not true Niecie (sorry niecie's dh).

That's why I advise clients to take them in and get the stamped at IR reception if it's later than the 29th.

They don't always fine on the 1st or 2nd but I have known it before.

Have just done mine, have had it appearing as a reminder on outlook that long that today it was 26 weeks overdue. Was just about to hit snooze again when I realised that I should just get it over with!

Im self-employed and realised a week ago that I hadnt got any paperwork etc about the self-assesment - nothing so I rang them - "Sorry Mrs C - You WERE registered self-employed in April 2007 (which is when I started) and then you've disappeared off the system for some reason" WTF?! Lol! Oh well - turns out I havent got a return to do for Jan 31st as I started April 26th 07 but how did they lose me? Good job Id sorted my NI out myself etc and that was all up to date!!!

Im going to be doing mine online I imagine when they send it inm April and get it don rather than waiting until the Jan 09 deadline. (Well thats the plan!)

Started dh's in September. Realised it was more complicated than I first thought. After several hours of reading I phoned dh:

LadyMuck: Darling, has anyone at work mentioned any difficulties with their tax return this year? It seems a little bit more complicated than usual?

LordMuck: Hummm, now you mention it there is going to be a 2 hour presentation tomorrow to go over the tax details - apparently there have been lots of questions. Do you want me to attend?

LadyMuck: Oh yes indeedy.

The following day he returns with a massive bunch of papers which apparently may give me some answers, but he clearly hasn't absorbed anything from the meeting other than some smart alec sold his shares at te peak of the market.

I really need to start doing something, but I have a feeling that by the time I do the calculation I will work out that dh's bonus (in shares of a now troubled US bank) will have actually cost us money. Ho hum.

LM - takes a lot of the stress out if you do it online (I realise it may be too late if you've never registered before) but there're no calcs for you to make that way.

Just to clarify the fixed penalty of £100 is payable if the return is not received by 1 February.

Not that anybody would advise leaving it that late that the date became an issue of course.

They will waive the fixed penalty of £100 if you don't owe tax though (but you have to ring them up and plead poverty)

I'm not sure that the online version can actually cope with some of the transactions though - some of the aspects have been covered by a special agreement with share valuation office for example. My experience previously with the online version is that it is great if you mainly have straightforward transactions, but not so great with non-conventional overseas share schemes. It might have improved in the last year or two, but my previous experience has that it has just been more stressful! But I'm fairly old fashioned in that I like to be able to calculate and verify my own liability. I've worked with HMRC for a number of years and have seen them gets lots of calculations spectacularly wrong! Online filing is purely done to benefit HMRC, not the taxpayer!

LM you are probably right about overseas transactions - haven't dealt with them online but on the whole I would say give it another go as the whole service has been vastly overhauled and improved.

Up until a year ago I would have been singing from exactly the same hymnsheet as you but last year and this year I haven't had a miscalc by the IR (I check all my clients' first).

There is a benefit from clients' perspective and that is that any overpayments are repaid almost immediately and for the average sole trader the online form is far less confusing to fill in than the paper one IMO

ha! jura, your household sounds just like mine. I managed to do my tax return last week in similar fashion (I owe them £1), usually I do DH's but this year have refused point blank. A government gateway card for DH mysteriously arrived in the mail yesterday, so am hopeful that his PA is on the case......

Did mine today. Online. 5 mins.

Sometimes (well, in this specific instance) it pays to earn less than the personal allowance.

Well still not had my UTR- got to reg online when i get it and then wait for pin, the f*ckers said they were sending it monday grrr

Best of it is I only became s/e end feb'07 so it's a tiny tax return...

I have just done my return hoorah, thank goodness thats over with for another, er couple of months!

Has taken me all morning but now it's done, i'm so pleased.

Now to tackle the hideous mess that is my house!

thanks Jura . I am taking a small breather, then will assess the damage! Massive clear up to start some time after lunch

If I work (very) part time for a company and get payslips showing tax and NI deductions and I also work for another company but I invoice them and they pay me cash, what do I need to do? I don't earn very much at all, probably just about the tax-free allowance.

Oh and jura, can you tell me about your water softener please (see shower cleaning thread )

Does anyone know how much of your utility and phone bill you can get away with counting as an expense when you work from home?

(have posted on a new thread about this but noone's replied...)

Have done mine.

Now, if anyone wants a stellar example of a Molesworthian chiz: it was all going swimmingly until I came up with an ultimate bill of £277 ... which is exactly & neatly the extra tax due on me kindly beefing up my medical insurance to cover dh while he was having A Sabbatical From Working.