Complete Mess..........Help!

deltatwo

Hi,

Have been self-employed for several years and up until this year's return always got someone to prepare accounts for me. However, this year since I am sole-trader and accounts really straightforward decided to do myself.

Here is situation, I had to enter a Trust Deed in 2007 (similar to IVA) and all tax owed was included in this. Accountant then set-up new tax record for me. However, I filed my SA online this year in December, paid my tax and received a letter on Saturday saying I had not sent in a tax return - I had paid against the wrong reference number, I had used the old one.

Phoned the Tax office on Saturday and they are looking into it and getting back to me. However, I have just realised two things, I thought my tax was covered until August 2007, which I when I gave accounts to Accountant to prepare, but tax was only included in TD until April 2007. I subsequently filed my return from 1 Sept 07 to 31 March 08. If this is not bad enough, I have also realised that I do not have any accounts for this period (actually do not have any copies of any paperwork). We had huge garage clearout after New Year, and during this, think all my paperwork has been thrown our in error - have turned garage upside down all weekend looking for it.

So, bottom line is will have to pay tax from April - September that I have not declared and have no records, it is a genuine error but is totally my fault. During this period I had a lot of time off due to nursing a family member who died in October 07 and had to get someone to fulfill a contract but paid her cash.

Am really worried about whole thing and am sure Tax Office is going to think I am an absolute fool!

Thanks

Ste_C

If you phone HMRC you'd be surprised how helpful they can be, and in some cases they can even be understanding!

If you're being honest with them then they can help, it's not like you're trying to avoid paying them or trying to fiddle your figures.

They won't look kindly on you being careless with your paperwork but I wouldn't worry too much, they can help.

tyllwyd

Maybe if you start looking at it, you will be able to reconstruct some of the paperwork. If you can get bank statements for that period, will that show some of your income and expenses? Can you ask the person who fulfilled your contract for a receipt for the money you paid her? Do you have any expenses which are the same each month? Do you have any accounts eg with stationery suppliers, where you could go back and get copies of invoices? Do you invoice clients - could any of them give you copies of those invoices?