From using an accountant to doing it on your own

Mishomeister
Mishomeister Posts: 1,051 Forumite
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edited 15 May 2018 at 10:52AM in Cutting tax
As my friends financial affairs were more complex in the tax year 2016/17 he has employed the accountant who did the tax return for him.
The accountant is no more responding to any communication.

2017/18 affairs very really simple and therefore there is no need to really use an accountant for that year.

The question is does he needs to register for the self assessment online from scratch or is it dfferent for people who used to use the accountant?

Also, when he finally gets on the system, will he be able todownload the tax return for 2016/17 that was done by accountant?

Comments

  • 00ec25
    00ec25 Posts: 9,123 Forumite
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    the taxpayer already has a UTR (unique taxpayer reference) number since the accountant has previously submitted tax returns for him. It is that number which he needs in order to register for SA himself.

    once he does so all his existing tax records will be accessible under that number since it is unique to him - that kinda being the point of it being called a Unique taxpayer reference
  • Mishomeister
    Mishomeister Posts: 1,051 Forumite
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    It appears that the accountants not interested in doing business for my friend any more as they are not normally responding to his calls and emails and on the rear occasions that they do they do not answer the questions but just trying to fob him of.


    When my friend has tried to register for a self assessment it appears that the website is asking for some questions such as when the business has started and the exact occupation.


    As he doesn't knows when the accountant has previously registered the business start date (In fact the accountant has never asked for it) and the friend's occupation(as he was doing a few very different jobs for the same company) is there a way just to get registered for self assessments and also to get the actual tax return without knowing this info which is really only known to the accountant who would not communicate.
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 19,097 Forumite
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    Was 2016/17 the first year he was self employed?

    Can he ask HMRC for a copy of the 2016/17 return?
  • antrobus
    antrobus Posts: 17,386 Forumite
    Mishomeister wrote: »
    It appears that the accountants not interested in doing business for my friend any more as they are not normally responding to his calls and emails and on the rear occasions that they do they do not answer the questions but just trying to fob him of....

    Is the accountant s proper accountant? By which I mean are they a member of the ICAEW or ACCA etc. If so then complain to the relevant body. If not well, that's the reason why people should pick a qualified professional in the first place.
  • Mishomeister
    Mishomeister Posts: 1,051 Forumite
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    sheramber wrote: »
    Was 2016/17 the first year he was self employed?

    Can he ask HMRC for a copy of the 2016/17 return?


    Would they provide the tax return without the business start date and the occupation matching those that the accountant has provided to them initially?
  • Pennywise
    Pennywise Posts: 13,468 Forumite
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    Surely he has a copy of the tax return which the accountant submitted on his behalf - he would have needed to approve it before it could be submitted to HMRC.
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 19,097 Forumite
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    edited 15 May 2018 at 6:19PM
    Mishomeister wrote: »
    Would they provide the tax return without the business start date and the occupation matching those that the accountant has provided to them initially?

    If 'they' means HMRC then a photocopy of a paper return or a printout of an online one would be an exact copy of what the accountant submitted so you would find out what was put on the return.

    If 2016/17 was not the first year then the start date would not be relevant as the return would show the accounting year as a continuation of previous returns submitted.

    All you would need is your UTR.
  • Mishomeister
    Mishomeister Posts: 1,051 Forumite
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    sheramber wrote: »
    If 'they' means HMRC then a photocopy of a paper return or a printout of an online one would be an exact copy of what the accountant submitted so you would find out what was put on the return.

    If 2016/17 was not the first year then the start date would not be relevant as the return would show the accounting year as a continuation of previous returns submitted.

    All you would need is your UTR.





    Unfortunately the 16/17 was the first year. Hence the trouble
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