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We are on the standard vat scheme. We file our quarterly vat returns with QuickBooks and don't involve our accountants in the process.
it means your books will need to be kept up to date every 3 months but that's no bad thing.
I struggle to find the time in the season as I'm working 8 til 7 5 days a week then Saturdays and family commitments.
I know I need to employ accountant sooner rather than later as I do my books every Dec when I shut down for 2 weeks and these take me 5 to 7 days to go through a years worth of recipets so I can pay my tax bill ontime
ive never used an accounting software as they seem pretty daunting and use spread sheets with formulas which work well so far. I guess time management comes into it tho with 4 staff, working myself and fixing machines it seems I never have any time
Time management is important. We use a bookeeper to take track of receipts and payments, and automate expenses via an app called DEXT (used to be called receiptbank).
With regards to fixing machines we pay a member of staff to work extra hours in the week (or weekend if they choose) so that machines can be serviced, inspected and fixed. This works for us as is means minimal downtime for the equipment.
We are on the standard scheme which I think means you can reclaim everything but still charge 20%, there is another scheme I think where you charge less but can't reclaim...
I also think you have to have an accounting software package as you have to submit your returns via them, we use Xero and our accountant casts his eye over it before we send, I usually sort my accounts on Xero before I head out in the morning and find if I do it daily it takes minutes.
personally I find it surprising how much I can reclaim hence the standard scheme?
We've been vat registered for the last 40 years, as others have noted, vat returns have to be submitted digitally. Go for normal 20% registration. As far as an accountant goes we view them as an essential business tool, a good one and not necessarily the cheapest! Should save you at least the cost of their fees, the taxation system is complex and changing annually, we take the view that our time is more profitably spent on making money than dealing with vat and tax returns which is not our field of expertise.
Ask around for recommendations, I would avoid one man band types, a business acquaintance ended up with a large fine from HMRC due to his sole trader accountant having personal problems and not doing what he should have been doing!
Hope that helps.
Thanks guys
I think my first port of call is to find a accountant and then look at software