Last Chance To Be Ex Directory On Your Mobile Phone

As many of you may have heard, there is a new mobile phone directory being introduced shortly, called; '118 800'.

Many will welcome this, but others are concerned that their mobile number will now be available to anyone looking to use it, which could mean being swamped by unsolicited messages and calls.

It is extremely easy to unsubscribe, but it must be done before the begining of next week, to make sure that you are ex directory.

Removal has been recommended by the BBC;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/working_lunch/8091621.stm and you may wish to pass this on to friends, family and colleagues.

To remove your number from the directory, click on the link below. You will need your mobile number with you, as they will text you a code.

http://www.118800.co.uk/

Click on; 'Ex Directory' on the top right hand side, and follow the straight forward instructions.

**Update** Looks like people are registering in droves. Shortly after posting this, the 118800 site posted a 'Service Suspended' notice, as follows:

"The 118 800 service for mobile phone connections is currently unavailable - from this website and by phone - whilst we undertake major developments to our 'Beta Service' to improve the experience for our customers. We'll be back as soon as possible with the new improved service.

All ex-directory requests made by people in our directory to date are being processed. There will be no need to resend these requests. And we will take further ex-directory requests when the service resumes. We will not be taking ex-directory requests by phone or text whilst the service is not operational.

Please do not call us on 118 800 for anything other than landline directory enquiry requests as you will be charged for the call.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused"

Coincidence? I doubt it. What's the odds the service will be restored 5 minutes before deadline, thereby preventing many people from registering as ex directory? Let's hope they prove me wrong, but I wont hold my breath.

Tax Credits Renewal Pack Due At The End of This Month

Your tax credits are awarded for a tax year. You are required to renew your claim after the end of each year so that your payments will continue. HMRC need to check whether they have paid you the right money during the year and whether they will carry on paying you the same amount of money going forward.

The Tax Credits Cycle

When you first make a claim for tax credits, any payments you get are based on your income from the last tax year, and your current personal circumstances. A tax year runs from 6 April one year to 5 April the next. So if you're making a claim because you've just had a baby, HMRC will take this into account along with your income for the year that ended on 5 April 2009.
The tax credit payments you get throughout the year are temporary or 'provisional' until you confirm your actual income and circumstances as part of the renewals process.
It is important that you tell HMRC about any changes to your circumstances straight away as it could affect the amount of money you should be getting. For example, you must tell them within one month if you split up from your partner, or if you start working fewer hours. Otherwise you might not get all the money you should - or you may end up getting too much and may have to pay it back.
When you tell them about a change, they will send you an award notice confirming the new information provided by you, and any changes to your payments. It is important that you check each award notice you get carefully using the checklist that came with it, and let them know if anything is incomplete, missing or wrong within one month.
After the end of each year they ask you to renew - or in some cases they will automatically renew your claim. This helps them to check that the payments we've made to you are correct, and to set your payments for the coming year.
Sometimes they will have paid you too much (an overpayment) or not enough (an underpayment). If this happens, they will either make an adjustment to your payments, or if you have been paid too much but you're no longer getting tax credits, they will ask you to make a direct payment - a one off payment for the full amount.

Why Is It Important To Renew?

It's important to renew so that you can:

· check that we have the right information
· make sure your income is still within the limits for getting tax credits
· tell HMRC if anything has changed
· continue to get all the money you're entitled to

If you don't renew your tax credits, you may only receive payments for a limited period after the end of the tax year and you'll have to repay any overpayment from the previous year as well as any money paid to you since 6 April.

How To Renew

HMRC will send you a renewal pack between April and June which you must respond to. You don't have to complete any paperwork if you don't want to, you can renew by phone.
The renewal pack includes an Annual Review notice which tells you what to do to renew your tax credits. Most people will also get an Annual Declaration form in their pack as well.
It's important you read the Annual Review notice carefully - it will tell you how to renew your tax credits.

You must:

· check the information provided on your Annual Review notice
· tell HMRC if anything has changed

You may also be asked to give details of your income in the last tax year on the Annual Declaration form.

You can return the information by either:
· calling the Tax Credit Helpline on 0845 300 3900
· completing the Annual Declaration form - if you were sent one, and returning it in the envelope provided.

If you've only got an Annual Review notice, you don't need to do anything if:

· nothing has changed in your personal situation
· your income is still in the limits shown in the notice
· there are no mistakes or missing details in the notice

Your tax credits will be automatically renewed.

Who Will Receive A Renewal Pack?

You will receive a renewal pack even if you claimed tax credits but didn't get them because your income is too high (a nil award), and even if you only got tax credits for part of the year.
If you have made more than one tax credits claim during the year, you will be sent a separate renewal pack for each claim. You must fill in each one separately.

What Happens If You Don't Renew?

If you don't renew, your payments will stop and you will have to pay back any overpayment from the previous year as well as any money paid to you since 6 April.
The deadline for all replies is shown on your Annual Review form - usually 31 July. Don't wait for the deadline. The sooner you check your details and tell HMRC of any changes, the sooner they can make sure you get the money you're entitled to.

Why You Need To Tell HMRC About Changes

You should tell them about changes in your personal circumstances straight away. You could lose money if you don't as tax credits can only be backdated by up to three months. For example if you have a baby on 12 June, but do not tell us until 12 October, we will only backdate your payments until 12 July.

Contact the Tax Credit Office

If you need more help you can call the Tax Credit Helpline, which is open from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day. The numbers you can ring are:

· telephone 0845 300 3900
· textphone 0845 300 3909 - if you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment.

If you’re calling from overseas you can also contact the Tax Credit Office on Tel + 44 289 053 8192.

P11D Deadline is Upon Us Again

Don't forget, tomorrow, 6 July is the deadline date for submission of 2009 Forms P11D and P11D(b) for all companies who pay qualifying benefits in kind to their directors and higher paid employees (including, of course, MPs. Wouldn't we all like to see one or two of those?)

Left it to the last minute? Don't worry, you can pop on and do it online to speed things up.

It's also worth bearing in mind that the Class 1A National Insurance arising on any benefits in kind is due by the 19th of this month, when you pay your normal monthly PAYE / NI bill for June.

As usual, fines can run to £100 a month, per 50 employees, so, if you still haven't done so, get yourselves straight to it, and get those forms in.

New Online Tax Help For Small Businesses

For those of you just starting out in business, or thinking of doing so, there's a new online resource, set up by HMRC, via Business Link, to help you through a few of the basics, such as starting out in business, National Insurance, record keeping and employing other people.

This help takes two main forms. There are 10 brief, bite sized videos, providing an overview of each topic, as well as a downloadable guide, entitled; "Giving your business the best start with tax".

It's not going to answer every question, and as usual, I would always suggest seeking specific business advice from an expert, however, it's a useful start for those wishing to answer a few of the more common questions.

This information can be found at http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1081677261&type=CAMPAIGN&site=1000&furlname=taxhelp&furlparam=taxhelp&ref=&domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk

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Definately worth a quick look.

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**Update** These videos have now been updated to our own web site. You can also check them out there. http://www.1stadditions.biz/30920/info.php?p=9&pno=0

New 'Ask Alan' Spot For Enterprise Nation TV

Always keen to help the small business person wherever I can, I have been involved with Enterprisenation.com for a litle over a year now, providing articles and features for the site as and when required, and answering questions in the Forums, as they arise.

It seemed a logical next step to take this to the small screen, and I have agreed to host a fortnightly 'Ask Alan' slot on Enterprise Nation TV, starting with a trip to Redbrick House this Wednesday (17 June) to film the first of these slots.

Enterprise Nation is an invaluable and free resource for anyone running, or thinking of starting, a home based business, and I'm really excited to be involved with this new project.

OK. Two days to find a clean shirt and get it ironed. Best get cracking.

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**Update** Enterprise Nation has been taking suggestions for alternatives to coffee in the workplace. They are running a taste test tomorrow, looking at some of these ideas. No prizes for guessing who will be doing the taste test. Should be interesting.

New 2009 Tax Amnesty

What can I say? We've only just all surrendered our weapons in the latest knife amnesty, and now HMRC have re introduced the Tax Amnesty.

Announced in the 2009 Budget, there is one last chance to review any irregularities in your tax affairs, and take advantage of the new disclosure facility, before the window of opportunity closes in March 2010.

Although penalty rates have yet to be published, they are likely to be lower than under normal penalty legislation.

1 April this year saw the introduction of higher penalties for incorrect Tax Returns, making it even more important to assess any potential tax risks and, where appropriate, make a disclosure to HMRC.

An interesting decision then. Do we keep quiet and risk having both of our children seized and sold into slavery, or do we 'fess up and guarantee that only one child is sold?

The decision is yours....

Extra 7 Days Concession For P35s / P14s

Today, 19 May 2009, as we all know, is the deadline day for submission of our P35 and P14 end of year returns to HMRC.

Ideally, we should all try to make this deadline, but, if you can't, don't panic.

Thanks to Extra Statutory Concession number B46, you can actually file your returns by midnight on 26 May 2009 (up to 7 days beyond the deadline) without incurring a penalty.

For those who have not yet done so though, you should also bear in mind that employee P60s must be with them no later than 31 May 2009.

UK's First Home Enterprise Day Announced

At 1st Addition, we're happy to announce our involvement with the UK's first ever Home Enterprise Day, which will will be held on Friday, November 20th.

The celebration forms part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, for those interested in getting involved.

Global Entrepreneurship Week

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Global Entrepreneurship Week is a week long celebration of enterprise that's been running since 2004, albeit under a different guise in the UK ('Make Your Mark: Enterprise Week').

Over 644,000 people took part in last year's events and this year looks set to be even bigger.
This is the first year to include a day on which to celebrate home business - so let's make it a good one!

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Home Enterprise Day
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Global Entrepreneurship Week runs from November 16th - 22nd and our day will be on the Friday, November 20th.

Our friends at Enterprise Nation are leading the celebrations and recognising the millions of people in the UK who are starting and growing a business from home.

The highlight of the day will be the Enterprise Nation annual conference. At the event, you'll hear from inspirational speakers, meet other home business owners and be the first to congratulate winners of the 2009 Home Business Awards, announced on the day.

How you can get involved

More details about the conference are on their way - and Enterprise Nation members will hear first, so don't forget to register. The whole process is free and simple - and you can get started n the link below:

http://www.enterprisenation.com/content/UserInformation.aspx

Also, for regular updates, prior to the event, you can follow Enterprise Nation on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/e_nation

As events unfold, and our own involvement is finalised, we will continue to keep you updated as well.

Watch this space.

Judge Freezes Credit Claims

Consumers overwhelmed with debts are unlikely to be able to write of credit card debt due to unenforceability.

A judge has frozen more than 100,000 claims by indebted borrowers attempting to write-off credit and loan debt by using a loophole in the law which could make the contracts unenforceable.

In a hearing last Friday in Chester County Court, Judge Derek Halbert announced that all cases have been put on hold pending the outcome of "a few carefully selected" test cases in the Commercial Court in London.

The ruling means that over-indebted borrowers will have to carrying on repaying loans until a judgement is made.

In the meantime, consumers have been warned not to fall for adverts by claims handlers promising to wipe out credit card debt alleging that agreements put in place before April 2007 are potentially unenforceable.

Daniella Lipszyc, a solicitor at Ultimate Law, a law firm, said: "The ruling by His Honour Judge Halbert is a landmark decision that will have massive implications on cases involving the enforceability of credit agreements.

“After a number of early wins, many claims management companies have jumped on the band wagon, promising desperate consumers that they can write off credit card balances.

"In reality, cases have simply ground to a halt as banks and lenders up their game and become more clued up on the Consumer Credit Act and subsidiary legislation. It’s now extremely inappropriate and misleading for any company to promise to write off balances in light of this judicial move.”

Last week the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced that it was investigating ten claims management firms for misleading customers over the prospect of writing off debts.

It also warned consumers to be wary of statements suggesting that 80 per cent of credit agreements and unenforceable.

Antony Townsend, chief executive of the SRA, said: "These ads appear to offer an easy way out of difficulty to people who have debts they are struggling to pay. But many credit agreements do meet the legal requirements and, therefore, can't easily be challenged as unenforceable."

This blog post is reproduced directly from an article in TimesOnline, dated 7 May 2009

Companies House Deadlines Cut By One Month

The Companies Act 2006 has brought about many changes in recent months. One of these is the reduction of filing dates for accounts from 10 months to 9 months for private companies and from 7 months to 6 months for plcs.

These new deadline come into effect for accounting periods beginning 6 April 2008 (so, for most of us, that means years ending on or after the 30th of last month).

This change, coupled with the dramatic increases in late filing penalties, means that companies have to be extra vigilant with their filing deadlines, in order to avoid undue extra expense.