HMRC's Electricians Tax Safe Plan - Help!

[Andy™]

My sister who works for hmrc told me yesterday that when they did this with the plumbers they recouped

 

[batty]

[quote name='Andy

 

[malcolmchisholm]

The last post in this discussion was April 2012.  Now, in January 2013, I've received a second letter, telling me what is alllowable to claim against income as expenses and can they help me to get my tax liability sorted out.

My problem is that I only did about £3000 turnover last year which looks decidedly "iffy" to a taxman.  I'm a retired teacher who trained to do this job out of interest rather than to earn a living at it.  As long as I cover my costs for insurance, NAPIT membership and tools and equipment I have bought, I'm happy and no threat to the livelihood of full-time sparks.

Will the taxman believe that?

I hope so, but I doubt it!

 

[Steve3948]

I doubt it very much, you are flagged as dodgy, you can't live on 3k a year so the computer say's NO, you will be investigated.

 

[Evans Electric]

They will if you have other income , pension etc  ???   But if so it should have been shown on tax return.

 

[andy_spark]

I received the waring letter last year and the new one yesterday, telling me not to claim for personal trips in the van, and so on etc..

My accountant said ignore it if you've done nothing wrong.

I too have had low income this year due to injury and being unable to work, but they won't know aboout that for 12 months so I'm not really worried this year.

 

[Sharpend]

Andy can I advise you to inform the HMRC that you have been out of commission due to injury/accident. They will then leave you alone, I speak from experience.

 

[andy_spark]

Thanks, they should know as I claimed benefits for the duration of my sick note, and will have to repay that when/if i receive some compensation through  insurance.  I did stop my NI contributions for the duration too so hopefully it will be ok.

 

[Evans Electric]

Not sure you can just stop your NI payments  ,, they usually badger you forever if there is a shortfall.

And don't imagine that they know you are drawing injury benefit  , as in right hand knowing what left is doing.

But also , don't let them push you around , that letter probably came from a 12 yr old desk jockey in an office a couple of hundred miles away.

 

[M107]

On the van & personal mileage thing, my accountant advised me to use a mileage log ...............use blue ink for work miles & red ink for personal miles.

 

[malcolmchisholm]

In reply to Canoeboy, I taught IT, computer programming, website design in HTML, data communications and networking (the wired and wireless kind, not social networking!)

Spent 25 years in the job in a FE college and the move to being a "retirement sparky" was just what I fancied doing when I left school but I went into BT instead on their exchange construction department.

I love this job and will pack in when my Blue Flame certificate runs out next year.

I can live on my Teachers' Pension, so I've no need to earn much as a spark.

 

[ProDave]

On the van & personal mileage thing, my accountant advised me to use a mileage log ...............use blue ink for work miles & red ink for personal miles.

My car has two trip counters.

Great.  BUT they both count up, even the one not displayed.

Wouldn't it be good if you had two trip counters, but ONLY the one selected counted up. Then you could easily swap between business and personal mileage.

Tachographs have this function, why not the humble trip counter, certainly in vans.

 

[Sharpend]

I do believe the wife's Volvo does this Dave. Perhaps you ought to change to the Volvo estate off roader?