A: The best and easiest way to pay is using a Debit Card at the Inland Revenue website www.billpayment.co.uk/hmrc. You will need to quote your Tax Reference Number (UTR) which is printed at the top of your Tax Return or in the top right hand corner of any Statements of Account you may receive from the Inland Revenue. This is a 10 digit reference. Alternatively you can forward a cheque directly to the Collector of Taxes, Section 1, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD98 1YA – please ensure that you write your Tax Reference Number on the reverse of the cheque.

A: Once we have received your signed Tax Return we will then forward it to the Inland Revenue for processing. If we are able to submit your Tax Return via the internet, then Refunds are normally processed within 10-14 Days. However, if we have to submit the Tax Return via the postal service we are then in the hands of the processing office and this may take 1-3 months.

A: Generally this will show if you have just purchased a new Limited Company from Christopher Lunn & Co. We set up Limited Companies for client’s to purchase. The name will not be changed to your Requested name until the Company has been paid for and Companies House have updated their records.

A: As a Director and or a shareholder you are entitled to a Salary, Fees and Dividends. We will advise you on the spilt where necessary, however, if you need money to use personally you should draw out when you need. This is called a Directors Drawings account and at the end of the year this is accounted for in your tax return.

A: The answer to this question is, in fact, everyone. As the title suggests, if you are submitting a Self Assessment Return (Tax Return to you and me) then the Revenue must put a system in place to check that assessment. It is exactly the same as those scanning devices you can carry around with you when you do the shopping. As you self scan and then bag the products so the Supermarket retains the right to ask for a re-scan to check you are paying for the right amount for their produce. So the Revenue randomly examines a certain amount of returns to check they have been completed correctly and that you are paying the correct amount of tax. The word ‘correct’ is, however, often interpreted by the Inland Revenue as meaning something totally different to us. We have a dedicated enquiry team to ensure that you are not coerced or bullied into conceding to or paying anything more than is reasonable and just.

The Revenue also targets a certain number of returns according to their own internal risk assessment. This is where a return shows an above average amount in a particular expense category. For each profession that the Revenue deals with they expect an average amount to be spent on each category. This is usually calculated as a percentage of turnover. We will at all times guide you through the process of compiling your accounts and advise where necessary. We do not, however, reduce a legitimate expense just to reduce the chances of you having an enquiry as a legitimate expense should always be claimed.

A: It is a fact that HMRC currently operate under various targets which include amounts that need to be raised from Tax Enquiries. The Tax Inspector is there to collect as much tax as he legitimately can (or what HMRC tend to euphemistically call the right amount of tax at the right time). We are here to protect as much of your wealth as is lawfully permissible, sadly those two sentiments often lead to confrontation and enquiries, to avoid stalemate, are often settled by compromise. Lengthy legal debates as the finites of tax case law in the 1800’s are not what we drag our clients into. We always look to settle an enquiry as quickly and as painlessly as we can. That being said we do not concede unnessesarily but the sad fact in most of the enquiries we deal with is that the amounts being argued are smaller than the professional fees(?? TYPO?? and the)

The initial request by the Inland Revenue will normally be for a copy of the accounts and the receipts to back up the claims made (especially concerning expenses). Once this has been dealt with the Inspector then sets out to ‘clarify a few points’ and suggests where he/she believes there has been an over claim or omission. Should this exchange of correspondence drag on we always have the option of asking for the Enquiry to be heard by an independent board called the General Commissioners of Income Tax. At all times our dedicated team of Enquiry specialists will involve you in every correspondence and action taken during an enquiry. Since setting up the Enquiry Team in the Summer of 2007 we have had an average time of six months for the completion of all new enquiries.

A: HMRC currently state that they only wish to collect ‘the right amount of tax at the right time’, as set out in their Code of Practice leaflet. This being said, each department within HMRC have certain targets to reach and individuals within those departments do get performance related bonuses.

Whether the targets and bonuses are seen as being in direct conflict with code of practice statement or not, it is our experience that in most cases HMRC do at least want something. Professional fees incurred by a tax payer during an enquiry can only be claimed in their accounts, as a legitimate cost, if HMRC do not make any changes to the figures submitted.

The tax payer is put in an impossible position regarding this as agreeing to a small amount (say £50) add back of expenses, to HMRC, to close an enquiry gives up the right to claim the costs of the Enquiry. Refusing to accept HMRC’s ‘offer’ could prolong the enquiry and incur even more professional fees. The tax payer is definitely placed between a rock and a hard place. With professional fees cover and a dedicated Enquiry team on hand, we aim to make the process of undergoing an HMRC enquiry as painless and as swift as we can.

A: This question all depends on what it is you require from us. Below is a list of the various departments and the areas they are responsible for. Ultimately it is your Accounts team who are responsible for you as a client of Christopher Lunn and Company. If you do not know who they are or you are not sure as to who to direct your question to please call our lovely receptionists who will be happy to help.

Accounts Teams (Gold, Pink, Red & White):

• Accounts and questions concerning what goes in them.
• The chasing of clients for information.
• Tax and the calculation of it (e.g Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Inheritance Tax and CGT).
• Business set-up.
• Mortgage References.
• Meeting Clients.

Tax Return Department:

• Ensuring all information is present before submission of the Tax Return to the Tax Office.
• Ensuring a timely submission of that Tax Return and obtaining a receipt.
• Application for and chasing of the Issuing of your Unique Tax Return Number (UTR).
• Issuing the annual ‘SL12’ letter. This is the letter you receive early in the tax year setting out what you gave us last year and asking you to complete the same for this year.

Compliance Department:

• First Contact with most prospective clients.
• The issuing of the ‘Welcome pack’ and ensuring that all forms are properly completed and submitted.
• Change of Address.
• Registration and de-registration for VAT.

Corporate Department:

• The setting up of new Limited Companies.
• The submission of the Annual Returns.
• The completion of the Limited Tax Return and onward submission.
• Changing any details concerning the limited company.
• Company Secretarial duties and acting as the Registered Ofiice.
• Asisting in the setting up of Limited Company Bank Accounts

Finance Department:

• Internal Finance.
• Billing and Credit Control.
• Handling of Credit/Debit card payments.
• Settling outstanding billing disputes.

Office Management:

• Human Resources (hiring and firing).
• Health and Safety.
• Office Infrastructure.
• Client Complaints.

Runners:

• Client file management
• Archive storage
• Postal services both in and out of the office, including registered post tracking.

A: We realise no one is just a number, however, as we use an electronic database to store most of your information we never object to a helping hand in finding what we need for you.

A:To help make our meetings effective we have prepared this checklist for you to download. Please click here to download the checklist.

A: Please contact your accounts team as they will be happy to help. Most Mortgage lenders have a certificate/form they need completing by us, please feel free to give out contact details such as e-mail and our fax number. We will attempt to have this completed in as quickly as possible, however, we do appreciate a little notice!

A: For maximum flexibility we have set up several methods of payment:

1. By cheque - the traditional way - Payee ´Christopher Lunn and Company´.
2. By card - all major credit and debit cards can be dealt with by the Finance team over the telephone.
3. Electronic transfer (BACS) - by direct payment into our bank account.  Please telephone the Finance team for account details and appropriate reference.
4. Standing Order - in certain circumstances staged payments can be negotiated with the Credit Controller.

A: As the Government run more and more into debt it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Treasury and its various arms (including HMRC) will be leant on to produce more revenue. As a result of this it is expected that the number of enquiries will increase as HMRC attempt to reach their targets.

As Tax Enquiries can be a stressful occasion, worrying about the professional charges you might be ask to pay causes its own stress. During a Tax Enquiry, whether HMRC ask you to pay more tax or not the one thing is certain and that is the professional fees. HMRC Enquiries cost you money even if your Tax return is beyond reproach.

Commercial professional fees are expensive and can be quite restrictive in the areas they cover, but to have that cover affords a peace of mind necessary in such enquiries. As a result of extensive research into the idea of professional fees cover, we have decided to offer a Christopher Lunn and Company product designed and costed specifically for our client base. For a annual fee of £50 for an individual, £60 for a partnership and £60 for a limited company, you can have comprehensive cover against all the fees incurred from us throughout your enquiry. This then leaves the Tax Payer to concentrate on dealing with HMRC’s demands and only having to pay that tax, if any, which is negotiated with the Tax Office.