Frequently asked questions

No. No additional fees will be charged for any personal tax return, no matter how complicated the client's case turns out to be. The fee is agreed before we start and does not move.

A personal tax return is a form that taxpayers may have to submit to HMRC to declare income, accounting for any money you should pay as tax or receive as a tax refund.

It depends on where your income comes from, but most people need some of the following:

• Your UTR number and National Insurance number
• A P60 or P45 from any employment, plus payslips if you have them
• Records of self-employed income and allowable expenses
• Bank or building society interest statements
• Dividend vouchers or investment platform statements
• Rental income and expenses, if you let property
• Details of pension contributions and Gift Aid donations
• Records of anything you sold that may attract Capital Gains Tax

Do not worry if you are missing something. Tell us what you do have and we will help you work out what else is needed — HMRC holds much of the information and we can often reconstruct a position from what is available.

A UTR (unique taxpayer reference) number is a code for HMRC to identify you as a taxpayer. It is ten digits long and appears on any letters HMRC has sent you.

After signing up to HMRC's online service you will be emailed your UTR number within about a week. If you have filed before you will already have one — it is on your previous return and on HMRC correspondence.

You usually need to file if you were self-employed and earned over £1,000, received untaxed income such as rent, dividends or savings interest, or need to report a capital gain. If all your income is taxed through PAYE and you have nothing else to declare, you often do not. If you are unsure, ask us — the consultation is free.

Online returns and any tax owed for the previous tax year are due by 31 January. If you are registering for self-assessment for the first time, you must do that by 5 October — a separate deadline that catches people out every year.

HMRC issues an automatic £100 penalty for a late return, even if you owe no tax. Further daily penalties can follow after three months, and interest accrues on unpaid tax from the day it was due. If you are already late, contact us — it is almost always better to file than to keep waiting.

No. The consultation and the sign-up are both free, and you can speak to an accountant with no obligation before paying anything. You pay the £185 flat fee only when you are ready for us to prepare and file your return.