Personal Tax – Individuals
1. We will prepare your self assessment tax return together with any supplementary pages required from the information and explanations that you provide to us. After obtaining your approval and signature, we will submit your return to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
2. Other than as regards tax credits (see below) we will advise you as to possible tax return related claims and elections arising from information supplied by you. Where instructed by you, we will make such claims and elections in the form and manner required by HMRC.
3. We will review PAYE notices of coding provided to us and advise accordingly.
Ad hoc and advisory work
4. Where you have instructed us to do so, we will also provide such other taxation ad hoc and advisory services as may be agreed between us from time to time. These may be the subject of a separate engagement letter at our option. Where appropriate we will discuss and agree an additional fee for such work when it is commissioned by you. Examples of such work include:
* Advising on ad hoc transactions, preparing additional supplementary pages to your tax return and calculating any related liabilities;
* Dealing with any enquiry opened into your tax return by HMRC;
* Preparing any amended returns which may be required and corresponding with HMRC as necessary; and
5. Where specialist advice is required on occasions we may need to seek this from or refer you to appropriate specialists.
Tax Credits
6. If we agree to advise you on tax credits we will issue a separate letter or schedule to cover this area. Tax credits are, in effect, a social security benefit. Your entitlement or otherwise will depend not only on your own circumstances but also those of your household and we would require all relevant information to advise in this regard.
Changes in the law
7. We will not accept responsibility if you act on advice given by us on an earlier occasion without first confirming with us that the advice is still valid in the light of any change in the law or your circumstances.
8. We will accept no liability for losses arising from changes in the law or the interpretation thereof that are first published after the date on which the advice is given.
Your responsibilities
9. You are legally responsible for:
a) Ensuring that your self assessment tax return is correct and complete;
b) Filing any returns by the due date; and
c) Making payment of tax on time.
Failure to do this may lead to automatic penalties, surcharges and/or interest.
Taxpayers who sign their returns cannot delegate this legal responsibility to others. You agree to check that returns that we have prepared for you are complete before you approve and sign them.
10. To enable us to carry out our work you agree:
a) That the return is to be made on the basis of full disclosure of all sources of income, charges, allowances and capital transactions;
b) To provide full information necessary for dealing with your affairs: we will rely on the information and documents being true, correct and complete and will not audit the information or those documents;
c) To authorise us to approach such third parties as may be appropriate for information that we consider necessary to deal with your affairs; and
d) To provide us with information in sufficient time for your tax return to be completed and submitted by the due date following the end of the tax year. Where feasible we may agree to complete your return within a shorter period but may charge an additional fee for so doing.
11. You will keep us informed of material changes in your circumstances that could affect your tax liability. If you are unsure whether the change is material or not please let us know so that we can assess its significance.
12. You will forward to us HMRC statements of account, copies of notices of assessment, letters and other communications received from HMRC in time to enable us to deal with them as may be necessary within the statutory time limits. Although HMRC have the authority to communicate with us when form 64-8 has been signed and submitted it is essential that you let us have copies of any correspondence received because HMRC are not obliged to send us copies of all communications issued to you.
13. Our services as set out above are subject to the limitations on our liability set out in the engagement letter. These are important provisions which you should read and consider carefully.