FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Clear answers to common questions about accountants, tax, VAT, HMRC, landlords, charities and working with ATS.
Clear answers to common questions about accountants
Working with ATS
We work on fixed fees agreed upfront, so you always know what you’re paying, with no surprise bills at the end of the year. The exact figure depends on your size and the services you need. Request a free quote and we’ll price it clearly for your situation.
Yes. Your first conversation is free and comes with no obligation. Tell us where you are and what you need, and we’ll show you exactly how we can help before you commit to anything.
It’s easier than most people expect and takes very little of your time. Once you give us the go ahead, we contact your current accountant, request your records, and handle the professional handover for you. You can switch at any point in the year, not just at year end.
We’re based in Rochdale, with offices in Chadderton (Oldham) and Rainford (St Helens), and we work with clients across Greater Manchester, St Helens and beyond. We support clients both in person and remotely, so distance is rarely an issue.
Yes. ATS is regulated by CIPFA, an ICAEW Approved Training Employer, an HMRC authorised agent, supervised by HMRC for anti money laundering, and authorised by Companies House as an ACSP. Your work is handled by a properly qualified, properly supervised team.
We’re a Xero Silver Partner and set most clients up on Xero, which gives you real time visibility of your finances. If you already use another system such as QuickBooks or Sage, we’re happy to work with that too.
Records, VAT & Making Tax Digital
You need records of your sales and income, business expenses and receipts, bank statements, VAT records if you’re registered, and payroll records if you employ staff. Most records must be kept for at least six years, and HMRC can ask for them at any time in that period. Increasingly these need to be digital, which is where good software helps.
Making Tax Digital is HMRC’s shift to digital record keeping and quarterly online updates. It already applies to VAT registered businesses. For the self employed and landlords it’s being phased in from April 2026 for those with qualifying income over £50,000, then £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. If it applies to you, we’ll get you onto compliant software and filing the right way.
Landlords and property
The rules have tightened, especially the Section 24 restriction on mortgage interest relief, so planning matters more than ever. Practical steps include making full use of allowable expenses, structuring ownership with a spouse to use both allowances, keeping detailed records of capital improvements, and timing disposals carefully. Whether to hold property personally or in a company is a bigger decision worth advice. We’ve a full landlord tax guide on the blog.
It depends on your income, the size of your portfolio and your long term plans. Personal ownership is simpler and often suits smaller portfolios. A company can fully deduct mortgage interest and may be more efficient for higher rate taxpayers, but moving existing property in can trigger Stamp Duty and Capital Gains Tax, and running a company adds admin. It should always be based on long term projections, not a short term saving.
Growing your business
Beyond keeping you compliant, a good accountant helps you understand your numbers and act on them, spotting trends in profit and cost, reviewing pricing, forecasting, and planning for expansion, funding or eventually selling. The shift is from reactive reporting on the past to proactive advice about the future, so your figures become a tool for decisions rather than just a record.
Compliance is the essential, backward looking work: preparing your accounts and tax returns and meeting HMRC and Companies House deadlines. Advisory is forward looking: using your numbers to plan ahead, reduce tax, improve profit and guide big decisions. Most businesses start with compliance and add advisory as they grow and the decisions get bigger.
Charities
Yes, charities are one of our specialisms. We provide charity accounts, independent examinations and trustee support, led by a director who is CIPFA qualified, has audited large charities within Big 4 firms, and sits on a charity board himself. You can read more on our Charity Accountants page.
Choosing your business setup
Software is great for the day to day, sending invoices and tracking transactions, but it only works with what you put into it. It won’t tell you if you’re paying too much tax, whether you should be a sole trader or a limited company, or spot an error before HMRC does. The most efficient setup for most businesses is good software plus an accountant: you keep the records, we make sure they’re accurate, compliant and tax efficient.
It depends on your profits, your appetite for admin, and your long term plans. Staying self employed suits lower profits and simpler businesses. A limited company can be more tax efficient as profits grow and protects your personal assets, but it comes with more admin. Incorporating too early or too late can both cost you, so it’s worth a quick conversation before you decide.
You must register for VAT once your VAT taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12 month period, or if you expect to pass it within the next 30 days. Some businesses also register voluntarily below the threshold, for example to reclaim VAT on costs or to sell more credibly to other VAT registered businesses. Missing the deadline can mean penalties, so it’s worth watching as you approach it.
As a rough guide, many self employed people set aside 25% to 30% of their profits for income tax and National Insurance, though the right figure depends on your profit level and circumstances. Limited company directors need to plan for both Corporation Tax and personal tax on salary and dividends. The most common cash flow mistake is spending profit without putting tax aside, so plan for it early.
HMRC enquiries and investigations
Most enquiries are triggered by something in your figures flagging on HMRC’s risk system, such as inconsistencies between returns, unusual changes in income or expenses, late filings or large VAT refunds, and some are simply random. You can’t rule an enquiry out entirely, but accurate records, consistent filings and filing on time significantly reduce the risk. Many enquiries are routine and resolve without drama.
You’re ready if your records are accurate and up to date through the year, backed by receipts, bank reconciled, and your returns are consistent with each other. If any of that feels uncertain, that’s where to start. We help clients get inspection ready, and if HMRC does get in touch, we deal with them for you. Our full inspection readiness guide is on the blog.
HMRC confirms the outcome formally, usually with a closure notice. There are three broad outcomes: no further action, additional tax due, or additional tax plus penalties and interest, depending on what they find and how it arose. If you disagree, there’s usually a right to appeal within a set time. Professional support throughout helps make sure your position is presented clearly and the outcome is fair.
Employers and payroll
Payrolling Benefits in Kind means reporting employee benefits such as company cars or medical insurance through payroll in real time, rather than via a P11D after the tax year ends. It spreads the tax and admin across the year and removes the P11D for those benefits. It becomes mandatory for most employers from April 2027, and you can opt in voluntarily before then. We’ve a full guide on the blog, and we’re already helping clients prepare.
PAYE and NI are paid to HMRC, most easily online by bank transfer, or by direct debit if you’d rather it ran automatically. The important part is using the correct payment reference each time, which is on the P30 report we send you whenever we run your payroll. The full list of payment options is on the GOV.UK PAYE payment page.
Paying your tax bill
You can pay HMRC by bank transfer (Faster Payments, CHAPS or Bacs) from your online banking, using the account and the 17 character reference shown on your HMRC notice. Your reference changes each accounting period, so check you’re using the right one, and if you’re unsure, ask us. The current bank details are on the GOV.UK Corporation Tax payment page.
Self Assessment is usually due by 31 January (your balancing payment plus your first payment on account) and 31 July (your second payment on account). You can pay by bank transfer, online or telephone banking, debit card, or at your bank, using your Unique Taxpayer Reference followed by the letter K. The bank details are on the GOV.UK Self Assessment payment page.