Completing Tax Return help?

[kel1983]

I have just relised I am meant to have done my tax return so will now have to do it online. Have a quick panic now

I started childminding in November 2010 so does that mean I just do the accounts nov 2010 to end of april 2011?

[Carol M]

From when you started to end of tax year, usually around the beginning of April. Get registered for online submission asap as you have to have pin no's and user ID etc to put in and IR can take a week or so to generate these.
Carol xx

[kel1983]

From when you started to end of tax year, usually around the beginning of April. Get registered for online submission asap as you have to have pin no's and user ID etc to put in and IR can take a week or so to generate these.
Carol xx

Thank you
Thats what I thought. Can't believe I forgot about it. I have registered online today so will get it done on paper this weekend and have it ready.

[Carol M]

Forgot to say, if you had any other income from employment in that whole tax year you need to enter that too.
Carol xx

[kel1983]

Forgot to say, if you had any other income from employment in that whole tax year you need to enter that too.
Carol xx

I didnt have a job before this so thats easy. lol

[Supercakes]

Hiya, hope you don't mind me jumping on this but it sounds like we're in a similar position! Total newbie!

I too am just about to complete first tax return - starting minding in January 2011 so your first question answered mine.

I wondered what you're doing about your start up costs? I spent a lot of money during the previous year whilst training / waiting for registration etc on setting up my practice, such as buggys, travel cots, safety rails etc etc - how & where do we make note of these? Do these count as outgoings even though the receipts state they were purchased before I actually started working in January?

And I also wondered how you work out cost per child per day? Obviously they're all different so eat & require different things. NCMA use £10 on food & drink per child per day as an example at the front of their accounts book - d'you reckon this is about right? Then I could add on other stuff like stationery, cleaning equipment etc.

Or is it easier to keep shopping bills / receipts and use that, rather than working out costs per child.

I'm also trying to work out if its worth getting an accountant - can you use them for one off's?

Any advice hugely appreciated!

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Don't panic you have plenty of time

I doubt you will have made enough money in this short period of time so as long as you have everything done and registered by 31st January 2012 you won't get a penalty

As to what you can claim - go back through the accounts section and you will get a lot of information and in the resources you will find a long list that Sarah and I compiled