Tax is seldom easy to the untrained eye. It can cause a lot of headaches, despite seeming simple in principle. There are lots of variables that come with calculating tax owed, especially where tax returns/self-assessments are concerned.

If you get it wrong, HMRC may investigate you, leading to lots of stress on your part. The problem is, mistakes can be easy to make, and that’s why hiring a tax return accountant can be useful for small business owners and freelancers.

In this article, we’re going to explain more about the benefits of hiring tax accountants and how they can help to make your life easier.

What are the Benefits of Hiring a Tax Return Accountant?

There are a couple of main benefits to getting a professional tax accountant on board, including the following:

1. End of year accounts and tax returns

The first and most obvious advantage of hiring a professional tax accountant is that they will take care of your end of year accounts and tax returns for you. This can be a complicated process if you’re unsure what to do, what documents you need, the deadlines you need to hit, and how much you need to pay.

A tax accountant will prepare everything for you and ensure you’re paying the correct amount of tax at the right time. This means your business will be above board and you don’t need to worry about the tax man coming knocking later on.

2.     Save time in your day

Going through endless invoices, bank statements, and navigating the tax system as a whole can be very time consuming and disruptive. As a small business owner or freelancer, time spent on accounts is time spent away from doing your actual job and running your business or making money.

A tax accountant will make light work of filing your tax returns and will likely give you a list of everything they need upfront, only contacting you again when they know how much tax you need to pay. This means you can focus on the more important parts of your day.

3.     Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliance

The government is in the process of rolling out the MTD scheme which aims to make paying tax easier. The deadline for VAT-registered businesses to use recognised digital record-keeping software was April 2022, with the deadline for tax self-assessments for self-employed businesses and landlords with incomes exceeding £10,000 being April 2024. April 2025 will see MTD required for income tax self-assessments, and April 2026 will be when it’s introduced for corporation tax.

Tax accountants can help you to ensure you’re compliant with the new MTD (Making Tax Digital) rules, again giving you further peace of mind that you’re not in breach of something important.

Summary

Overall, tax returns are made much easier with the help of a professional and you’ll have greater peace of mind knowing everything is taken care of. The cost of paying an accountant is far less than paying fines and penalties associated with getting your tax return wrong, not to mention accountants fees to support you through a formal HMRC investigation.

If you would like to find out more about hiring a tax accountant or are ready to hire an accountant, then get in contact with us at Barnstone Accountancy today and see how we can support you and your business. Contact us on 01572 811497, or visit our contact page to book a phone consultation or send a contact form.