Lewis Smith & Co. was delighted to be a sponsor for a very special event on Saturday 7th July: the 10th Anniversary Alfie Johnson Summer Ball.

The Friends of Alfie Johnson charity was founded raise money in the name of Alfie Johnson, who suffered sustained brain damage through oxygen starvation at birth.  Now Alfie’s needs are being met the charity seeks to help disabled children in the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

This years Summer Ball was set-up to be a real celebration, acknowledging Alfie’s fortitude, the devotion of his family, the people who have helped raise so much money over the years and the children that the charity has been able to help.  A fantastic £15,000 was raised by the event, money that we know will be spent to make the lives of even more disabled children that much better.

Lewis Smith & Co. has supported the charity for many years. It has been our pleasure to sponsor the charity’s fundraising activities but we have also had a lot of fun as attendees of the Ball, participants in the quiz and participants in the Great Midlands Fun Run.

Lewis Smith & Co. – Accountants for charities and not-for-profit organisations

The Marriage Tax allowance was established by the government to help married couples and people in civil partnerships, where one partner is a standard rate income tax payer and the other does not pay tax. The allowance works by letting the non-tax  payer transfer £1,190 of their Personal Allowance to their partner.

Around 4 million couples have applied and qualified for the allowance since it was introduced but, according to HMRC, a million are yet to claim it.

The allowance is worth up to £238 per year in tax relief, and because it is possible to backdate allowances as far back as 2015, payments could be worth as much as £900.

If you believe that you qualify then apply online at the HMRC website today.

Lewis Smith & Co. can help you with all aspects of tax planning to ensure that you pay no more tax than you should. Contact us today for a no obligation discussion of your tax position.  Call 01384 235549 or email info@lewissmith.com.

Lewis Smith & Co. – Accountants for Brierley Hill businesses

Rates Change on April 1st 2018

Time to update your payroll system because National Minimum Wage rates are changing from April 1st.

Here’s a before and after list for you to check.

Remember that Real Time Information (RTI) means you must use the correct data to ensure your reporting is accurate.

Lewis Smith & Co. offers a payroll bureau service to take away all of the hassle of managing changes like this. Make sure you remain HMRC compliant and sign up today.

Call us on 01384 235549 or email info@lewissmith.com to discover more.

Lewis Smith & Co. – Accountancy services for Kingswinford businesses

“Phishing” is the practice of sending out emails, texts and even social media direct messages that pretend to be from a reputable source and try and get you to provide personal details that could be used to defraud you.

HMRC has become the unwitting dupe for many phishing expeditions because we tend to take extra notice of any form of communications from the taxman.  Although many of the fake messages will be easy to spot, the fraudsters can be very sophisticated. We all need to be vigilant and look at for clues that something isn’t right.

So what rules do we need  to follow to reduce the chance that we get had?

HMRC states that it “will never use texts or emails to tell you about a tax rebate or penalty or ask for personal or payment information.”  So if you get such a message it is a fake. HMRC has published a listed of email addresses that look realistic but aren’t genuine. Always ignore the following addresses:

• service.refund@hmrc.gov
• secure@hmrc.co.uk
• taxrefund-notice@hmrc.gov.uk
• taxrefund@hmrc.gov.uk
• refund-help@hmrc.gov.uk
• refund.alert@hmrc.gov.uk
• refunds@hmrc.gov.uk
• rebate@hmrc.gov.uk
• HM-Revenue-&-Customs@ztoro.com

In addition it easy to fool email programmes and web browses into displaying a genuine email address in the From: field or as a link.  Try rolling the mouse cursor over the email address and see what is displayed in the bottom left corner of your screen.

Check links in the body of the message, as described above, and don’t click on any link that clearly takes you to another site or seems suspicious. The linked pages may look like HMRC pages and encourage to enter information such as bank account details.  Just as importantly don’t try and open attachments as this may download viruses or malware onto your PC or phone.

The potential for tax refunds is the biggest lure that fraudsters have over us at the moment. Not only emails, but text messages and telephone calls are using tax refunds as an excuse to try and get you to provide potentially valuable details. Remember that personal information such as date of birth, address, national insurance number etc. help con men to build up a profile of you. That profile could help them to get access to bank accounts or even steal your identity completely.  HMRC never discusses tax refunds using email, text or calls.

There is more information about potential scams on the gov.uk website and contact details for you to report any attempted fraud.

If you have received any communication from HMRC that you aren’t sure about please feel to contact Lewis Smith & Co. for advice.  We’ll be able to tell you immediately whether it is fine or fake.

Call us today on 01384 235549 or email info@lewissmith.com.

Lewis Smith & Co.  – Accountants for Kingswinford businesses.

It is going to be much harder to keep secrets from the tax man in future with the recent launch of HMRC’s Connect computer system.

The system has automatic access to numerous government and private sector information sources. The list of places it has access too is frighteningly large. It includes;

• UK and overseas banks
• Credit card companies
• Credit reference agancies
• Land Registry
• DVLA
• Online market places such as AirBnB and eBay
• A variety of social media accounts

The objective for the HMRC is check any discrepancies between the system’s profile of a taxpayer’s income and what is declared in their annual return.  Connect is particularly powerful because it can cross check the financial profile with a lifestyle profile drawn from, for instance car ownership, property ownership and what people have posted on Facebook or Instagram.  Furthermore HMRC can request, using the so-called “Snoopers Charter” legislation, further information about web-browsing history and even email records.

The ability of the system to identify mismatches in returns has already resulted in many thousands of people receiving letters asking them to check their returns.  Some commentators have suggested that the number of tax investigations will further increase too.  The system makes it easier for HMRC to conduct investigations because it has access to so much data and analytical capability, and it can identify potential issues at a much lower financial threshold.

Lewis Smith & Co. offers a tax fee protection scheme to help mitigate the costs and worry of dealing with an investigation. Even if you don’t feel you need the reassurance of that cover we have years of experience of dealing with HMRC. We are here to represent you and provide expert support if required.

Talk to us today if you have any concerns about your tax position. Call 01384 235549 or email info@lewissmith.com today.

Lewis Smith & Co. – Accountants for Stourbridge businesses.

You probably already know that as from January 13th organisations are no longer allowed to impose surcharges on consumers for purchases made by debit and credit cards.

From a consumer perspective it takes away some of those nasty shocks we used to get at the payment stage of a transaction.  For instance the budget airlines be no longer be able to add a 3% fee on to the price of a flight for the privilege of using plastic.

Of course businesses still have to pay the card processing fees, and that’s leading to quite a range of reactions.

Just Eat responded by adding a 50p service charge to all orders, however they are paid for. They are justifying the decision on the grounds of fairness because they say there are costs associated with both cards and cash.

Smaller businesses, in particular, are facing some difficult choices. Should we stop taking plastic altogether (can we)? Do we impose a minimum charge? Or can we too impose a separate a service charge?

Making the right choice is a problem when there is intense competition in every sector and as consumers switch to cashless payment.

For our clients one of the outcomes of this change is particularly important.

HMRC has announced that it will no longer accept credit card payment for settlement of tax bills.  Bearing in mind nearly half a million did just that in 2016-17, then it could be a big issue as income tax and VAT bills come due.

If you are affected by HMRC’s decision then talk to Lewis Smith & Co. today.  We can talk through HMRC’s payment terms and see if their are any alternative approaches

Call us on 01384 235549 or email info@lewissmith.com to book a free, confidential appointment.

Lewis Smith & Co – Accountants for Netherton businesses.

To mark Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s second budget we have created a downloadable document with a complete overview of his announcements.

With the background of a potential economic downturn and continuing political uncertainty surrounding Brexit negotiations , the Chancellor did not have lots of room for manoeuvre.  However there were one or two pleasant surprises to brighten up the gloom.

Some the key points that you will find are elaborated upon in our overview are:

• Stamp Duty Relief for first-time buyers
• Changes to personal allowances
• No changes for NIC and tax rates
• Increase in EIS tax relief for tech firms

Take a look at the overview and, of course, get in contact with us to discuss any issues raised.

Call 01384 235549 or email info@lewissmith.com to book a free, confidential appointment today.

Lewis Smith & Co. – Accountants for Kingswinford businesses