Forum

• # 79578
• Mon 13 Feb 2012 01:08 PM

Hi everyone,
Finally thinking of getting back into accounting after nearly 5 years away.
Currently employed by my local Police Force as a serving officer, and want to be able to offer bookkeeping services as a secondary income.

My only questions are as follows - 


I want to offer my services to complete Self Assessment Tax Returns for some of my friends who work in as builders, sub contractors or work for their parents who are self employed also.

In short, they currently have someone else do their SA tax return, but i want to say I can do them and charge less to secure the work load.

Do I need any qualification, association to a body, or agent registration to be able to do this?
There are so many conflicting answers to this on the forums, so thought id start my own. It seems as though if you are a registered agent with HMRC you can submit them on behalf of others, or you could complete the form but the client signs them through instead and submits them as though they did the calculations?


Thank you all

Anthony                  

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• # 79580
• Mon 13 Feb 2012 03:29 PM

Hi

I am in the same position myself. You would need to register as self employed even though income is of a secondary nature. I have done SA returns as if they were completed by the peron or business themselves for friends and family for a small monetary reward. This was ok until Moneylaundering regs came in. Broadly if you are self employed and do book-keeping and accounts ,tax returns etc you sould be registered to perform these tasks either with a body which covers you for ML regs eg ICB, AAT, ACCA etc or you can register with inland revenue costs about £110. It is an offence not to and you can be fined.


My intention now is to register with ICB before I do any more accounts for the 11/12 year get cert level, practising cert etc and do it as it should be and ICB covers you under the Money Laundering Regs. 

Hope this helps 

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• # 79698
• Thu 16 Feb 2012 06:33 PM

Hello both,


You will have to pass the self assessment exam as well as the bookkeeping to be covered by the ICB to do tax returns. You will also have to have a practice licence and Professional Indemnity Insurance. 

• Kindest Regards
   
  Sharon - Group leader Cardiff
                ICB Regional Chair for Wales
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