Finance Sorell

Archive for January, 2011

When deciding on a career there are a variety of different directions and interests that you can follow, choosing a career as a tax adviser can be challenging and rewarding offering clients small and large from individuals to companies advice on how best to manage their tax and the best advice for future planning.

Tax advisors need to have the ability to explain complicated legislation, and its possible implications on a client and their business in easy tangible bits of information.

Tax accountants also assist with all aspects of taxation this helps them get a full and detailed background in order for them to create the best tax strategy moving forward for their client and their company. This will involve carrying out a detailed look at the company’s accounts to calculate tax liability, submit tax returns by the relevant deadline and then in turn deal with HMRC on behalf of their clients to resolve any issues that may have arisen.

Typical daily activity

Although this is a basic list it demonstrates the likely tasks of a tax accountant and what they could expect.

? Tax planning -

involves looking ahead and structuring clients’ business matters in a lawfully way to minimise future tax liabilities.

? Tax compliance

involves preparing and submitting tax returns, computations, and associated documents.

Depending on the level of your first role as a tax accountant you may focus on compliance activities which can include completing tax returns and calculating amount payable with the future aimed at consultancy and specialisation as their career develops as a tax accountant.

The work of a tax accountant will depend on the nature and size of the employer. Smaller firms will likely mean you will see a wider ranger of activity but work for smaller local based companies offering a personal service and getting to know your clients. On the other hand larger accountancy firms lend to choosing a specialism, starting your career in the area that you aim to specialise in can leave you well placed for progression in this area.

Typical work activities include:

? researching, analysing and interpreting changing tax legislation;
? meeting with clients;
? working with tax law and revenue provisions;
? preparing and submitting tax returns;
? liaising and negotiating with HMRC
? tax liabilities;
? family trusts;
? estate planning;
? providing guidance on indirect taxation issues

There are plenty of bits of dirt, stones and other debris that can hit our car whilst we’re driving along and cause a lasting impression on the paintwork or the glass of our windscreen. The car will likely either have paint chipped or scratched or the window could have a small chip or crack in it.

A chip in the windscreen can be dangerous as a change in weather or even going over a bump in the road could cause that chip to spread into a nasty crack. It is illegal to drive with a broken windscreen so you will then have no choice but to get the window replaced which is not cheap. Ideally as soon as you notice any chips in the windscreen you should contact a windshield repair service. For some drivers this is free of charge thanks to your car insurer but you need to contact your insurer first to make sure.

Chips to the paintwork are not as bad as there are lots of products that can help cover up the mark to the point where you may not even notice there was ever any damage. You need to find the name or shade of your car’s paint as if you get the wrong colour then, in the right light, it can stand out like a sore thumb!

Most car and accessory shops sell small touch up kits which look like a pot of nail varnish, with the correct colour selected you’ll be able to apply the smallest amount to cover up the scratch on your car’s paintwork. Some products don’t use actual paint but in effect smear the existing paint to cover the offending area. You should always take extra care when using products like this as you can thin the paint over a large area which can look much worse than the original scratch.

A more severe solution for cars that have large areas of the body work that have been affected by lots of gravel and stones being flicked up, is to get your car resprayed. This can be costly and with a decent job being done for well over ?1500 you may find that this is a necessary task for badly affected cars. A small bonus though is that you could change the colour of your car as a part of the service. Take care when driving in loose surfaced roads such as gravel, mud or loose stones as your wheels will flick up the debris and it can hit your car or the car behind. For this reason you should keep your distance from the vehicles in front especially larger HGVs.

The liquidation process may vary depending on the type of liquidation procedure that the company is undertaking. If a company is liquidating voluntarily, then it will either undertake a Members Voluntary Liquidation (MVL) or a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (CVL). If a company is given a winding up order by a court, then it is liquidated compulsorily.

A Members Voluntary Liquidation will consist of the company directors deciding to liquidate the company with the approval of shareholders. Companies entering this type of liquidation are usually solvent. The process will involve the company declaring that it is solvent and that the debts will be able to be paid off within twelve months. Companies who fail to state that they are solvent or wrongfully declare themselves solvent may face penalties. An insolvency practitioner will be required to liquidate the company.

If a company is insolvent, then it may enter a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (CVL). This process often takes longer and includes more involvement from creditors. A liquidator will thoroughly investigate the company, value and sell the assets and ensure that the creditors are paid. Regular meetings with the creditors are held during the procedure.

The compulsory liquidation process involves a creditor petitioning to the court. Company directors can also petition for a winding up order, but this can only be done by a group of directors and not a single one. The company will receive a winding up order in court and the liquidation process will be brought to an end. This type of liquidation can be stressful, but may be a relief for those who wish to move on from the company.

In order for the liquidation process to run smoothly, the company’s liquidator must be qualified. If a company feels that the process has not been dealt with correctly or that the appointed insolvency practitioner was not qualified, then they can file a complaint.