RE: FN-FORUM: Forum Digest Sunday August 17th 2003

date posted 17th August 2003 23:32

> ========================
> Saturday 16th August 2003 23:54:49
> RE: FN-FORUM: [OT] percentages and reductions - Niina Talikka
> [EMAIL REMOVED]
>
> Richard Parratt wrote:
> [rant]
> Basically I thought that the company would have some sort of
> relationship
> with the tax office which meant that they would indeed get
> the refunds
> sorted in 4-6 weeks. Instead it turns out they just send off
> my documents
> and sit on their back sides until I call them up to ask
> what's going on,
> they say they'll call the tax office, sit on their back sides
> a bit more
> til I call asking what's going on again and they say "Oh the
> tax office
> phone number is engaged." [sigh]
>
> The whole thing's doing my head in. I'm going to call the
> tax office on
> Monday to find out if I can sign something to take away the company's
> authority over my affairs.

I'm pretty sure the Revenue will let you unappoint an agent quite
easily.

I've usually found they pay up within less than a month of getting a tax
return - assuming the tax year's ended (I don't know how or whether you
can get a refund before the end of the year in April). You can download
a paper tax return from the IR website if you don't want to do the
online one - I think with the latter you have to go through a process to
get a password.

For company tax, I'd find a good (& local) accountant - people on this
list can usually recommend one.

Someone really ought to write a book (or a FAQ) on the practicalities of
running a business - e.g. not sales, marketing, raising finance (which
most books dwell on and which are very business specific), but how
corporation tax, PAYE, VAT, company formation, etc. work and what you
need to do - checklists and calendars would be nice!

Cheers,
Richard