What to do??? I've forgot to FPS last months payroll for one of our clients:( - The Book-keepers Forum (UK)

hunyb · Member

What to do??? I've forgot to FPS last months payroll for one of our clients:(

Sharon Eyre · Senior Member

As far as I am aware they have delayed penalties until October , I have sent some a few days late and not heard anything as yet so hopefully you will be ok

hunyb · Member

Its asking for a reason from a drop down list to explain why the FPS is late?

Peasie · Expert

I'd just choose "No excuse." No point in putting "Reasonable excuse" or any of the other choices. There might be a letter sent out but as Sharon says, there won't be any fines dished out until October. I did it with one of my clients. I forgot their pay date was the last Thursday of the month or something daft like that. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Like yours it was a genuine mistake. Just means in future I'll keep a closer watch on all the dates. Learn from my mistake.

Sharon Eyre · Senior Member

I just chose 'none'
I have all mine set up as reminders-especially the EPS ones as I have several with SMP to reduce the P32's

hunyb · Member

Many thanks for your help!

Bucks Bodger · Senior Member

Sharon

What do you mean about reminders ?

Is this reminders from HMRC, or just something you do yourself ?

Eunice

Don Tax · Expert

I still managed to forget one a couple of weeks ago even though I have ReminderFox on two computers and my phone alarm set for Friday afternoon. I thought "I'll just wait a bit longer for confirmation with this one" Think it was Saturday afternoon I realised.

A shift of emphasis from accuracy to a deadline mentality when late filing penalties apply will go against the grain with everyone here - filing inaccurate numbers to HMRC. I also think you could be still regarded as attempting to meet both targets and still fail a handful of times a year.

Clients will just flash the cheque book or withdraw from of the till at the spur of the moment. Hopefully the regime will only penalise those who are clearly not trying to meet both targets. Reducing the Final Submission window from 6 weeks to 2 in the first year does not fill me much hope.

Shamus · Forum Moderator & Expert

Morning Tim,

Off topic slightly but I was reading a book by an American bookkeeper the other day. Not so much a how to as bit of a biography with a few techie bits.

It seems that the new UK system is now very much a reflection of the American system and the way things have gone over there is that there is distnct seperation between bookkeeping and Payroll with specialist businesses being either one or the other but not both.

I can see this country going the same way.

Certainly I for one think that Payroll is now way too much hassle and I no longer offer a payroll service at all.

In America the system seems to be working well with mutually beneficial arrangements between bookkeepers and Payroll bureau's.

Don Tax · Expert

Hi Shaun.

Funny you should say that as many of us 'bookkeepers' pride ourselves on providing a 1-stop-shop. I've never pursued payroll-only but as you know RTI got my goat rather lol. It's fine sharing information with the authorities when the technology is there ready and waiting but may massively inflates the filing burden when it's not.

I'd say America has a more entrepreneurial culture. The prediction in 1997 was for 'tax return shops' to open up and down the high street. I noticed my bank is offering a payroll service now so we'll see if they remain in the market any longer than they did with SA.

Staying with the analogy these extra deadlines leave an unpleasant odour when we're standing on a cliff-edge every Friday night.

HunyB, there have been plenty more of these threads on Accountingweb so you're not on your own.

Kind regards,
Tim

EPF_Solutions · Senior Member

My MLR certificate finally arrived this morning, and reading all the stuff about payroll while I've been waiting for it, I think I'll remove it from the services I offer. For now, anyway.

I remember the good old days, when I'd take my laptop on holiday and do a few quick numbers over the phone on a Monday morning. My clients paid roughly the right amount, I sorted it all out when I got home, and everyone was happy!

Sharon Eyre · Senior Member

My reminders are just set up on outlook which also reminds me on my phone -I set them for vat returns and anything with deadline dates

rachel_mclean · Guru

I do that all the time (so easy to forget) and I always put in 'reasonable excuse' and (touch wood) not had anything back from HMRC or the client about it so I don't think anyone has taken any notice

Rachel

Sharon Eyre · Senior Member

On sage you can actually tick a box that tells hmrc that you are a micro business only making submissions on or before 5th of each month