Hoping someone can help. I am doing the books remotely for a client. I got an email from his wife saying he had died suddenly (aged 38). She contacted me to say what information did i need from her to complete last years books.
I have had difficulty getting stuff from her and general contact as she is struggling with the loss of her husband. She doesn't respond to emails regularly and never seems to answer the phone.
This is where my problem lies. I have an opening stock figure and a closing stock figure and a sales figure. I have no purchase invoices and deadline is looming. Is there a way of calculating purchases and cost of sales from the information above?
I'm probably being very naive here, but is there not something that can be done with HMRC etc given the circumstances! although an approach of understanding the woman's pain and maybe suggesting you visit to collect everything so you can sort it out with minimum questions to her (if possible), combined with the fact that you are trying to keep any further problems for to a minimum be avoiding fines etc. you might be doing her a favour by creating that normality in her life.
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
If you are using HMRC online to submit the SATR there is a box you can tick to state that the figures are an estimate or provisional and then give a brief explanation in the white space box. Alternatively submit the figures that you have calculated and if you later find them to be wrong you can amend the return, as long as it is before 31/01/2016.
The next point to consider is whether or not the deadline still applies and who authorises the return, I have heard that the when HMRC are notified of a death that current Agents authorities are cancelled.
The next point to consider is whether or not the deadline still applies and who authorises the return, I have heard that the when HMRC are notified of a death that current Agents authorities are cancelled.
Hi Gordon
This thought did cross my mind but can we be fully confident that HMRC will follow this through, especially given that it is so close to the deadline? The last thing the widow will need is a penalty of £100 landing on her doormat.
I think the first suggestion you made is an excellent one, submit provisional figures and note that the person has died and these are the best figures you have to date. That should then shut down the deceased tax affairs (he says hopefully)
Thanks everyone for your advice. I am going to do my best to make an estimate as I really do have problems communicating with his wife. i feel awful having to keep mentioning stuff. To add to the problem I logged on to his Self-Assessment account with HMRC only to find the Self-Assessment section is no longer there. As I am close to deadline I am going to use Andica as it will take too long to get a new activation code through. The wife has decided she wants to keep the business going so I have now set up a Self- Assessment in her name and got the account activated. I am sure over time she will get better with communicating as time is a healer they say and at the end of the day she doesn't know me from Adam. I have only got to know her since her husband died. Hopefully over time we will develop a relationship and I can talk to her a bit more.
