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What are the advantages of getting an accountant? Is it necessary?
Thread poster: Gutranslation
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:15
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Me too Dec 19, 2018

SusieSmith wrote:

I claim 10% of electricity etc. as expenses. I work from home and think this is the typical and recommended amount for self-employed people in our situation.

Unfortunately it does not add up to much!


I claim the same, and also for other utilities that I mainly use for non-work-related purposes. I claim 50% of what I pay my ISP for connecting to the Internet. 50% of all computer equipment, peripherals, and software unless I need it exclusively for my work.


 
Amr Bayoumi
Amr Bayoumi  Identity Verified
Local time: 07:15
English to Arabic
+ ...
One-man-Band Dec 19, 2018

Hello Tom,
I've been following your conversation with Gutranslator about the necessity of an accountant to book-keep your work and I wonder if you can recommend any of those that you describe as "one-man-band" accountant.
Thanks in advance
Amro
Tom in London wrote:

I used an accountant for many years, at the beginning, to ensure my book-keeping methods were correct. I would strongly recommend it, because if HMRC ever inspect you it's important that everything should be in order.

If you can find a small accountant, such as a "one-man band", you'll find it more personalised and probably a lot cheaper.

After a few years when I had mastered the art of book-keeping and completing my own tax return, I dropped the accountant (although I stay in contact for occasional clarifications of anything I don't understand)

The above only applies to people who are resident for tax purposes exclusively in the UK. As you seem to be based in France, I don't know what the situation is.

[Edited at 2018-01-12 14:54 GMT]


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:15
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Sorry Dec 19, 2018

Sorry, Amrosalah - I can't. As I think I've already said, I used to recommend my own but he was then inundated with requests from translators and he asked me to stop !

 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:15
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Division of labour Dec 19, 2018

Gutranslation wrote:
I was hoping some of you could tell me about the advantages of getting an accountant, if it's necessary or not, and if it would be nice to have in my case. Thank you.

I use one, because I look at the number of hours that I would probably spend doing my accounts each month, and I look at how much money I could make if I translated for the same number of hours.

If the cost of an accountant (50-60 gbp a month in your case?) is lower than the money you can earn translating, hire the accountant to do the work instead of doing the work yourself. Use those hours to make money.

(And that's before you even consider that an accountant will be far more competent than you in dealing with accounts and taxation.)

Dan


 
KyungWon Na
KyungWon Na
South Korea
Local time: 16:15
English to Korean
I strongly recommend it. Dec 20, 2018

I strongly recommend it. The best part of hiring an accountant is that you can save your time. We translators are given hourly rate so this is a huge advantage. With the time saved, I'm certain that we can make more money spent for the accountant.

 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 08:15
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
@Gu Dec 20, 2018

Gutranslation wrote:
I was hoping some of you could tell me about the advantages of getting an accountant, if it's necessary or not, and if it would be nice to have in my case.


I'm not sure what the situation is like in the UK, but I think what might be useful for you is if someone who knows about accounting can show you how to file your returns yourself. Such a person can also highlight some of the things that you may be able to deduct from your taxes. Some deductions are easy to calculate, but others may be more difficult. If you don't use an accountant every time you file your taxes, play it safe by not applying a deduction unless you're very certain that you qualify for it.

Some accountants are truly useless. Some accountants believe that it is their job to simply double-check the numbers. Some accountants believe it is not their job to train their clients in proper business administration.


Jennifer Forbes
 
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What are the advantages of getting an accountant? Is it necessary?






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