Personal & business tax returns for company directors

Our accounting partner highlightes the differences in tax returns..

 

A hugely important task for any company director is making sure all tax returns are submitted on time and in the right way. A director may not just be responsible for the company's tax returns though; they also need to consider their own personal ones.

 

In this guide, we’re going to dig a little deeper into the difference between business and personal tax returns and understand the role of a company director in both.

 

The Role of a Director in Tax Returns

As mentioned above, a director needs to consider many things when it comes to tax returns. Some tasks they need to carry out are:

‍

• ‍Registering for self-assessment: You need to make sure you register and always file your personal income, including salary, dividends, bonuses, and any other forms of income.

 

• Understand the legislation: You must know how the tax system works. For example, dividends have different tax rates to salary income, and this should be factored into payments.

 

• Keep Track of Business Taxes: Many directors play a big part in company taxes, including corresponding with HMRC, keeping accurate financial records, and reporting data to Companies House.

 

• Stick to Deadlines: One of the most important things (and the hardest) is to ensure all payments are returns are done at the right time, so keeping track of deadlines is vitally important.

 

The role of a director is an important one, and working days are often busy. Ensuring you don’t neglect your taxes is vitally important, and the first step is understanding the difference between business and personal accounts.

 

Personal Tax Returns (Self-Assessment)

 

The Purpose

A personal tax return is your chance to report your personal income and pay the right amount of income tax and National Insurance. This should be reported to HMRC, who will inform you of any discrepancies in the payments and calculations.

 

Your Responsibility

When it comes to personal tax returns, company directors are required to file them if they receive income beyond their salary. This is often received by directors in the form of dividends, self-employment, annual bonuses, and more.

 

How to Calculate

It all starts with your total income, which is a combination of all payments. From here, you can break it down into different sources and work out any deductions that can be removed to calculate your final payment figure.

 

Deadline

The deadline for filing a personal tax return is usually January 31^st following the end of the tax year (April 5^th).This may vary though so it is important to always be aware of the deadline in your specific scenario.

 

How to Pay

After all is done, you will have an amount to pay, and this should be paid personally by you, the director.

‍

Business Tax Returns (Corporation Tax)

 

The Purpose

A company tax return is used to report the financial activities and tax liabilities of the corporation itself. This will include the income details, as well as outgoings such as expenses.

 

Your Responsibility

The company in question is responsible for filing the corporation tax returns. While the director may not play an active role in the submission of the returns, they do still have an important part to play in ensuring financial records are always accurate and complete.

 

How to Calculate

The first thing you start with in corporation tax is the company profits. To determine the amount owed, remove any deductions, allowances, and reliefs, before then calculating how much is owed.

‍

Deadline

The deadline for filing a corporation tax return is typically within twelve months of the end of the company’s accounting period. Again, it is essential to be on top of your own situation to ensure you don’t miss any important deadlines.

 

How to Pay

The tax in this case is paid by the company itself. A director may also be active in this process, ensuring that the company’s finances are managed correctly to meet any obligations in terms of payments.

‍

For help with your accounting needs and to see a quick transparent price list from our partner, please fill out the section to the right and they will be in touch with you shortly.