Tax advice UK - personal help online

Seek tax advice services online - UK - USA

Tax is any extremely complicated area of finance in the UK, and with everyone's circumstances being slightly different, it is often difficult to get good personal advice online.

If you are trying to complete a tax return, or are unsure of any aspect of taxation, or perhaps feel that you could be paying a lot less tax if you just had more knowledge, it is probably a good idea to get some professional advice.

Getting tax advice need not be overly expensive; however it is important that you employ an experienced and qualified adviser. Some tax advisers will charge a flat fee, others will work by charging you a set rate for their time. There is no hard and fast rule as to which of the two is better, instead it is dependent on how extensive your needs are and how much time the adviser is likely to spend assisting you with your taxation needs.

How do I know the adviser is properly qualified?

You should only get advice from a qualified accountant or from an adviser with formal training. An accountant will be a member of one of the many UK accounting bodies and will have letters after their name to indicate this. These letters will be either, ACA, ACCA, CA, FCA or FCCA.

Where tax advisers are concerned, the letters ATT or ATII should follow their name. These letters indicate that they have been trained at either the Association of Taxation Technicians or the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

If you are in any doubt about whether a person is qualified or not, ask them about their background and if necessary contact the relevant institution or accounting body to make sure they are who they say they are.

If you do not wish to pay for tax advice, there are some organisations that offer free guidance. One of these is the Inland Revenue where you can discuss specific issues or request general information. The Inland Revenue will need wither your national insurance number or your tax reference number to assist you. You could also contact the Citizens Advice Bureau where most advisors will have received at least basic taxation training.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Tax Advice