Put PAYE into perspective for small businesses

TaxAssist Accountants, which is currently taking soundings from sole traders and owners of small firms across the country at meetings with Government, banking and finance representatives, is calling for exemption or at least staggered introduction of PAYE changes for companies with less than ten employees.

“Small employers have been given longer to enrol their employees into pension schemes and pay contributions, so why not give them more time to adapt to PAYE changes?” said TaxAssist Accountants CEO Karl Sandall.

“They don’t have HR departments, in-house lawyers and finance teams to take them through these changes. They’re trying to run their business in a very tough environment.”

Karen Buck, MP for Westminster North, who attended one of the forums said: “Small businesses in my constituency and across the country are facing an unprecedented period of change at a time when many are struggling to keep their heads above water. Preparing for compulsory company pension schemes and real-time PAYE submissions has major time and cost implications for them and they need support.”

Ideas and suggestions from the small business forum meetings, which are taking place in Dunblane, London, Surrey, Cambridge, Cheshire, Harrogate, Bristol and Solihull, are being fed back to key policy advisers as part of a national call to action.

The payroll data changes, which are due to come into effect next October, will mean all employers will have to submit income and deductions information electronically to HMRC on all their employees at or before the point they pay them.