How to make the most out of Self Assessment season

While most of the UK looked forward to sitting back on their sofas and sipping on hot chocolate last week, this time of the year is often the busiest and most demanding periods of the year for accountants. Why? Self Assessment season, otherwise known as ‘busy season’. 

While many industries now face a post-Christmas slump, accounting is the opposite. Accountants now face a flurry of last-minute binbags, and shoe boxes of receipts dumped at their doors waiting to be processed. Factor in New Year’s celebrations and reduced working days over the past week, and you’ve got a perfect storm for utter chaos.  

Whoever decided that the Self Assessment deadline was January 31st had an interesting sense of humour to say the least. Last year alone, 4,757 tax returns were filed to HMRC on Christmas Day, with 25,769 were filed between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. 

And while we get that this deadline may have been a looming raincloud over your holidays, there’s no reason that the coming weeks have to be so overwhelming and unmanageable with the right systems in place.  

Here are some ways to make the next few weeks a bit smoother for you and your team. While we understand that it may be a bit too late in the year to implement some of them now, definitely stick them on the prep list for next year’s deadline. 

1. Prepare for Self Assessment tax returns now

The secret to surviving Self Assessment season is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Similar to how some people wrapped gifts in advance or pre-ordered their Christmas turkeys from the butchers, the key is to plan early so you can prioritise work more effectively.

Start by making a checklist of everything your clients need to send over by a certain date and email it to them nice and early. That way, you’ve got all your ducks in a row before any festivities kick off.

2. Make a naughty and nice list  

Before you tackle a single tax return, sit down and review your client list. We don’t mean creating a naughty or nice list in the literal sense, but take a moment to see who has and hasn’t submitted all their documents yet, and who’s the most likely to cause delays. Once that’s done, prioiritse chasing up any troublemakers so you’re not stuck for time come the second half of January.

3. Carve out some downtime

Did you know that the NHS shared a study that revealed a third of people in the UK find that their mental health declines during the festive period? So, whether it’s taking an hour in the evening to watch some TV or spinning over to a friend’s house for some leftover goodies, these little moments can help recharge your depleted batteries.

4. Practice saying no

Be realistic about your workload and establish boundaries with clients where needed. Politely (but firmly) push back on unnecessary extra work, and make sure you get compensated fairly for any additional projects you do decide to take on! 

Keep your busy season in check with Bright 

Self Assessment season doesn’t have to be a flurry of stress. Just as Santa relied on a team to get him across the world last week, accountants need to equally rely on their team and equipment to cross the 31st of January finish line. 

How? Let Bright take the brunt of the heavy lifting for you. The tools we go through below give you back the time and space you need to manage busy season with ease. 

1. BrightTax: Handle tax returns the easy way 

The star of the show for January is BrightTax, a cloud tax and accounts software designed to quickly and accurately manage your clients’ tax returns. 

Key features of BrightTax: 

• Direct HMRC submissions: You can file SA100s and supplementary documents directly to HMRC in minutes. With real-time HMRC warnings, and comprehensive internal error checks, you can rest assured that returns are compliant, every time. 

• Smart integrations: BrightTax is integrated with leading bookkeeping software (like Xero, Sage and Quickbooks) and government bodies like HMRC and Companies House. This streamlines your filing, while maintaining accuracy. 

• User-friendly interface: Easily search for tasks or filing information and filter clients quickly and easily. You can also switch seamlessly between Self Assessment and corporate clients.  

2. BrightManager: Your organisational powerhouse

This multi-award-winning practice management software ensures everything you need is centralised, accessible, and trackable, perfect for ticking tasks off your busy calendar in January. 

Why BrightManager is a must-have for January: 

• Task management: See exactly who’s working on what at all times in your practice. Our Workflow tool breaks down tasks into smaller, bite-sized pieces, so no tasks around busy season (or any time of the year) will slip through the cracks. 

• Automated communication: Remember that checklist we mentioned earlier? We’ve got one for you ready to use straight away. Our pre-written Self Assessment checklist email templates mean you can prep all of your clients for busy season in seconds. 

• Streamlined onboarding: Sending out proposals and letters of engagement, professional clearance, and doing AML work can really spoil the onboarding experience. However, with BrightManager, all of the heavy admin is automated. 

• Keep tabs on time: Some clients taking up more time than others? Get accurate time logs (down to exact minute) for how long each task and client takes up each staff member during busy season. That way, you’re better equipped for next year, and can identify any bottlenecks within the team before things get out of control. 

• All client info in one place: During the January rush, life is simpler when all your client information is just a click away. It’s your personal Santa’s workshop for client management. 

3. BrightPay: Payroll made easy 

When tax submissions pile up, payroll can get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list, but it’s essential work that needs to get done each pay period. That’s where cloud payroll software, BrightPay, shines, packed full of features to keep operations smooth and reduce time spent on admin. 

Standout features of BrightPay: 

• Multi-user access: Sick of sitting around waiting for someone else to finish working on the payroll? We’ve got you. Now, as many people as you like can work together on the same employer file at once. 

• Real-time changes: The best part about the cloud is that everything is instant. Changes are made instantly to the payroll, while you all work. This means no more doubling up work or fear of changing someone else’s data. 

• Automatic updates: Any new piece of legislation that comes out, like National Minimum Wage rates or National Insurance thresholds, are added in the background, while you work. No more manual updates or downloading the latest version. 

• Smart integrations: BrightPay is integrated with leading accounting software, pensions providers and a direct payment platform. This means that payroll journals, pension files and payments can be made through BrightPay, without having to leave the software. 

• Batch payroll processing: Have a lot of single director clients or static payroll clients? If you’ve got a lot of clients whose payroll doesn’t change each pay period, then you can finalise all of them in just one click!  

Top benefits of using Bright products this busy season

Although each piece of software is powerful on its own, using them all during busy season can have an unmatched impact. Together, they manage your clients’ payroll, tax, and internal operations seamlessly. This saves your firm time, cuts down on errors and increases your team and client satisfaction levels.

• Reduce time spent on repetitive admin with automation. 

• Take on more clients without feeling overwhelmed. 
• Work smarter, not harder, giving you more time to focus on your New Year’s resolutions.

Less time on filing, more time for practice efficiency 

Beyond the 31st of January deadline, our products are invaluable year-round, but during the new year hustle, they’re the best helping hand you could ask for. Click the button below to discover how they can help you grow your practice while improving efficiency, professionalism, and a competitive edge in the industry.