HMRC to hold workshops for contractors in Wales

The workshops will cover a wide range of topics including sick pay and self-assessment and are designed for employers, partnerships and sole traders.

Paula Rees, HMRC's business advice team manager, said the workshops give the Revenue the opportunity to offer advice directly to the business community and give practical assistance where necessary. Similar previous events have proved popular in Cardiff, and HMRC looks forward to assisting more businesses develop and grow.

In related news, HMRC is urging freelancers to file their paper tax returns before the end of this month deadline.

Anyone who misses the deadline will receive an automatic penalty of £100 even if they do not owe any tax. HMRC has recently introduced a new penalty regime that means the later the return - the larger the fine.

The only way to avoid these penalties is to either file your self-assessment paper return before the deadline, or file it online no later than January 31st 2012. Unfortunately, filing a paper return late and following it up by filing online will not work and you will still receive the automatic £100 penalty.

Filing online does have various benefits. Your tax liability will be calculated automatically and you get an online acknowledgement that your return has been received immediately. Furthermore, online returns are processed faster, so if you are owed a rebate, it will be repaid more quickly.

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