EC Sales List (ECSL) for services supplied to other EU member states

As of 1 January 2010, the requirement to report to HMRC the value of sales to other EU member states was extended to include services whereas it previously only applied to the sale of goods.

The ECSL rules applies to all VAT-registered businesses in the UK who supply goods and/or services to a VAT-registered customer in another EU country.

The ECSL is a statistical return, usually submitted quarterly, used by the UK government to prepare intra-EU sales figures.

It is also used by the tax authorities in other EU countries to check that the businesses on your ECSL are dealing with the VAT correctly.
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Planning for your self assessment tax bill

The UK tax year is 6 April to the following 5 April. So the tax year 2010/11 ended on 5 April 2011.

You will need to complete a self assessment tax return if you are self employed or a limited company director.

Click here to read our free guide on starting a business and registering with HMRC (opens in a new window).

Although the deadline is 31 January for e-filed returns, we recommend that you complete your tax return and submit it to HMRC as early as possible. Click here to download a useful pdf tax return checklist.

A self employed person will pay both income tax and class 4 national insurance (NI) on their profits plus income tax on any other income and capital gains tax on any relevant capital gains in the tax year.
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Self Assessment Tax Return Checklist 2010-11

To help you collate the information you need to prepare your self assessment tax return for 2010/11 we have prepared a useful checklist which you can download here.

In our experience, the list of income, deductions and capital transactions covers the majority of our clients but if you have other income, tax deductions or gains/losses not listed, you may need to include those on your tax return.

HM Revenue & Customs must receive your tax return by 31 January 2012 to avoid a penalty.

At HRBS we submit all tax returns and tax computations online. However, if you wish to prepare a paper return, the deadline is midnight on 31 October.

The earlier you prepare your accounts and tax return the better. You can claim any refunds promptly to help your cashflow and where tax is due; you will have plenty of time to plan your tax payments.
Click here to read the rest of this guide (Self Assessment Tax Return Checklist 2010-11)