"Did anything change with the cars?"
Every summer the practice writes to employer clients asking for benefit details for the tax year just ended. Most reply with a line saying "same as last year". Some of them are wrong: a director changed car in November, a new employee joined the health scheme, someone got a loan from the company. The practice finds out only by asking again, or not at all.
Other clients do not reply until the deadline is close, and then send a pile of invoices and lease agreements with no explanation.
"Same as last year" is the easiest answer to give
The request asks the client to remember and describe every benefit from scratch. That is hard, so they reach for the shortcut. The practice cannot easily see what last year's answer was without opening last year's working papers, so "same as last year" is accepted or chased depending on who handles the client.
The questions also cover every possible benefit, most of which do not apply to a given client. A long form with irrelevant sections is exactly the kind of thing that gets put off.
The information you need is mostly already in your files from last year. The work is confirming what changed, which is a much smaller question if it is asked the right way.
What the scramble costs
| Issue | Effect |
|---|---|
| Vague answers | Changes missed and returns prepared on old facts |
| Long generic forms | Late replies and repeated chasing |
| Evidence without explanation | Staff working out what each invoice relates to |
| Last year not visible | Staff cannot challenge a "no change" answer |
| Work bunched near the deadline | Pressure on the team in a short window |
The work also competes with other summer jobs, such as year ends for companies with spring year ends, so the team is stretched in the same weeks the replies finally arrive.
Prefilled questionnaires that ask about changes
- Last year's benefits per employee are taken from your tax software or working papers and stored per client: cars, medical cover, loans and anything else your practice records.
- Each employer client gets a short questionnaire listing last year's benefits by employee, and for each one is asked: still provided, changed or stopped. Only relevant sections are shown.
- A short set of questions asks about new benefits, new employees receiving benefits and any one-off items, in plain language your practice writes.
- Evidence such as lease agreements or invoices is uploaded against the specific benefit it relates to.
- Clients who have not started, or have stopped half way, get reminders on your practice's schedule, and the manager sees who is outstanding.
- Completed questionnaires produce a summary per client for your team, with changes highlighted, ready to use when preparing returns in your tax software.
Treatment and valuation of benefits stay with your team. The questionnaire gathers the facts in a form that is quick to check.
A shorter, quieter summer
Clients confirm last year's position and report changes without starting from a blank form. Changes stand out instead of hiding behind "same as last year". Evidence arrives attached to the right benefit. Your team starts preparation earlier and spends time on the items that changed rather than re-checking everything.
Clients also appreciate being asked a smaller question. Confirming last year's list is quicker than filling in a long form, and many clients complete it in one sitting.
Is P11D season like this for you?
- Clients reply "same as last year" and changes are missed
- The benefit request is a long generic form
- Evidence arrives without explanation
- Many clients reply close to the deadline
- Staff open last year's file to check each answer