New graphical views of your business account

We are please to have released the first in a series updates that will help our clients visualise their business vital stats.

When viewing your bank statement on Tempo you'll see a new "Graphs" icon in the top left.

This displays your funds in and out on the account as both a "balance" line graph and a "cash movement" bar chart.  The latter is a good way to spot those big bills hitting the account.

Please use the blog or our facebook page to let us know what visuals would make a difference to the way you understand your business.

HMRC steps up pressure on SMEs

You may have noticed posters such as the billboard below or radio and online adverts that have sprung up in all sorts of places this November.  HMRC have launched a campaign declaring they will "relentlessly pursue those who don't pay all the tax they owe, from financial penalties to criminal conviction".



Small and medium sized companies would appear to be a target for HMRC investigation,  an extra tax yield from compliance investigations jumped by 39%  last year.  HMRC themselves have stringent targets to meet and revenue from investigation into small companies goes a long way to meet this.

In addition to traditional areas such as PAYE and VAT it appears that HMRC are looking more closely at less obvious areas such as corporate entertainment and employee benefits such as company cars, private healthcare or company subsidised fuel costs.

By choosing Tempo Accounting you know you'll have the support you need.  If you have any questions regarding the types of expenses your business should be claiming or you have a general query regarding company tax then please get in touch.

View important company documents online with Tempo

As accountants we hold a variety of important documents on behalf of our clients, for example Incorporation Certificates and VAT certificates.

A popular request in our recent survey was the ability to view these documents (and add others) from within your Tempo account.

So... This feature is now available!  Simply click "Documents" (under 'Taxes, Reports and Documents' from the Main Menu) and you'll see a list of key documents that we have on file for your company.

We are in the process of adding an upload feature so that our clients can use it for documents such as contracts and insurance.

We will let you know when this is available!

New mileage expense claim form now ready

Tempo clients have been recording mileage expense claims using our general expense claim form.

Due to popular request we've now launched a dedicated "mileage claim form".  The advantages being that Tempo will calculate the rate that you can claim per mile (45p or 25p) and offers a very quick and easy way to copy previous trips you've claimed for.

Select the new "Mileage Claim" link when adding a new expense to access this form.

Remember if your drive your own car for business purposes you can claim 45p per mile for the first 10K miles in a tax year and 25p per mile there-after.  HMRC intends this to cover all costs such as fuel and wear and tear, so you should not claim for fuel or maintenance on your own vehicle.

We hope the new mileage form makes things even easier for you to keep your company records up to date with Tempo!

Save more than just one hour this weekend

The clocks are going back this weekend so we all get an extra hour in bed :-) !   If you like the sound of that then here's a few ways that Tempo can help save even more hours per month!

1) Bank-link - Make sure you are using our HSBC bank link service and never worry to have to send in bank statements again!  Tempo will also automatically email you when funds arrive into your business account.  You can also use the 'allocation wizard' to record imported transactions as expenses or director payments.

2) Self Assessment - Save several hours by instructing Tempo to complete your personal self assessment tax return and spend the time you save doing something much more interesting!

3) iPhone & Android Apps - Install Tempo's mobile app onto your phone.  Free up those Sunday afternoons by recording expenses whilst sat on the train or during a boring meeting!

4) Invoice Copy - If you produce regular invoices for the same client use our new one click 'copy invoice' facility to shave a few minutes off here and there.

5) Ask for Help - Tempo's team are here to help!  If something doesn't look right on your Tempo account or if you need help updating your records, don't struggle, contact the support team.  We try to respond to simple queries as quickly as possible.

Remember - Always check your Tempo dashboard and follow the red links!

Tempo ready for payroll changes - April 2013

In April 2013 HMRC is introducing "Real Time Information" (RTI) reporting for payroll information.

Instead of sending payroll information once a year as at present, HMRC will require notification everytime a payment is made to an employee.  HMRC report that this will be an improvement for employers, employees and themselves and will also assist in readiness for the new universal benefit system.

Tempo has the necessary arrangements in hand to ensure that this requirement is met for all our clients and we will keep you updated as new information is available.

As an employer you may receive notification of this change from HMRC.    You need to take no action on receipt of this letter and it is not necessary to send this in to us.

Coping invoices, uploading logos and more

Following our recent customer survey we are pleased to be making progress with the release of new features on our website.   Here are details of a few features that have just gone live...

Copying Invoices, Purchases and Expenses

A popular request was the ability to 'duplicate' or 'copy' invoices that have already been added to Tempo as many clients issue a similar invoice each week or month.  So to address this, all sales, purchases and expenses can be 'copied' into a new draft at the click of the button.

Find the original sales invoice (or purchase / expense) and when viewing the details click the new "copy" link (near the top right).  This will duplicate all details into a new draft for you to amend.  If it's a sales invoice a new invoice number is generated automatically.

Many people have also requested 'repeat expenses'.. watch this space...


Company Profile Page and Invoice Logo Upload

You'll notice a new link at the bottom of the 'quick links' on the dashboard "Company Profile".  This provides a basic summary of the company's details.  This information has been available before but this page now brings the key information together in one place.

You can also use this page to upload a logo for your company's sales invoices.  The logo will appear at the top right corner of your PDF invoice.  Have a go and then preview one of your sales invoices to see how it looks.