FAQs

XBRL is a global standard for exchanging business information (written in XML). iXBRL is an HMRC standard which enables XBRL to be displayed in a browser in a user friendly format (written in HTML).

The Cashbook Client Password, or just Cashbook Password, is a password you set per cashbook and that you can pass to your clients in order for them to access their data within your account.

You may wish to change or reset this if you or your client believe that the current password is not longer secure.

Ftax will return one of three types of receipt: 

Success – This will feature a green band across the top and confirm that your submission has been accepted by HMRC. If you have submitted an Amended return, be very careful to only do this if you have previously submitted a successful return. If you don’t then HMRC may fine you even though the receipt signaled a successful submission. 

Acknowledgement – This is returned if HMRC are busy. An email will be sent when the submission finally reaches HMRC to confirm whether it has been successful or not. 

Error – This will feature a red band across the top and give a reason for failure. If you do not understand the error message (which is usually sent directly from HMRC) then cut and paste it into a Support Request. 

If you are being prompted to enter a Credit Code then your form is not online to your Ftax Account. You need to be online to enable your form to communicate with your Ftax Account to automatically manage the credits. An Ftax credit will enable a form to be calculated, printed, and submitted as many times as required for a given UTR and tax year.

To ensure the Ftax form is online, click the ‘?’ in a red ball, select the bottom option, and make sure the box to the bottom left is unticked. You will then be able to enter the Ftax Account username and password and login.

Click Allow to enable your form to submit. If you accidentally Block access then use the Adobe Reader Trust Manager to unblock. To do this, select ‘Edit/Preferences/Trust Manager/Change Settings’ from the Adobe Reader menu bar. Mac users should select ‘Adobe Reader/Preferences/Trust Manager/Change Settings’.

Please enter all of your payment details again and reselect your card type. It may look as if they have been retained from last year, but they haven’t.

Please read the FAQ above entitled ‘How can I be sure I have submitted successfully?’.

If you have received a fine from HMRC for failing to submit a tax return on time then click on this link for further information, http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/online/excuse-missed-deadline.htm. The section on ‘Problems with your own computer or software’ may be of particular assistance.

The full error message reads:

Government Gateway log-in failure, please check your User ID, UTR and Gateway password are correct. You can check your User ID and password are valid by logging into the Inland Revenue portal at https://online.hmrc.gov.uk/home. If you view your statement after logging in you will also see confirmation of your UTR.

This error message is always correct and is caused by an error in the entry of the User ID, Password, or UTR on the front page of the Ftax form. Common mistakes include entering an inappropriate UTR, e.g. the Partnership UTR instead of the Individual UTR. Characters are sometimes entered incorrectly, e.g. an ‘l’ can be entered instead of an ‘1’, or an ‘S’ entered instead of a ‘5’. Please check very carefully. Also check that your Password has been activated using the PIN sent to you in the post by Government Gateway when you first registered for online filing. 

If you have submitted an amended return without first successfully submitting (either online or by post) then you may receive a fine.

You can appeal the fine by completing the ‘Reasonably Excuse’ form. Contact HMRC for advice on what to do next.

==  You must login using your email address and password ==

== Your email is your username  ==

If you have forgotten your password, click ‘Forgot Password’ on the log-in screen and follow the on screen prompts.

If you have opened an Ftax form and have previously saved your login details on your computer, these may no longer work and the form will show:

If you know your email address registered with your Ftax account, you can simply ignore this (Click OK) and log the form into your Ftax account using your email address and existing password.

You can access the login box at any time from a form by clicking the red question mark on the front page and selecting Ftax Account Login.

If you don’t know what email address you have registered with your Ftax account, you can recover your account by accessing the Ftax website at www.ftax.co.uk and clicking LOGIN in the top right hand corner. From the login screen select “recover your account” to access the “Forgot Email” box. Follow the instructions and an email reminder will be sent to your registered email address.

If you don’t have an email address registered with your Ftax account, or you no longer have access to your registered email account, you can recover your account by accessing the Ftax website at www.ftax.co.uk and clicking LOGIN in the top right hand corner. From the login screen select “recover your account” to access the “Forgot Email” box. Follow the instructions to send an email reminder then click ‘I did not receive the email’ on the website to be re-directed to a ‘Reset Unknown Account’ form. Complete this form and we will be in touch with you.

If you experience a problem using the automated password/username recovery system (described above) then please send an email to support@ftax.co.uk  which includes the email address used when registering with Ftax, or/and your Ftax Account username. The Ftax Support team can then manually recover your Ftax Account logon details.

If you are experiencing problems when logging into you Ftax Account from an Ftax form, by clicking the ‘?’ in a red ball on the opening page and select the bottom option, then run through the Ftax Setup Checklist either via the FAQ or via the video. If your Ftax Account password contains any character other than alphanumerics or the following characters ‘@ . ! $ % * ? _ – +’, then login to your Ftax Account on the website, go to Account Details, and change the password.

Warning: be careful not to confuse your Ftax Account username and password with you HMRC Gateway User ID and Password.

You are strongly recommended to use the new Ftax Support system. We are confident that you will find it the fastest way to resolve any tax filing problem you are experiencing.

But if you are having a problem using it for the first time, then please email the Ftax Support team directly at support@ftax.co.uk. 

If you are experiencing problems entering data in the Ftax form, generating a PDF Copy or iXBRL file, or submitting to HMRC, then you should attach the entire Ftax form with attachments to a Support Request

Cut and paste any error messages you receive into the support request message.

This will help the Ftax Support team to respond much faster. Click here to send a Support Request.

==  You must login using your email address and password ==

== Your email is your username  ==

If you have forgotten your password, click ‘Forgot Password’ on the log-in screen and follow the on screen prompts.

If you have opened an Ftax form and have previously saved your login details on your computer, these may no longer work and the form will show:

If you know your email address registered with your Ftax account, you can simply ignore this (Click OK) and log the form into your Ftax account using your email address and existing password.

You can access the login box at any time from a form by clicking the red question mark on the front page and selecting Ftax Account Login.

If you don’t know what email address you have registered with your Ftax account, you can recover your account by accessing the Ftax website at www.ftax.co.uk and clicking LOGIN in the top right hand corner. From the login screen select “recover your account” to access the “Forgot Email” box. Follow the instructions and an email reminder will be sent to your registered email address.

If you don’t have an email address registered with your Ftax account, or you no longer have access to your registered email account, you can recover your account by accessing the Ftax website at www.ftax.co.uk and clicking LOGIN in the top right hand corner. From the login screen select “recover your account” to access the “Forgot Email” box. Follow the instructions to send an email reminder then click ‘I did not receive the email’ on the website to be re-directed to a ‘Reset Unknown Account’ form. Complete this form and we will be in touch with you.

If you experience a problem using the automated password/username recovery system (described above) then please send an email to support@ftax.co.uk  which includes the email address used when registering with Ftax, or/and your Ftax Account username. The Ftax Support team can then manually recover your Ftax Account logon details.

If you are experiencing problems when logging into you Ftax Account from an Ftax form, by clicking the ‘?’ in a red ball on the opening page and select the bottom option, then run through the Ftax Setup Checklist either via the FAQ or via the video. If your Ftax Account password contains any character other than alphanumerics or the following characters ‘@ . ! $ % * ? _ – +’, then login to your Ftax Account on the website, go to Account Details, and change the password.

Warning: be careful not to confuse your Ftax Account username and password with you HMRC Gateway User ID and Password.

The video ‘How to use the Ftax SA100’ takes you through all of the mains steps needed to prepare and submit the SA100 tax return. Click here to watch.

The video ‘How to use the Ftax CT600’ takes you through all of the mains steps needed to prepare the CT600 tax return, along with required iXBRL attachments. Click here to watch. Further help can be found in the ‘iXBRL/CT600’ section of the FAQS.

If you are experiencing problems entering data in the Ftax SA100 or CT600 form, generating a Pdf Copy or iXBRL file, or submitting to HMRC, then you should attach the entire Ftax form with attachments to your Support Request. Cut and paste any error messages you receive into the support request message. This will help the Ftax Support team to respond much faster. Click here to send a Support Request.

The ‘Ftax Setup Checklist’ video is a step-by-step guide to setting Ftax forms up ready for use. Care has been taken to explain how to overcome every known problem, and so please pay close attention when you watch and re-watch.

Click here to watch the ‘Ftax Setup Checklist’ video.

Ftax tax returns are pdf forms which run on Adobe Reader. Sometimes the forms can become corrupt, causing them to lose their special properties, e.g. the ability to ‘Save’ form data. If this happens then download a fresh copy of the form from your Ftax Account. Adobe Reader may also become corrupt causing the form to display incorrectly. Reinstalling Adobe Reader via ‘Get Reader’ at http://www.adobe.com should overcome this problem, although you will need to go through the Ftax setup again.

Make sure you open the Ftax form into Adobe Reader and not into Preview. This is a common mistake on a Mac.

Class 1 and Class 2 National Insurance details need to be entered into the Ftax SA100 in order to correctly calculate your tax liability.

If you are self-employed or a partner and your combined profits exceed £6,475 (for 2020/21) and you have worked the full year, you will likely need to enter £159 (for 2020/21) in one of the Class 2 NI boxes.

Please note that payment of Class 1 and 2 National Insurance is not made via this self-assessment process.

Class 1 National Insurance

Class 1 National Insurance is based on your total earnings from Employment and Ministers of Religion sections, between the Primary Threshold (PT) and the Upper Earnings Limit (UEL). These details can be found on your P60.

The information must be entered into boxes on the Employment (page E1) and Ministers of Religion (page MoR1) sections of the Ftax SA100. Next to the boxes, there is a red question mark which will provide an example of how to find the relevant on your P60.

The Total NICable earnings are shown on page TR8.

Class 2 National Insurance

Class 2 National Insurance contributions are not calculated by the Ftax SA100 – they must be entered into one or more of the Self Employment (pages SES2 and SEF5), Lloyds Underwriters (page LU4) and Partnership (pages SP2 and FP2) sections of the form.

The Total Class 2 NIC are shown on page TR8.

Note 1: If you have completed any of the above sections, and your “Total Profit Less Adjustments Used For Class4 And Class2” is over the “Class 2 NIC Small Profit Threshold” (£6,475 for 2020/21), then you will likely have to pay Class 2 contributions. If you leave all the data entry boxes blank in these circumstances, then you will be warned that you might have made an error when you click Calculate on the front page.

If you do need to enter a zero figure, simply enter 0 (zero) into one of the relevant boxes. Most people over the state pension age should enter a zero figure in one of the boxes.

Note 2: If you do have to make Class 2 contributions, they will likely be £3.05 per week (£159 for a whole year) or £3.70 (£193 for a whole year) for Share fishermen, in 2020/21, but in any case should not exceed £196.10 in total (in 2020/21).

If you have been Self Employed, a Lloyds Underwriter or in a Partnership, for less than the whole year (for example, because you started part way through the year, or have reached state pension age during the year), then you will likely have paid less than a whole year’s contributions. In this case you should enter your reduced figure into the relevant box(es).

Note 3: If you have made voluntary Class 2 contributions, there is a tick box next to the Class 2 NI box which you should tick (in addition to entering the amount).

New Class 2 NIC rule

The rules for Class 2 NIC have changed for the 2023/23 tax year onwards.

Prior to the 2022/23 tax year you needed to pay Class 2 NIC if your profits were above the Small Profits Threshold, which was £6,515 in the 2021/22 tax year.
For 2022/23 onwards, you pay Class 2 NIC if your profits are above the Lower Profits Limit,(which is £11,908 in 2022/23). If your profits are below the Small Profits Threshold (£6,725 in 2022/23) then you can choose to pay voluntary Class 2 NIC.  If your profits from self-employment are between the Small Profits Threshold and the Lower Profits Limit then there is no Class 2 NIC to pay – instead you will be treated as making Class 2 NIC. This will mean you will be able to access entitlement to contributory benefits in the same way as if you had paid Class 2 NIC.

For 2023/24 onwards, the Lower Profits Limit will be the same amount as the personal allowance for income tax.

You can find bookmarks to all the relevant National Insurance pages of the Ftax SA100 in the left hand bookmarks area.

Ftax have introduced iXBRL Computations and iXBRL Accounts tagging at no extra cost. For those who only file a few company tax returns every year there is a low usage CT600 package options.

Access to your Ftax Account can only be made using your ‘username’ and ‘password’. Only you know the password, so that only you can access your data via the website. 

Your Ftax Records data is encrypted before being securely stored. The backups taken every day will also be encrypted. Only a limited number of ‘super user’ Ablegatio personal have access to the encryption keys. Your data will not be viewed by anyone without your permission. 

The data will be decrypted at the point you click to View via your Ftax Account. Data transfer to your browser will be secured via an SSL certificate. 

Ftax forms are constantly being improved.

To upgrade, login to your Ftax Account and download the latest version of the form you require for the ‘Ftax Forms’ table.

To transfer data, Export data from the old version and Import it into the new.

If the accounting period is greater than 12 months then more than one CT600 submission will be required, as each can only be used to submit for up to 12 months. Attach the iXBRL Accounts file only to the first submission, and select the ‘PoA differs from AP-a/cs with sep rtn’ option for all other returns.

Further guidance on how to deal with computations for long accounting periods can be found in the HMRC guidance document:

https://www.gov.uk/corporation-tax-accounting-period

After completing the form and carrying out any necessary calculations, return to the front page and click ‘Submit’. Then click ‘I Agree’ and ‘Submit Now’ before selecting ‘New’ or ‘Amend’. After several seconds an onscreen receipt will be displayed and a confirmation email sent.

If, for any reason, you are unsure about whether or not you have submitted successfully then you can submit again as New. If you have already submitted successfully then an error message will tell you so. 

After clicking ‘Submit Now’ you will be prompted to select either ‘New’ or ‘Amend’.

Only submit an amended tax return if that return has already been successfully submitted. Otherwise you risk receiving a fine.

The Ftax PDF forms need to communicate with your Ftax Account to manage your data and your credits.

You must now login using your email address and password – your email is your username.

Click on the ‘?’ in a red ball, select the bottom option, and untick the box in the popup.

Enter your Ftax Account Username and Password and click ‘Login’.

If you also tick the ‘Save login details on computer’ box then the Ftax form will automatically login to your Ftax Account when it needs to.

If you have any problems please take a look at the FAQ: I cannot login to my Ftax Account. What should do?

Read the FAQ How do I setup my browser to prompt me to save downloads? and make sure you browser is set up to download and save.

Log into your Ftax Account via the Ftax website https://www.ftax.co.uk/ and look through the ‘Ftax Forms’ table.

Previously purchased forms may be downloaded via the ‘Download’ buttons.

Make sure that you download and ‘Save’ the forms files to a known folder before opening them in Adobe Reader. Ftax forms are intelligent pdf files and so can be copied and renamed if required.

Mac users need to open Ftax in Adobe Reader and NOT in Preview. To do this you can either, open Adobe Reader first and then open the form, or you can ‘right-click’ the file, select ‘Open with…’, and then select Adobe Reader.

Please ensure that you comply with the Special Notice that will be displayed when the form first opens, and log into your Ftax Account from the form when prompted. 

A couple who are married or in a civil partnership may be able to transfer some unused Personal Allowance from one partner to another.

This process must be initiated by the partner transferring the allowance OUT (usually the lower or non taxpayer) to their partner.

The partner receiving the extra allowance has had a transfer IN from their partner.

The process must be done directly with HMRC either via their website https://www.gov.uk/marriage-allowance or by telephone.
The person transferring their allowance OUT will need to supply their partner’s full name, National Insurance number, date of birth and date of marriage or civil partnership.

Once HMRC has accepted the transfer, they will automatically apply the change in tax to both partners’ tax accounts.

In order for the Ftax SA100 to accurately calculate your tax due, you should record transfers (both OUT and IN) on page TR5 of the Self Assessment tax return.

If you have transferred a Personal Allowance to your spouse or civil partner, then tick Transfer OUT and complete boxes 1 to 5.

If a Personal Allowance is being transferred to you, then simply tick Transfer IN. Do NOT complete boxes 1 to 5. 

Please note that a Transfer IN will only affect your tax calculation if you are not a Higher Rate tax payer and both your Married Couples Allowance and Married Couples Surplus Allowance are zero.