Is business tax the most difficult unit?

nicmaygreg

I have completed all units for level 4 except business tax. I haven't attempted any practice exams yet but I am only half way through the book and there just seems so much information to remember. I am starting to regret choosing this unit now. Does it all fall into place once you start the practice exam papers? Is there an easy way of remembering everything?

Jo Clark

Hello Nic

I wouldn't say that Business Tax is any more difficult than any other unit. What areas are you struggling with exactely? Is it the volume of material which you need to learn? Did you study Personal Tax as I found that Business Tax built on that module. I think if you complete your studies and then start doing practice questions and exam papers it will all come together in the end.

If you need any help just shout.


JC

nicmaygreg

Hi Jo, no I didn't study personal tax I just took business tax and credit management for my optional units. I think it is the volume of information that I am struggling with and as I have quite a lot more chapters to get through it just seems a bit overwhelming. I wrote a list of all the allowable and disallowable but then there seems to be exceptions for certain things so its just getting a bit confusing. Thank for your help.

Jo Clark

Hello Nic

Keep at it and if you have any questions don't forget to post them here as lots of people here to help.

It will all fall into place, it did for me and it will for you


JC

Whirlwind

Hi Nic,

I am also battling with the amount of info to digest in BTX but as Jo says PTX was a bit of a taster, so its made it easier to remember bits. I found out today that I passed PTX so something must have stuck. I know that in PTX I was struggling with the penalties/interest section so I wrote and rewrote them out, now with BTX that one less thing to memorise!!

I have mine on the 28th Sept, so now I am revising and will start a 'mock a day' from Friday. It will be my very last exam for AAT so I will be soooo happy when its over. I have passed EXA and PTX so it takes the pressure off for BTX.


All the very best - when do you sit your test?

nicmaygreg

Thanks whirlwind. Maybe I should have taken personal tax instead it might not have been as difficult. I don't have a date for my exam yet as I am studying distance learning so at least I don't have a time limit. Good luck for your exam.

Jo Clark

nicmaygreg wrote: »

I am studying distance learning so at least I don't have a time limit.

You do have a time limit for Business Tax as the exam changes each year when the Finance Act changes.

nicmaygreg

Does that mean the text books change each year? I have had mine since August last year. Would have been nice if Kaplan had mentioned that!

Jo Clark

Yes, they are updated as are other text books when there are changes in legislation etc. I think you have until the end of March, maybe April to sit the exam. You may like to contact your training provider/exam centre to check the dates and also to make sure you are booked in to sit the eam under the relevant FA. Which FA does your book cover?

nicmaygreg

Its financial act 2010 so its very out of date. They sent me it August last year and on the study plan they put this down as the last unit to do so they should have put it as the first unit. Its a good job you mentioned that because I would never have known!

NicF

nicmaygreg wrote: »

Its financial act 2010 so its very out of date. They sent me it August last year and on the study plan they put this down as the last unit to do so they should have put it as the first unit. Its a good job you mentioned that because I would never have known!

You will be pleased to know there is quite an overlap between the different years, although obviously the rules about the tax levels are different. When I was doing my BTX I did one of the mock exams on the Kaplan engage site and didn't realise until I was over half way through that I had clicked on a 2011 exam instead of a 2010 one.

I found BTX to be one of the easier modules in level 4 (after credit management), because it was mostly learning rules and applying them to numbers rather than having to write answers, but we are all different in this way. What you might not be aware of is that there is information available to you in the exam about some of the different tax levels. It might be worth going in to one of the mocks and taking a look at this information so you know what you will have available to you.

I'd suggest getting in touch with Kaplan. When I ordered my books in December I ordered the 2010 BTX book and it actually said on my schedule that I had to sit it by a particular date. Kaplan should have informed you when it had to be completed by and if they haven't then you have an arguement for them to provide you with the updated information either free or at a vastly reduced cost.

Good luck
Nicola