News
Voluntary “give-aways”
06/06/2023
In a recent post we warned of the likely loss of billing opportunities if you give away service advice just to demonstrate how informed you are.
In this post we outline when it may be appropriate to volunteer information or other free offers in
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HMRC strike causes CIS delays
01/06/2023
Some 400 HMRC helpline service advisers who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union have been on strike intermittingly since 10 May 2023. These strikes are by staff working in HMRC’s East Kilbride and Newcastle offices. The
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Help to Save extended to April 2025
01/06/2023
HMRC has confirmed that plans to extend the Help to Save scheme by 18 months, until April 2025 have been confirmed.
The Help to Save scheme is intended to help those on low incomes to boost their savings. Eligible users of the scheme can save
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New employment rights for parents and carers
01/06/2023
Three new pieces of legislation that received cross party support were granted Royal Assent on 24 May 2023.
The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023: This new Act will allow for up to 12 weeks of paid neonatal care leave. This will be made
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Selling your home – taxes to pay
01/06/2023
In general, there is no Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on a property which has been used as a main family residence. An investment property which has never been used will not qualify. This relief from CGT is commonly known as private residence
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Selling all or part of your company
01/06/2023
If you are selling your company, there are important actions you must take to properly finalise your affairs. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, and it is important to check what else may be required.
We have summarised below some of
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Can a charity claim Gift Aid?
01/06/2023
Charities can claim Gift Aid on donations made by eligible taxpayers. This can boost donations by an extra 25% if the donor makes a Gift Aid Declaration (GAD).
To claim Gift Aid, charities need to obtain a Gift Aid declaration from the donor. It
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Involuntary “give-aways”
30/05/2023
If you sell services, rather than supply goods, this usually involves you providing advice for a fee.
If your advice is sought after, the amount you can charge for your service(s) may be considerable. Which is why you should be wary of giving away
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Claim a tax refund for work expenses
25/05/2023
HMRC has issued a press release to remind employees that may be able to claim a claim tax relief for bills they pay that are related to their employment. The most recent figures show that more than 800,000 taxpayers claimed tax refunds for work
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New patents service
25/05/2023
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trade marks and copyright.
The process of applying for a patent is set to change significantly
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Gift aid tax benefits
25/05/2023
The gift aid scheme, which was originally introduced in 1990, allows charities to reclaim from HMRC the basic rate of Income Tax deducted from qualifying donations by UK taxpayers. This means that when a basic rate taxpayer claims gift aid on a £10
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Residence affects Income Tax in UK
25/05/2023
There is an interesting anomaly that can affect taxpayers with homes in Scotland and other parts of the UK. Where this is the case, the question arises as to whether or not the taxpayer is liable to pay Income Tax in Scotland or elsewhere.
As a
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Clearance to secure exempt distribution status
25/05/2023
Most payments a company makes to its shareholders, in respect of their shares, will be qualifying distributions and may be subject to Income Tax.
If certain conditions are met, the payment can be treated as an exempt distribution. An exempt
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Transfer of Business as a Going Concern
25/05/2023
The transfer of a business as a going concern (TOGC) rules concern the VAT liability on the sale of a business. Normally the sale of the assets of a VAT registered or VAT registerable business will be subject to VAT at the appropriate rate.
Where
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Action to contain cost of living pressures – groceries
24/05/2023
The Competition & Markets Authority has issued an update on the action it is taking to ease price rises in grocery bills. In their press release issued on 15 May 2023, the CMA said:
As cost of living pressures have grown, the CMA has been
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The importance of being interested
24/05/2023
Conversation takes a turn for the worse if you have an opinion that your client has no idea how to solve their problem(s) and all they need to do is listen to your solution.
And you may be right in your interpretation of the facts, but will the
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HMRC interest rates increase again
18/05/2023
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 10 May 2023 and voted 7-2 in favour of raising interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.5% in a move to try and continue to tackle continued inflation. This is the twelfth consecutive time
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Filing deadline for share scheme operators
18/05/2023
There are a number of government approved share schemes which offer tax advantages to employees. The approved schemes are Share Incentive Plans (SIPs), Save As You Earn (SAYE) schemes, Company Share Option Plans (CSOPs) and Enterprise Management
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