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 your advice FOC. Why would you do this? Why would you part with your hard-won expertise
More...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 expenses during the 2021-22 tax year with an average claim of £125. A claim can be made online
More...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 over the next 12 months. The IPO has published a transformation document which sets out
More...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 donation, the charity can reclaim from HMRC the £2.50 of tax paid on that donation. If you
More...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 general rule, the Scottish rate of Income Tax (SRIT) is payable on the non-savings and
More...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 distribution is a payment that is not treated as a distribution. It is treated as consideration
More...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 the sale of a business includes assets and meets certain conditions the sale will be
More...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 working to understand how well markets in essential goods and services are working. Along with
More...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 client appreciate your apparent unwillingness to listen? If AI systems ever crack this
More...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 that the MPC has increased interest rates with rates now the highest they have been since
More...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 Incentive (EMI) schemes. The deadline for submitting the online employment related securities
More...HMRC offers an online service to check your National Insurance Contributions (NIC) record online. In order to use the service, you will need to have a Government Gateway account. If you don't have an account, you can apply online. By signing in to the 'Check your National Insurance record' service you will also activate your personal tax
More...In April 2022, the government announced a package of measures intended to make the UK a global cryptoasset technology hub. One of the issues raised at the time concerned the tax treatment of Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and staking. DeFi lending and staking encompasses a range of activities that reward users who deposit cryptoasset
More...The Capital Gains Tax (CGT) rules that apply during separation and divorce changed for disposals that occur on or after 6 April 2023. These changes extended the period for separating spouses and civil partners to make no gain/no loss transfers for up to three years after they cease to live together. The new rules also provide for an
More...There are certain tax rules that it is important to be aware of where you pay for the public transport costs of your employees. The provision of public transport costs include: season tickets provided for employees; season ticket costs reimbursed to employees; loans made to employees to buy season tickets; and contributions to
More...There is a plausible link between a rise in tax payments if tax rates increase or if tax allowances and reliefs fall. But what happens if there is no change in tax rates or allowances? In this case, there would be an assumption that taxes would not increase; why would they if rates and allowances remain stable? However, whilst tax rates
More...1 June 2023 - Due date for corporation tax due for the year ended 31 August 2022. 19 June 2023 - PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 June 2023. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 June 2023). 19 June 2023 - Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 June 2023. 19 June 2023 - CIS
More...The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) is a set of special rules covering tax and national insurance for those working in the construction industry. Businesses in the construction industry are known as 'contractors' and 'subcontractors' and should be aware of the tax implications of the scheme. Under the scheme, contractors are required
More...The Cost of Living support package has been designed to help over 8 million households in receipt of mean tested benefits. The details for Cost of Living Payments due in the 2023-24 tax year have been published. Eligible recipients will receive up to 3 Cost of Living Payments of £301, £300 and £299. This includes those receiving pension
More...A new law that stops employers from withholding tips from people working in the hospitality, leisure and services sectors has come into force. The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 2 May 2023. The Bill makes it unlawful for businesses to hold back service charges from their employees, ensuring staff
More...Directors are classed as employees and pay National Insurance on annual income from salary and bonuses that exceeds the Primary Threshold. The annual threshold is £12,570 in the current 2023-24 tax year. Many director shareholders take a minimum salary and any balance of remuneration as dividends. This tends to reduce National Insurance
More...There are a number of reliefs available that can reduce liability to Inheritance Tax (IHT). One of these reliefs is known as IHT Business Relief and is a valuable tax relief for taxpayers with business interests, offering either 50% or 100% relief from IHT on the value of the business assets if certain conditions are met. For
More...A P11D form is a form used by employers to list certain ‘benefits in kind’ provided to directors or employees. P11D forms are used to provide information to HMRC on all Benefits in Kind (BiKs), including those under the Optional Remuneration Arrangements (OpRAs) unless the employer has registered to payroll benefits. This is known as
More...A new King, the possibility of a change of government next year, and signs that we may, at last, be emerging from the disruptions created by Brexit and COVID. Meanwhile, back at helms of our small business sector firms, entrepreneurs are obliged to deal with the challenges that have arisen in recent years.
More...The government has announced a number of new measures to help millions of people boost their future savings. One of these measures is a simplification of the Help to Save scheme. The Help to Save scheme was launched by the government in September 2018 to help those on low incomes to boost their savings. Under the scheme, those eligible
More...New legislation aimed at cracking down on rip-offs, protecting consumer cash online and boosting competition in digital markets has been published. The new far-reaching Bill will have the following headline benefits: New powers aimed at boosting competition in digital markets currently dominated by a small number of firms. Clamping
More...HMRC is currently sending the annual tax credit renewal packs to some 1.5 million tax credit claimants and is encouraging recipients to renew their tax credits claim online. HMRC started writing to taxpayers on 2 May and expects all packs to be with recipients by the 15 June 2023. A renewal is required if the pack has a red line across
More...There are a number of responsibilities that fall on a landlord that is renting out a property. These include the requirements to: keep rented properties safe and free from health hazards; make sure all gas equipment and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained; provide an Energy Performance Certificate for the
More...Where an employee with a company car is provided with fuel for their own private use by their employers, the default position is that the employee is required to pay the car fuel benefit charge. The charge is determined by reference to the CO2 rating of the car, applied to a fixed amount, currently £27,800. For example, a CO2 rating of
More...The taxable turnover threshold that determines whether businesses should be registered for VAT is currently £85,000. Businesses with turnover below this level can also apply for a voluntary VAT registration. Businesses charge VAT on their sales. This is known as output VAT and the sales are referred to as outputs. Similarly, VAT will be
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