News
Directors’ duties and responsibilities
28/11/2023
To be a director, you must be over 16 and not currently disqualified.
As a director your responsibilities include:
filing your company’s annual accounts and reports or appoint an accountant to do it for you
reporting changes in you or your company’s situation including changes of address
sending a confirmation statement every year
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IHT – Giving away your home before you die
23/11/2023
The majority of gifts made during a person's life, including gifting a home, are not subject to tax at the time of the gift. These lifetime transfers are known as 'potentially exempt transfers' or 'PETs'. These gifts or transfers achieve their potential of becoming exempt from Inheritance Tax (IHT) if the taxpayer survives for more than
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CGT - Lettings relief
23/11/2023
In general, there is no Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on a property which has been used as the main family residence. This relief from CGT is commonly known as Private Residence Relief or PRR. However, where part of the home has been let out the entitlement to relief may be affected. Homeowners that let out part of their house may not benefit
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Income Tax - £5,000 savings zero rate band
23/11/2023
If you have taxable income of less than £17,570 in 2023-24 tax year you will have no tax to pay on interest received. This figure is calculated by adding the £5,000 starting rate limit for savings (where 0% of the interest is taxable) to the current £12,570 personal allowance. However, it is important to note that if your total
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The badges of trade
23/11/2023
The 'badges of trade' tests, whilst not conclusive, are used by HMRC to help determine whether an activity is a proper economic trade / business activity or merely a money-making by-product of a hobby.
Careful consideration needs to be given to deciding whether a hobby has become a taxable trading activity. The approach by the courts in
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What counts as holiday accommodation?
23/11/2023
HMRC’s VAT Notice 709/3 entitled 'Hotels and holiday accommodation' explains how supplies by hotels and similar establishments such as motels, guesthouses and B&Bs should be treated for VAT purposes. In addition, the notice covers the VAT treatment of holiday accommodation such as caravans and camping facilities.
Holiday
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Gifts of shares to minor (under 18s) children
23/11/2023
The settlement legislation seeks to ensure that, where a settlor has retained an interest in property in a settlement, the income arising is treated as the settlor’s income for all tax purposes. A settlor can be said to have retained an interest if the property or income may be applied for the benefit of the settlor, a spouse or civil
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Autumn Statement Summary
22/11/2023
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has delivered his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons. The government continues to be faced with challenging economic conditions as the cost of living crisis continues to affect many families across the UK.
The Chancellor, however, had some good news with inflation falling to 4.6% in
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£4.5bn for British manufacturing from 2025
21/11/2023
The government has announced £4.5 billion in funding for British manufacturing to increase investment in eight sectors across the UK. The funding will be available from 2025 for five years, providing industry with longer term certainty about their investments.
Over £2 billion has been earmarked for the automotive industry and £975
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Fuel price watchdog sharpens its teeth
21/11/2023
UK motorists will be protected at the pumps under tough new powers that will shine a light on any attempt from retailers to unfairly hike up fuel prices.
Under new amendments tabled on 15 November 2023, to the Digital Markets, Competition & Consumers Bill, the CMA will become the body responsible for closely monitoring road fuel
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Tax credits top-up
16/11/2023
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 were published earlier this year and have recently been updated.
Eligible recipients will receive up to three Cost of Living Payments of £301, £300
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Marriage allowance entitlement
16/11/2023
The marriage allowance applies to married couples and those in a civil partnership where a spouse or civil partner does not pay tax or pay tax above the basic rate threshold for Income Tax (i.e., one of the couples must currently earn less than the £12,570 personal allowance for 2023-24).
The allowance works by permitting the lower
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Tax relief on pension contributions
16/11/2023
Taxpayers can usually claim tax relief for their private pension contributions. There is an annual allowance for tax relief on pensions of £60,000 for the current 2023-24 tax year. The annual allowance was £40,000 in 2022-23.
There is a three year carry forward rule that allows you to carry forward any unused amount of your annual
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Full expensing
16/11/2023
The full expensing 100% first-year capital allowance for qualifying plant and machinery assets came into effect on 1 April 2023. To qualify for full expensing, expenditure must be incurred on the provision of “main rate” plant or machinery. It should be noted that full expensing is only available to companies subject to
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Hold-over gifts relief
16/11/2023
Gifts Hold-Over Relief is a tax relief that effectively defers Capital Gains Tax (CGT) that may arise on a relevant gift. The relief can be claimed when assets are given away (including certain shares) or sold for less than they are worth to help benefit the buyer. The relief means that any gain on the asset is 'held-over' until the
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Time to Pay tax
16/11/2023
If you are having trouble paying your tax on time you may be eligible to receive support from HMRC. An online payment plan for Self-Assessment tax bills can be used to set up instalment arrangements for paying tax liabilities of up to £30,000.
Taxpayers that want to use the online option must have filed their latest tax return within 60
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Closing the door on tax planning
14/11/2023
When the end of a tax year passes, the 5 April 2024 for the current year, or the end of an accounting year if a company, any opportunity to take advantage of tax planning strategies closes.
For example, if the purchase of plant or other qualifying equipment is made the day before the cut-off date, tax relief will be secured a year
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Why breakeven analysis can be illuminating
14/11/2023
If you focus your energy on sales, there is a chance that your efforts will produce losses. Which is why we always encourage our business clients to keep their accounting records using software that automatically produces monthly management accounts that reveal profitability as well as turnover and costs.
But there is another useful
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