Latest News.

1 March 2021 - Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 31 May 2020. 2 March 2021 – Self-assessment tax for 2019/20 paid after this date will incur a 5% surcharge. 19 March 2021 - PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 March 2021. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 March 2021) 19 March 2021 - Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 March 2021 ...
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The Supreme Court has handed down a landmark judgement in the Uber case. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the decisions of earlier courts and has found that Uber drivers are ‘workers’ and not self-employed as Uber has tried to argue. The decision of the Supreme Court as the final court of appeal in the UK marks the end of the case for Uber. The Uber case had been ongoing since an employment tribunal decision in October 2016 found that two ...
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Businesses that use the flat rate scheme pay VAT as a fixed percentage of their VAT inclusive turnover. The VAT Agricultural Flat Rate Scheme is a variant of the flat rate scheme specifically designed for farmers and other activities relating to agricultural production (such as horticulture). Farmers cannot join this scheme if the value of their non-farming activities is above the VAT registration threshold (currently £85,000). The amount of VAT paid on business expenses becomes irrelevant to VAT returns. The ...
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In a recent HM Treasury press release it has been confirmed that the government will publish a number of tax-related consultations and calls for evidence at the end of March. These consultations would usually be published on Budget day but instead will be published on 23 March. This will allow more time for these consultations to be examined. None of the announcements will require legislation in the next Finance Bill or have an impact on the government’s finances. A number ...
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As with Income Tax personal allowances, taxpayers have an annual exempt amount for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) which is forfeited if not used. The annual exemption for individuals in 2020-21 is £12,300. A husband and wife each have a separate exemption. This also applies to civil partners who are treated in the same way as married couples for CGT purposes. Married couples and civil partners should ensure that assets sold at a gain are either jointly owned or that each ...
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We wanted to remind our readers of the Inheritance Tax (IHT) implications of making cash gifts during the current tax 2020-21 tax year that ends on 5 April 2021. You can give away up to £3,000 worth of gifts each tax year. This is known as your annual exemption. Any unused part of the annual exemption can be carried forward, but only for one year. So, if you didn’t make any cash gifts in 2019-20, you could gift up to ...
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Under the third Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant, claimants received up to 80% of average trading profits for November and December 2020, and January 2021. This meant that a maximum grant for the three months of £7,500 was made available to those who met the eligibility requirements. The claim window for this grant has now closed. The government has confirmed that a fourth SEISS grant will be made available from 1 February 2021 to 30 April 2021. The level ...
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A reminder that traders who buy and sell goods – wholesalers or retailers – need to be wary of the financial consequences if, as expected, pent up consumer activity leads to a surge in demand for your products from July 2021 or earlier if you can trade before 21st June 2021. What is overtrading? Let’s assume that the past year’s disruption has meant you have run-through your cash reserves and you basically have little in the way of liquid (cash) ...
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The Prime Minister has set out the government’s objectives for easing lockdown restrictions. If the planned opening of schools, social interactions and businesses is achieved without significant increases in infection, after 21st June 2021, there will be no legal limits on social contact. Which means, all businesses including hospitality and entertainment concerns will have the opportunity to reopen. Initially, the focus is to get children back to school (from 8 March 2021). There will also be gradual relaxation in rules ...
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Employees who need to buy substantial equipment to use as part of their employment may be able to claim tax relief. In most cases they can claim relief based on the full cost as it usually qualifies for a type of capital allowance called the Annual Investment Allowance. Any tax relief would be reduced if the employer provides a contribution towards buying the item. The way to claim tax relief depends on the amount you are claiming for. HMRC provides ...
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Employees who are working from home may be able to claim tax relief for any additional costs due to home working. No tax relief will be due if employers reimburse employees for the additional household expenses incurred. The tax relief covers expenses such as business telephone calls or heating and lighting costs. Expenses that are for both for private and business use (such as broadband) cannot be claimed. Employees may also be able to claim tax relief on equipment purchased ...
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The coronavirus VAT payment holiday gave businesses the chance to defer the payment of any VAT liabilities between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020. The option for businesses to defer their VAT payments ended on 30 June 2020. There are two options available for repaying this VAT.

• The first option is to pay the deferred VAT in full on or before 31 March 2021. No interest or penalties will accrue on deferred payments that are paid by the ...
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Following the end of the Brexit transition period, businesses need to make customs declarations when exporting goods to the EU as well as to the rest of the world. Businesses can make customs declarations themselves or hire a third party such as a courier, freight forwarder or customs agent. Businesses can use simplified export declarations to help export most goods. The use of simplified export declarations allows businesses to export goods out of the UK by providing basic details to ...
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The new Pensions Scheme Act received Royal Assent on 11 February 2021. The Act covers a number of important pensions-related issues and has faced a long journey through parliament, starting in October 2019, that included delays due to both Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. The Act has been described by government as ‘the biggest shake-up of UK pensions for decades. The Act will provide for enhanced powers for the Pensions Regulator, including the power to impose civil penalties of up ...
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If you are entitled to the marriage allowance and have not yet applied, then you could receive a payment of up to £1,188 from HMRC. HMRC used the occasion of Valentine’s Day to remind couples to make a claim. The marriage allowance is available to qualifying married couples and those in a civil partnership where a spouse or civil partner is a non-taxpayer i.e., has an income below their personal allowance (currently £12,500). The allowance permits the lower earning partner ...
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In an apparent U-turn, the Business Secretary has confirmed during a television interview that a proposed post-Brexit review of EU-derived workers' rights, due to be carried out by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has been cancelled. The review was expected to consider proposals to amend the Working Time Regulations 1998, including the possible termination of the 48-hour maximum working week, changes to rules on rest breaks and excluding overtime pay from the calculation of some holiday ...
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There are three possible financial outcomes for your business, each with their own challenges:

1. Make a profit
2. Breakeven, or
3. Make a loss

Making a profit Clearly, this will be your goal. If you make profits – and taxation will never eat up all your profits – this will generate cash resources that can be accumulated in the business or used to finance working capital or other investments in equipment. Also, importantly, profits provide the means to repay loans ...
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Many business owners are buoyed by turnover; if it’s sold it’s as good as money in the bank, but is it? What are your credit terms? How many days do you allow your customers to keep your money before insisting they pay you? 30 days is probably the most widely used credit term, which in real terms probably means customers pay after 40, 60 days or more. This topic has real relevance during the COVID era as many companies are ...
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The detailed Furlough Scheme rules were last updated 4 February 2021. People who are unable to work can receive up to 80% of their wages. This payment is subject to a monthly maximum amount of £2,500 per employee (for hours not worked). Employers have the discretion to top-up the payments if they so wish. To use the extended scheme – to 30 April 2021 – the steps that are required are:

1. Check if you can claim
2. Check which employees ...
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Following the end of the Brexit transition period, new rules on tax and duty now apply on goods sent to the UK from overseas. These changes are meant to ensure that goods from EU and non-EU countries are treated in the same way and that UK businesses are not disadvantaged by competition from VAT free imports. For goods sold directly to customers in the UK from overseas with a value of £135 or less (which aligns with the threshold for ...
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