Latest Thinking

In the UK most basic food stuffs are zero rated. However, the definition of ‘basic’ is not straightforward and many of the foods are zero rated as a result of...

The taxable turnover threshold that determines whether businesses should be registered for VAT is currently £90,000. Businesses with turnover below this level can also apply for a voluntary VAT registration....

Our new government, and in particular, Rachel Reeves, the new Chancellor, will be responsible for raising the funds that our new government requires to finance its activities. The government has...

Exit can be seen as quitting, especially if the exit discussed is your business interests. But actually, business exit planning is an essential part of general business planning. In some...

If you have been in the same job for two years or more and are made redundant you will usually be entitled to redundancy money. The legal minimum that you...

Where a taxpayer owns a business as a sole trader or in partnership, a capital gain will be deemed to arise if the business is converted into a company by...

There is no specific requirement for employers to provide employees with transport home. Nevertheless, an employer has a duty of care to their employees, which means that they should take...

Full expensing allows for a 100% first-year capital allowance for qualifying plant and machinery assets and came into effect last April. To qualify for full expensing, expenditure must be incurred...

It is pretty much universally accepted that shareholders (usually directors) of small companies take out their remuneration as a small salary – a salary pitched high enough to secure NIC...

If you receive documents from overseas customers or suppliers and you need to translate text into English, have you used Google Translate? It’s a free, but incredibly powerful facility. You...

1 August 2024 – Due date for corporation tax due for the year ended 31 October 2023. 19 August 2024 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5...

There are special rules under the Tenancy Deposit Scheme that limits the amount of deposit that landlords in England can request. There are also further limitations on what landlords and...

The marriage allowance can be claimed by married couples and those in a civil partnership and where a spouse or civil partner does not pay tax or does not pay...

Misplaced your National Insurance number? Do not worry! From checking payslips to using the HMRC app, there are many ways to recover it. If all else fails, you can request...

The online service for checking a UK VAT number is available at: www.gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number. This service can be used to check: if a UK VAT registration number is valid; and the...

A group is formed when one company has control of, owns, a number of subsidiary companies. A group is different to an arrangement where an individual owns a number of...

If you earn over £100,000 in any tax year your personal allowance is gradually reduced by £1 for every £2 of adjusted net income over £100,000 irrespective of age. This...

There are a number of government approved share schemes which offer various incentives to employees. The rules of the schemes vary but they are all designed to help incentivise employees...

Tax relief may be available for post-cessation expenses of a trade. To be an allowable post-cessation expense the trade must have ceased and the expense must have been deductible in...

If you are self-employed it is important to know if an expense is tax allowable. Any allowable costs can be used to reduce your taxable profit. As a general rule...

There are special rules that determine the recoverability of VAT incurred before a business registered for VAT. This type of VAT is known as pre-registration input VAT. There are different...

More than a million parents will receive reminders to extend Child Benefit for their teenagers if they are continuing their education or training after their GCSEs. HM Revenue and Customs...

Business owners often refer to VAT as if it were a cost to their business regardless of their VAT position; whether they are registered for VAT or not. If you...

It was announced as part of the Spring Budget 2023 that Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) was being abolished. This change has now come into effect for transactions which complete, or...

All children in the UK have their own personal allowance, currently £12,570. There are special rules if a parent gifts significant amounts of money to their children which results in...

Where an error on a past VAT return is uncovered businesses have a duty to correct the error as soon as possible. As a general rule, any necessary adjustment can...

HMRC can enquire into any statutory return (or amendment of that return) or statutory claim to check if the return / claim has been prepared correctly or if further information...

There are specials rules that apply to UK property sales by non-residents. Since 6 April 2020 non-residents have needed to report and pay any non-resident Capital Gains Tax (CGT) due...

As time passes during the present election campaign, its seems more likely that we may have a change of government from the 5 July. Labour have disclosed a number of...

The following notes are reproduced from a Treasury statement issued 21 May 2024. Lower inflation supports people by maintaining the purchasing power of their money. If prices only rise slowly,...