Both the Bank of England and the UK’s leading business members’ organisation believe the economy is set to take off after the vaccine bump. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is expected to rise sharply in the second quarter as lockdown eases. Bank economists say this is a result of the vaccine rollout and the fastest predicted […]

Putting together an efficient tax strategy should be a no-brainer for buy-to-let landlords seeking to maximise their income. It may not be quite as glamorous as hunting down the perfect property, but when it comes to saving cash, it can make a huge difference to your bottom line. There are several ways you can reduce

The second part of a sweeping Capital Gains Tax (CGT) review has been published with 14 key recommendations. In July 2020, the Chancellor asked the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) to carry out a review, to “identify opportunities relating to administrative and technical issues as well as areas where the present rules can distort behaviour

For many businesses, the pandemic has turned the world on its head, with many who might have expected to be profitable experiencing a loss. Sometimes losses happen simply because the business is very new, or because costs have unexpectedly risen. However, COVID-19 has thrown another dimension into the mix, seeing thousands of companies fail to

There are many problems associated with the pandemic, apart from the obvious one of the illness caused by the virus itself. Conmen and scammers have taken advantage of the situation, bombarding people and businesses with bogus claims about tax owed in the hope that just a few respond. For businesses, the accountant is the first

People who enrolled in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) have been reminded that they must include income from their grants on tax returns to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), as it is subject to Income Tax and National Insurance. They should liaise with their accountants so an accurate return can be sent to HMRC,

Employers who hire veterans in their first employment after leaving the armed forces are now entitled to National Insurance (NI) relief to the upper secondary threshold for one year. The relief announced at the 2020 Budget, came into effect in April and applies to all veterans of the regular armed forces who have completed at

A new Debt Respite Scheme, designed to give a debtor with problem debt the right to legal protection from their creditors, is now available. The new scheme consists of two new two types of ‘breathing space’: A standard breathing space – Available to anyone with problem debt, which offers legal protection from creditor action for up

With the fourth round of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) now well underway, HM Revenue & Customs has announced tough new fines for those that abuse the financial support on offer. The new penalty regime is aimed at those who have overclaimed the SEISS grant, which includes any amount of grant that a self-employed

In most cases, expenses an employee incurs at work are paid for by their employer, but some, like travel and accommodation expenses, are reimbursed later by the employer. Since 2016, the system for reimbursed expenses has been simplified, which means that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will usually accept that business expenses that are reimbursed