Jul 12

MTD for income tax pilot extended

HMRC is extending the pilot for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD ITSA) to more self-employed workers and landlords. From July, those taking part will be able to test MTD ITSA before April 2024, including their own internal processes for managing MTD. Agents and customers are already taking part, and HMRC wants more […]

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Jun 10

Advisory fuel rates for company cars June 2022

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published and took effect from 1 June 2022. The guidance states: ‘you can use the previous rates for up to one month from the date the new rates apply’. The rates only apply to employees using a company car. The advisory fuel rates for journeys undertaken on […]

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HMRC issues £14 million in penalties for minimum wage offences

HMRC issued 580 penalties totalling over £14 million for minimum wage offences during 2020/21, according to a report released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The penalties given out for national minimum wage (NMW) and national living wage (NLW) offences have dropped by £4.5 million from the year before, which saw 992 penalties worth £18.5 […]

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New law to protect access to cash announced in Queen’s Speech

New laws to protect access to cash and help victims of financial scams were announced in the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of parliament on 10 May. The new Financial Services and Markets Bill will ensure the continued availability of withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK. The Bill will also enable the Payment Systems […]

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Number of firms in critical financial distress rises sharply

A growing number of UK businesses are at risk of going under as costs spiral and Covid loan repayments become due, according to a report from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor. Although COVID restrictions have been lifted, some firms are still feeling the impact of disruptions to supply chains, and the price of energy and other inputs […]

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Almost 66,500 filed self assessment returns on 6 April

Nearly 66,500 taxpayers filed their 2021/22 self assessment return on the first day of the new tax year, according to figures from HMRC. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of ‘early-bird’ customers filing their completed self assessment tax returns at the start of the new tax year – almost 30,000 more customers filed […]

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Chancellor announces windfall tax on energy firms

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will impose a windfall tax on energy firms alongside a package to help households with the cost-of-living crisis. Mr Sunak said a ‘temporary, timely, and targeted’ 25% Energy Profits Levy would be introduced for oil and gas companies, reflecting their extraordinary profits. The levy is expected to raise £5 billion for the Exchequer […]

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May 16

Latest guidance for employers April 2022

HMRC has published the latest issue of the Employer Bulletin. The April issue has information on various topics including: Forthcoming deadlines Claiming employment allowance from April 2022 Student loans Coronavirus updates and information Official rate of interest Hybrid working. Small businesses are being invited to share their views of the tax system through the Tell […]

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Export growth is ‘stagnant’, BCC finds

Data published by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) shows that UK export growth has been effectively stagnant for the past year. The BCC’s quarterly Trade Confidence Outlook revealed that the proportion of exporters reporting increased overseas sales was 29%, whilst 25% reported a decrease. Manufacturers were more likely to report increased export sales than […]

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New HMRC one-stop online shop provides taxpayers with tax relief information

HMRC has launched a new one-stop online shop designed to provide taxpayers with information on the tax reliefs and financial help available from HMRC. In a new section of the GOV.UK website, HMRC has listed financial support available to ensure individuals are not missing out. There is guidance on relief for childcare and work-related expenses, as […]

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HMRC names avoidance scheme promoters for first time

HMRC has named two tax avoidance schemes and their promoters for the first time, advising anyone involved to withdraw from them as soon as possible to prevent the build up of large tax bills. Both schemes involve individuals working as contractors agreeing to an employment contract under which they are paid the National Minimum Wage […]

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HMRC starts chasing up SEISS overpayments

HMRC has started to recover overpayments of Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grants. From April, HMRC is writing to taxpayers whose entitlement to the fourth or the fifth SEISS grant has reduced by more than £100 to ask them to repay amounts that were overpaid. Entitlement to the fourth and fifth SEISS grants can be affected […]

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Apr 13

CMA frees leaseholders from rising ground rents

Intervention by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has freed more leaseholders from increasing ground rent terms that saw them trapped in homes they struggled to sell or mortgage. Businesses which had bought freeh­olds from housing developer Countryside have now given formal commitments to the CMA to remove terms that cause ground rents to double […]

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Student loan repayments for new borrowers to start at £25,000

The level at which students begin to pay back their loans will be lowered from £27,295 to £25,000 for new borrowers. From September 2023, the interest rate on student loans will also be set to RPI+0%. Additionally, the length of time that students have to pay their loans back until they can be written off has been […]

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UK economic growth to halve this year, warns BCC

UK economic growth is expected to halve this year amid soaring inflation, major tax rises, and global shocks including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warns the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The BCC has downgraded its expectations for UK GDP growth in 2022 to 3.6% from 4.2% in its previous forecast in December 2021. This would be […]

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Bank of England raises interest rates for third time in a row

The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the third consecutive time. The Bank also warned that the Ukraine conflict could see under-pressure households hit with double-digit inflation later this year. Members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted eight to one to increase rates from 0.5% to 0.75%. The move takes rates back […]

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MTD for VAT brings in up to an extra £195 million in tax

Estimates show that up to £195 million in extra tax revenue has been collected via Making Tax Digital for VAT (MTD for VAT), according to research from HMRC. The research, conducted by HMRC and peer reviewed by independent academics, showed that in 2019/20 the estimated additional tax revenue was between £185 million to £195 million, compared […]

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OBR updates economic picture

In his Spring Statement speech, Chancellor Rishi Sunak responded to the latest forecasts as published by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR forecasts UK economic growth to be 3.8% in 2022, a significant cut from its previous prediction of 6.0%. The OBR then predicts the economy to grow by 1.8% in 2023 and 2.1% […]

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Business groups give mixed response to Spring Statement

The UK’s business groups gave a mixed response to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement speech. Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: ‘The Spring Statement falls short of the action businesses needed to see. While there are some positive announcements that firms will welcome, it did not fundamentally address the […]

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Chancellor cuts fuel duty in Spring Statement

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a 5p per litre cut in fuel duty for petrol and diesel in the 2022 Spring Statement. The government says it is the largest ever cut on all fuel duty rates, which applies from 6pm on 23 March 2022. The Chancellor also announced that the starting thresholds for national insurance contributions (NICs) will rise to […]

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