Mar 07

Pensions income needed to retire rises

The amount needed for a single person to have a moderate retirement has risen to £31,300, according to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA). The rising cost of living and an increased importance on socialising following the pandemic had pushed up the income required by £8,000, the PLSA said. The PLSA uses evidence from focus groups to make […]

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Double-cab pickups go back to being vans as guidance reversed

Just a week after HMRC released new guidance that classed double-cab pickups as cars rather than vans, the government reversed the decision. On 19 February, HMRC confirmed that it’s reversing the updated guidance announced on 12 February, meaning that double-cab pickups will continue to be treated as goods vehicles rather than cars. The government said […]

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HMRC warns self assessment taxpayers as scam referrals rise

HMRC is warning people to be wary of bogus tax refund offers following the self assessment deadline on 31 January. The tax authority says that fraudsters could set their sights on self assessment taxpayers, with more than 11.5 million submitting a tax return by last month’s deadline. HMRC warns that taxpayers who completed their tax […]

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Over one million miss self assessment deadline

Over one million self assessment taxpayers missed the filing deadline at midnight on 31 January, according to data published by HMRC. A record 11.5 million taxpayers did file their 2022/23 self assessment tax returns by the deadline. HMRC’s figures also showed that 1.1 million missed the deadline. The final day saw 778,068 beat the clock to complete […]

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Feb 20

Double-Cab Pickups Get Tax Reprieve: Government Scraps U-turn

Government Caves to Backlash, Maintaining Current Tax Treatment for Pickups In a surprising turn of events, the government has reversed its decision to reclassify double-cab pickups as company cars, effectively scrapping a planned massive increase in tax contributions. This U-turn follows a week of vocal opposition from motorists, farmers, and businesses who faced significant financial […]

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Feb 13

Only a third of UK adults confident with self assessment

Just 35% of UK adults are confident they could complete the self assessment tax return form correctly, according to research by Standard Life. Three in ten UK adults admit they do not feel confident they could complete the form correctly. A further 18% said they felt neither confident nor unconfident while 17% were not sure. The […]

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Raise VAT threshold to £100,000, says FSB

The government should raise the turnover threshold for VAT from £85,000 to £100,000, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The business group said that this would give firms stepping into the VAT-paying ring crucial breathing space. It would also be an incentive to grow their turnover without fear of having to charge customers […]

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HMRC sends warning to cryptoasset users

As the use of cryptoassets continues to grow HMRC is warning people to check if they need to complete a self assessment tax return for the 2022/23 tax year to avoid potential penalties. Anyone with cryptoassets should declare any income or gains above the tax-free allowance on a tax return. Tax may be due when a person: […]

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Tax cuts may have to be scrapped due to ‘economic bind’, warns IFS

Tax cut promises may need to be scrapped as a result of the UK being in an ‘unfortunate economic and fiscal bind’, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The next government is likely to face some of the most difficult economic and fiscal choices the UK has faced outside of pandemics, conflicts and financial crises, […]

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Government borrowing falls as Chancellor hints at tax cuts in Spring Budget

Government borrowing fell to £7.8 billion in December 2023 giving Chancellor Jeremy Hunt more scope to make the tax cuts he has hinted at in the Spring Budget. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data revealed that government borrowing for last December was around half of that borrowed in December 2022. It also showed that interest payable […]

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Jan 12

Latest guidance for employers Jan 2024

HMRC has published the latest issue of the Employer Bulletin. The December issue has information on various topics, including:   •         National Minimum Wage, Geographical Compliance Approach – support for employers •         payrolling expenses and benefits for the 2024/25 tax year •         off payroll working rules (IR35) – opportunity to pause settlement •         help to […]

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Countdown for 5.7 million to file their 2022/23 self assessment tax return

With less than a month to go to the self assessment deadline 5.7 million taxpayers have been urged to file their 2022/23 tax returns by HMRC. HMRC data shows almost 6.5 million customers have already beaten the self assessment clock by filing their tax return. This includes 49,317 taxpayers who used the New Year holiday […]

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HMRC updates off payroll compliance guidance

HMRC recently updated its guidance on off payroll working compliance for employers. The new guidance sets out ‘practical steps’ for organisations to follow. It affects employers who are responsible for operating off payroll working rules and who engage workers who provide their services through their own intermediary. The guidance states that organisations should apply the new guidelines to ‘reflect the […]

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Spring Budget 2024 date confirmed for 6 March

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver the 2024 Spring Budget on 6 March, the government has confirmed. The Budget will include the government’s tax and spending plans as well as new growth and borrowing forecasts. It could be the last chance for the government to announce significant changes to tax policy before the general election. The […]

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Dec 07

Advisory fuel rates for company cars – December 2023

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published and took effect from 1 December 2023. 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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Real Living Wage to increase by 10%

The Real Living Wage is set to increase by 10%, the Living Wage Foundation has announced. The rate will rise to £12 an hour across the UK and £13.15 an hour in London. The increase will affect over 460,000 people working for 14,000 Real Living Wage employers across the UK. Unlike the National Living Wage […]

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Government agrees to crack down on crypto tax evasion

The UK government has agreed an ‘historic’ commitment with 48 countries to combat criminals using crypto assets to evade tax. The landmark agreement follows on from the UK’s tax deal made in 2021 to clamp down on corporate tax avoidance and ‘ensure the right tax is paid in the right place’. The new Crypto-Asset Reporting […]

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HMRC is ‘Making Tax Difficult’ with MTD programme

HMRC is ‘Making Tax Difficult’ for taxpayers as Making Tax Digital (MTD) adds to the burdens they face, according to a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The report says that HMRC has lost sight of the need to put taxpayers at the heart of changes to the tax system. The PAC says that […]

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Autumn Statement cuts won’t stop tax revenues rising to highest ever levels

The tax cuts announced in the 2023 Autumn Statement won’t prevent tax revenues rising to their highest ever levels, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The IFS stated that announcing tax cuts in response to ‘highly uncertain’ changes in assumptions about the UK’s medium-term economic prospects ‘does not feel like a recipe for good […]

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National Insurance changes ‘ease burden on strivers’

The changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Autumn Statement will help to ‘ease the burden on strivers up and down the country‘, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Mr Hunt used his Autumn Statement speech to cut the main rate of employee NICs from 12% to 10% […]

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