The government has named and shamed over 500 UK employers for underpaying their employees. 524 businesses were named for failing to pay the minimum wage to pay 172,000 workers, with offending employers ordered to pay nearly £16 million plus an additional financial penalty. The National Living Wage (NLW) is set to rise to £11.44 an… Read more…

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… Read more…

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… Read more…

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… Read more…

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… Read more…

  HMRC has published guidance on the Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) requirements for sole traders and landlords. MTD for ITSA will require businesses and landlords with qualifying income to maintain digital records and update HMRC each quarter via compatible software.   In the guidance, HMRC stated that MTD… Read more…

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… Read more…

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… Read more…

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… Read more…

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… Read more…