Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a temporary cut in the rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in order to boost confidence in the flagging housing market in his Summer Economic Update. Property transactions fell by 50% in May this year and house prices have fallen for the first time in eight years. In response, the… Read more…

On 8 July, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a three-point plan to support jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when he delivered a Summer Economic Update to Parliament. Mr Sunak confirmed the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will end as planned this October. The Chancellor said furloughing had been the right measure to protect… Read more…

Self-employment can offer many life-changing benefits but it also has its fair share of challenges. Whether you’re investing in your own business or just trying to make ends meet as a freelancer- financial issues are often at the forefront. Therefore, anyway in which you can reduce costs and save money is paramount. Whether you’re a… Read more…

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has opened an inquiry into the UK’s management of £155 billion of tax relief. The inquiry follows the February publication of a National Audit Office (NAO) report that identified over 300 such tax interventions, totalling £155 billion per year. The NAO raised concerns about the effectiveness of management of tax… Read more…

The UK government published its plans for a new import tariff regime following the end of the Brexit transition period. Following its departure from the EU, the UK has the ability to set its own rules and charges. The scheme includes the abolition of tariffs on imports worth over £30 billion, although economists say the… Read more…

The government is making changes to insolvency and company law as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill outlines that struggling companies will be given extra time to consider rescue plans presented to them. As part of the changes, companies will have 20 business days to consider a rescue plan,… Read more…

On 26 May 2020, HMRC opened up its Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) rebate claim service. Eligible employers are able to recoup up to two weeks’ worth of SSP payments made to employees off work for COVID-19-related reasons since 13 March 2020 (16 March 2020 if the employee was shielding). This is an ongoing scheme for… Read more…

On 20 May 2020, the government launched its Future Fund package, which aims to support start-up businesses not eligible for other COVID-19 rescue measures. The Future Fund offers government loans of between £125,000 and £5 million to UK-incorporated companies, provided private investors at least match the funding supplied by the state. The package is aimed… Read more…

Several changes to the CLBILS scheme have taken effect from 26 May. The government has extended the maximum loan size available through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) from £50 million to £200 million. However, companies borrowing more than £50 million through theCLBILS will be subject to restrictions on dividend payments, senior pay… Read more…

On 5 June 2020, HMRC announced a five-month delay to the introduction of the domestic VAT reverse charge for construction services, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector. The change will now apply from 1 March 2021 and will overhaul the way VAT is payable on building and construction invoices as… Read more…