The deadline to register trusts and estates under new rules has been extended by two months, following complaints that the original deadline was too ambitious, potentially leaving many unable to comply. Under the new rules, trusts and estates that have a tax liability are required to register with the HMRC trusts and estates online service… Read more…

A report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has called on the UK Government to revive its plans to increase National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the self-employed. Earlier this year, during the Spring Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, announced that the Government would seek to abolish Class 2 NICs… Read more…

UK-based SMEs are not doing enough to ensure the data they hold is secure, it has been reported. Findings from a newly-published report show that more than two out of three SMEs considered that there was room for improvement in protecting their business data, while four out of 10 questioned said they did not have… Read more…

Changes to the Dividend Tax regime, which will see the existing tax-free allowance fall from £5,000 to £2,000 from April next year, are set to hit small business owners and investors. The changes currently being considered by MPs as part of the Finance Bill 2017-19 had been delayed when what is now the Finance Act… Read more…

Students who have been heading back to university in recent weeks could be entitled to a helpful tax refund, according to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Those who worked through their summer holidays may have been taxed through PAYE, as if they were earning at that level year-round, but it is unlikely that their earnings… Read more…

Late payments are a headache that most small businesses are familiar with, but new research shows that late payments create problems for the economy as a whole. Figures published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills show that UK SMEs are losing £250 billion in cash flow as a consequence. Because SMEs tend to… Read more…

It’s all change when it comes to cash. Last month saw the introduction of a new £10 note and this month sees our last chance to spend the old round £1 coin. Following on from the new Churchill £5 note, the new £10 note is made from the same polymer material, with sophisticated built-in security… Read more…

An Oxfordshire cricket club has been left having to stump up a hefty tax bill after losing a VAT dispute. Despite the common misconception that charitable organisations are exempt from VAT, Eynsham Cricket Club was forced to pay 20 per cent VAT in respect of works to construct its new pavilion. A ruling by a… Read more…

Research published in September has found that 5.6 per cent of working time at small businesses in the UK is spent on back-office and admin tasks. This time could be worth as much as £33 billion a year. According to the report, “Sweating the Small Stuff: the impact of the bureaucracy burden”, accounting tasks were… Read more…

Earlier this year the Government announced that a number of the controversial provisions within its Finance Bill would be dropped ahead of June’s snap general election to ensure an easy passage to Royal Assent. Making Tax Digital and a number of other flagship proposals were subsequently left by the wayside, creating a great deal of… Read more…