Monthly Archives: November 2019

Do not fall for the fraudsters

We are fast approaching the deadline for filing self-assessment tax returns in the UK for 2018-19. As readers will be aware, this deadline is 31 January 2020. Unfortunately, this coincides with a pick-up in scamming activity by fraudsters pretending to be the tax office. HMRC have recently posted an alert for taxpayers and this is […]

When trivial can be significant

The following extracts from HMRC’s website explain how certain benefits to employees can be tax-free. Surprisingly, HMRC describe these as “trivial” benefits. You don’t have to pay tax on a benefit for your employee if all of the following apply: it cost you £50 or less to provide it isn’t cash or a cash voucher […]

Do you know?

We are approaching the end of the calendar year, goodbye 2019, and the end of the of the current tax year, 2019-20, will draw to a close 5 April 2020. Add to this self-assessment deadlines, Brexit changes, election results and will we – won’t we – have a budget speech any time soon, and it’s […]

The benefits of Furnished Holiday Lets

Most buy-to-let property is let on short leases to a single tenant. The income from rents is treated as a property business, but a number of reliefs available to other trading businesses are not available to buy-to-let landlords. However, if these same properties were let as Furnished Holiday Let (FHLs) property, more advantageous tax benefits […]

Higher National Living Wage rates

Businesses that have a significant number of workers who are paid at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (NLW) rates should probably read the recent independent report that suggests rates of NLW could rise, as internationally, there is evident that realistic rises have little impact on employment levels but do have a positive […]

Employing someone at home

Believe it or not, HMRC will consider you are the employer of a nanny, housekeeper, gardener or anyone else who works in your home if both the following criteria apply: you hire them, and they are not self-employed or paid through an agency. If these criteria do apply this means you have certain responsibilities, like […]

Selling shares?

As a general rule, if you sell shares for more than you paid for them, any profit you make will be chargeable to Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Shares and investments you may need to pay tax on include: shares that are not in an ISA or PEP units in a unit trust certain bonds (not […]

Working after State Pension age

It is fine to keep working past your State Retirement Age unless your employment is subject to retirement at a compulsory retirement age. If your employer does this, they must give a good reason, for example: the job requires certain physical abilities (e.g. in the construction industry) or the job has an age limit set […]