News

The government has announced a package of measures to ensure small businesses get paid on time. Under the proposals, large businesses could be fined for failing to pay smaller suppliers on time as part of a robust package of measures. The measures include:   proposed new powers for the Small Business Commissioner to tackle late payments through fines and binding Read the full article…

Over two thirds of EU citizens that are currently in the UK are here for work. The government is advising that if these individuals plan to remain living and working in the UK, after it leaves the EU, they can now apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). EU, EEA, or Swiss employees, and their family members, can apply to Read the full article…

HMRC has published a report showing that the UK tax gap in 2017/18 is estimated to be £35 billion.  This is 5.6% of total theoretical tax liabilities, and a small increase of 0.1% from 5.5% in 2016/17. HMRC therefore secured 94.4% of all tax due. The tax gap is the difference between the amount of tax that should be paid Read the full article…

HMRC is phasing in its landmark Making Tax Digital (MTD) regime, which will ultimately require taxpayers to move to a fully digital tax system. Under the rules, businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold(currently £85,000)must keep digital records for VAT purposes and provide their VAT return information to HMRC using compatible software. The rules have effect from 1 Read the full article…

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published which take effect from 1 June 2019. 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 or after 1 June 2019 Read the full article…

A recent Low Pay Commission (LPC) report sets out its findings on the number of people being paid less than the statutory minimum wage. The LPC found that, in April 2018, 439,000 workers were paid less than the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Of this amount, 369,000 were employees aged 25 and over, who were paid less than the National Living Read the full article…

A taskforce has recovered more than £5 million by tackling dishonest dog breeders selling pups on the black market. HMRC set up the taskforce in October 2015 after discussions with animal welfare groups that were concerned that tens of thousands of puppies were being reared in unregulated conditions and sold illicitly every year. The taskforce uncovered fraudsters selling puppies on Read the full article…

The forms P11D which report details of benefits and some expenses provided to employees and directors for the year ended 5 April 2019, are due for submission to HMRC by 6 July 2019. The process of gathering the necessary information and completing the forms can take some time, so it is important that this process is not left to the Read the full article…

A report by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) calls on the government to prioritise action to ‘address long-standing concerns about the experience of smaller businesses’. The report considers the business lifecycle, especially those starting up and provides recommendations in five areas: providing simple step-by-step guidance about the key things a business needs to do in its early days to Read the full article…

Landlords – remember to prepare your accounts on the cash accounting basis. Unless you have specifically opted out of cash accounting (which you need to do each year on your tax return), remember that the cash basis now applies automatically to all unincorporated property businesses so long as their rental income is less than £150,000 per annum. What does ‘the Read the full article…