Latest Business Tax

The annual investment allowance (AIA) limit is currently due to decrease from £1 million to £200,000 from 1 January 2021. Many businesses will have deferred decisions about purchasing capital equipment this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a number of professional bodies urging the Chancellor to postpone this decrease. However, it…

The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has been in consultation with individuals, businesses as well as professional advisers – including accountancy bodies – to review the capital gains tax system and see whether there is any scope to simplify the current tax system. The consultation process closes on 9th November 2020.   Speculation has been…

On 24 September 2020 the Chancellor announced and extension to scheme allowing for the deferment of VAT for businesses affected by coronavirus.  Businesses that took advantage of the arrangements to defer VAT payments due between 20 March and 30 June 2020 until 31 March 2021, will have the option to pay the outstanding amounts in…

Companies with 31 December 2019 year ends will be due to pay their corporation tax on 1 October 2020. If that company is expecting to suffer a loss during the 2020 financial year, perhaps due to COVID-19 related reasons, it should be possible to carry that loss back one year and claim a refund of…

When it comes to knowing what paperwork is required to successfully reclaim VAT on expenditure, there can be some confusion, especially in these times of ever increasing electronic and paperless transactions. HMRC’s VAT guidance says you must have the appropriate documentary evidence in order to support a VAT claim. But what is appropriate? In this…

  From 3 to 31 August 2020 businesses that offer a discount under the The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme are able to claim the discounted amount back from the Government.   Whilst on the face of it you might expect VAT only to be payable on the discounted amount, in-fact VAT is payable…

As part of the Government’s measures to try to stimulate the economy, the Chancellor has announced a reduction in the rate of VAT payable by the hospitality and tourism industries.   From 15‌‌‌ ‌July 2020 until 12‌‌‌ ‌January 2021, the rate of VAT will be reduced to 5% on any eat-in or hot takeaway food…

As we all slowly unwind from Coronavirus lock-down and the end of furlough support rapidly approaches, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has taken the unusual step of making fiscal announcements in the Summer, to try and head off a recession. New initiatives, of interest to SME’s, include:   Job Retention Bonus – £1,000 bonus paid per employee…

To reflect the exceptional trading position many companies find themselves in during the Covid-10 pandemic, HMRC has updated its internal guidance regarding companies making claims for repayments of corporation tax based on anticipated losses, and claiming a repayment of corporation tax paid under the quarterly instalments regime.  Companies wishing to make such a claim will…

In March 2020 HMRC announced that businesses had the option to defer VAT payments falling due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 until 31 March 2021.  An important step in taking  advantage of this easement is to cancel your Direct Debit.  Where you have failed to do this and your VAT payment has…