Latest Business Tax

What’s in it for Tech Companies? Philip Hammond’s second Budget had to steer a precarious path. Within the parameters of slowing UK growth, preparing for Brexit and a lack of spare money, he had to somehow end public sector austerity and continue reducing the deficit. Whilst trying to restore his own political reputation. Not an…

Last week the Office for Tax Simplification delivered a report on VAT to the government, which among other things, covered the potential impact of reducing the VAT registration threshold. The report recommended that the Chancellor should “examine the current approach to the level and design of the VAT registration threshold, with a view to setting…

  The Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) has now replaced the large company R&D scheme. This credit is mandatory for accounting periods ended 31 March 2017, and we are now seeing the implications of claiming the new relief. The credit applies to large companies, and SME’s who claim under the large company scheme, for…

  HMRC have advised that from 13 January 2018, they will no longer be accepting payments from personal credit cards. HMRC have accepted credit card payments from individuals, but from 13 January 2018, this method of payment will no longer be available. A change in EU law, prohibits merchants (including HMRC) from recharging credit card…

  The decision has recently been published in a European Court of Justice case, Shields and Sons Partnership v the Commissioners for HM Revenue & Customs. The case revolved around the authority of HMRC to remove the partnership from the VAT flat rate scheme for farmers. It is reported that the partnership had benefited over…

  In a recent tax tribunal test case, relating to the well-known actor Robert Glenister, HMRC were challenged as to whether the IR35 intermediary tax rules should apply to an actor earning his living through a personal service company.   As is typical with individuals providing their personal services through an intermediary company, Mr Glenister…

We have known since 2010 that HMRC has a computer programme, called “Connect”, that is collecting data from a variety of sources about taxpayers, and then using this intelligence to check on correct tax compliance. We have known that these data sources include Banks, Social Media, DVLA, Local Authorities, Foreign Tax Jurisdictions and Land Registry.…

  HMRC have now implemented their ‘Simple Assessment’ project, where they use the information already available to them from employers, pension providers, the DWP and banks to calculate the tax for those with straightforward or ’Simple’ tax affairs, without the need for a tax return to be completed.   In theory this sounds like an…

R&D tax relief, to provide government subsidies to those companies that develop innovation products, services or systems, has been with us for 17 years now. The latest HMRC R&D tax relief take-up report, encouragingly, shows that the following recent improvements to the scheme have increased the amount of tax relief claimed by 22% over the…

HMRC have issued their latest guidance to employers in the August edition of the Employer Bulletin. This publication, which is issued every two months, includes articles on: Reporting Pay As You Earn in real time Optional Remuneration Arrangements Tax codes – Get it right first time PAYE penalties – continuation of the risk-based approach to charging penalties…