Latest General Practice

Looking out for you during an HMRC Investigation HMRC police the tax system by investigating the accuracy of tax returns, VAT returns, payroll, etc via targeted, or random, tax enquiries.   With £7.5 billion of extra tax revenue, per year, targeted by 2030 HMRC will be ramping up their compliance checks to close the gap.…

The start of a new tax year normally brings a few changes and there are numerous changes to the Statutory sick pay (SSP) rules.   The rate of SSP is changing to £123.25 or 80% of the employee’s average weekly earnings (AWE) whichever is lower.   HMRC are changing the Employment rights Act 2025 regarding…

Since the introduction of the Companies House identity verification requirements on 18th November 2025, a number of challenges have emerged, making it difficult for individuals to complete the verification process and meet the required deadlines.   We’ve identified that most issues stem from Companies House either retaining an incorrect date of birth on file or…

A couple of our clients have recently received ‘VAT repayment allowance’ scam letters, supposedly from HMRC. At first glance, these letters appear quite convincing, even providing a genuine link to VAT manuals for HMRC staff. Perhaps the biggest give away is the website the letter redirects you to (i.e. not starting with the usual gov.uk…

In an effort to tackle potential tax loss and improve transparency, the UK government have unveiled new proposals requiring close companies (a company controlled by 5 or fewer participators) to report transactions with participators to HMRC.   Concerns over how close companies engage with their participators has resulted in HMRC publishing a consultation document, inviting…

What you need to know now 6th April 2026 has arrived Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) is no longer a distant change on the horizon — it’s officially here, and the rollout begins 6 April 2026. Whether you’re a sole trader, or landlord, this shift marks one of the biggest changes…

A new financial year comes with the renewal of individuals annual tax allowances. Below is a reminder of the allowances that will be refreshed on 6th April 2026 and which of these can be carried forward if they were not utilised in 2025/26.   Income Tax Personal Allowance = £12,570 Note – Please note that…

Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED) is an annual tax charge payable by companies, partnerships (with at least one corporate partner) and certain collective investment schemes that own UK residential properties exceeding £500,000.   The annual chargeable period starts on 1 April each year and both a return should be submitted online to HMRC and any tax paid within one month of the start of the chargeable period to…

It’s the question which many start-ups ask themselves, ‘Should I be a Sole Trader or a Limited Company?’   It’s something that we, here at Whitings, are more than happy to advise on and help you with. So whether this is your first business venture or you’ve had businesses before, it’s always helpful to receive advice…

Tax payers who are mandated into MTD for IT are those who submitted a Self Assessment Tax Return for the year 2024/25 with total qualifying income from sole trade or property in excess of £50,000.   There are cases where these income levels may have dropped below the £50,000 threshold or ceased completely. Here are…