Latest General Practice

The 2024 Autumn Budget made several announcements in relation to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) all of which were re-affirmed in the 2025 Spring Statement. Most of these are due to commence from 6th April 2025 and here is a reminder of the changes.   Business Asset Disposal Relief: Business Asset Disposal Relief, previously known under…

From April 2026 the next stage of Making Tax Digital (MTD) roll-out, MTD for income tax self-assessment (ITSA), begins.   What will this mean for you: If your income from sole trader profits and rental income is over £50k then you will need to start completing quarterly returns to HMRC through software, as well as…

Celebrating (sic) its 20th anniversary, HMRC have just set out the Government’s vision for the future of the UK tax authority: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/exchequer-secretary-to-the-treasury-20-years-of-hmrc-reflections-and-looking-ahead   This keynote speech by James Murray, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, has given us advance warning of what specific modernisation and reform changes to the tax system that we might now…

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have issued a warning to UK resident tax payers with over £3,500 in savings interest that they could face unexpected tax bills to 5th April.   HMRC are aware of interest received on savings accounts excluding ISA’s which are tax free and as such know who have exceeded their personal…

Are you aware of how the April NIC increases will effect Directors’ salaries?   From 6th April 2025, increases in Class 1 Employer’s National Insurance will come into effect, with the following changes: Employer’s NIC rate increasing from 13.8% to 15%. The secondary threshold, above which employer’s NIC are due, reducing from £9,100 to £5,000.…

The results are in. HMRC have released their 2025 Self Assessment facts and figures.   The 2025 Self Assessment facts and figures are as follows: 12,026,540 Self Assessment Tax Returns were issued to tax payers 10,887,810 expected tax returns were received by 31 January (90.5% of returns expected – down from 94.5% in 2024) an estimated…

Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming ID checks at Companies House. From Autumn 2025, Companies House will implement mandatory ID checks for directors and persons with significant control (PSCs) of UK companies. This initiative aims to enhance corporate transparency and combat fraud, addressing concerns over the misuse of corporate structures for criminal…

If you can’t pay your Self Assessment tax bill that was due for payment on 31st January 2025 and need help, you should contact HMRC as soon as possible.   For Self Assessment, you may be able to set up a payment plan online. This will enable you to pay your Self Assessment tax bill in instalments without…

The HMRC “Nudge Unit”, previously called the Behavioural Insights Team, was a department within the Cabinet Office that was tasked with improving government services and saving money by employing a blend of behavioural economics and psychology.  An example of this in practice is the so-called “nudge” letters (referred to by HMRC as ‘one-to-many’ letters) HMRC…

As we approach another personal tax year end, we turn our thoughts to tax planning opportunities and actions that should be considered before 5 April. The list below is not exhaustive; however, it should provide some food for thought.   Pension Contributions Higher rate and additional rate tax can be saved on pension contributions. However,…