Latest blogs for Services

Transferring Second Property into Joint Names: Beware SDLT trap! We commonly advise married clients who are considering a transfer of rental property from one spouse into joint names. Where the owner spouse is a higher rate taxpayer, there is often a potential to make use of the other spouse’s basic rate tax band. The potential income…

Updated: 9th July 2025   Business Credit Rating: Poor rating hurting your business?   If there is one positive that has come out of the UK’s double-dip recession, then it is reminding businesses of how important their credit rating is. In many sectors, both suppliers and customers have now re-engineered their processes to routinely look at…

Sage Launch Cloud Product: 4th time lucky? Despite dominating the SME on-premises accounting software market for over 25 years, Sage have struggled to find traction in the brave new world of cloud hosting. Initial attempts at licensing its best selling Sage50 software through the specialist hoster, Online<>50, gained little traction. The subsequent launch of the same product…

Companies House Filing Deadline Looming: ‘Workaround’ to extend by 3m. Annual statutory accounts are normally due for filing at Companies House 9m after your year end. You can change your company’s year end (also known as its ‘accounting reference date’) to make your company’s financial year run for more or less than 12 months. Shortening your…

Self-Employed Lorry Drivers: Beware HMRC crackdown. HMRC have written to the RHA about the tax status of lorry drivers. The letter outlines the key points of HMRC rules in this area and suggests that a lorry driver is unlikely to be self-employed unless he is an owner driver. HMRC is particularly concerned about some ‘avoidance…

HMRC: Roll-over on farm cottages. Are farm cottages owned by a farming company and occupied by farm workers business property for capital gains tax roll-over relief purposes? It was held in the case of Anderton v Lamb that property occupied by partners in a farming partnership were not. In order to qualify for relief, farm…

Tax Investigation Insurance: Premiums for 2016-17 policy year. Premiums wef 1 April 2016: Limited companies with turnover > £10m …… £540 Limited companies with turnover < £10m …… £185 Partnerships and LLP’s ……………………………. £155 Sole traders ……………………………………………. £100 Private clients……………………………………………..£40 Our tax investigation insurance business is administered from our Bury St Edmunds office(Contact: Jill Holt).

Budget 2016: New CGT planning opportunities. George Osborne’s latest Budget heralded an unexpected reduction in CGT, lopping 8% off both the 18% and 28% rates. But not for residential property- George continued his attack on residential landlords. However, it may well be that sales of other assets are now best deferred until post 5 April…

Whiting & Partners: the ‘hub’ of East Anglia’s accounting services for Road Hauliers The Road Haulage team Whiting & Partners takes pride and enthusiasm in the services it provides to the transport industry.  Through our membership with the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and depth of industry knowledge within the team, we have the scope and…

ECJ Ruling: Holiday pay must be calculated based on all elements of normal earnings. A new case (British Gas v Lock) has confirmed that holiday pay calculations should take account of commission earnings as well as overtime. Mr. Lock, a salesman for British Gas received a basic salary plus commission on a results based. The commission element…