Latest blogs for Specialisms

For most of my life sugar beet have represented a stable but unexciting crop. Sugar adjusted yields have seemed reasonably consistent from year to year and the price for which the commodity could be sold has been negotiated by the NFU and British Sugar before growing contracts have been agreed. I have just listened to…

  Tax planning is not often at the top of the to-do list when a couple are separating, however, the timing of asset transfers can make a huge difference for tax purposes.   The rules as things stand   Married couples and civil partners can transfer chargeable assets between them without incurring capital gains tax…

With the reduction of BPS over the coming years and movement in Sustainable Farming Incentives, many farmers/growers are looking for alternatives to traditional crops. One crop that has come to my attention recently is Mustard.   Through a cooperative, English Mustard Growers Ltd, mustard is being sourced throughout Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. The benefits…

If you run a construction company and would like some more feedback on:   How your company is doing? Which jobs are most profitable? Keeping track of your staffs location and working hours?   Then there are plenty of apps that can integrate with your accountancy package like Xero, Sage and QuickBooks which will make…

  The Competition Appeal Tribunal delivered a landmark judgement 8th June 2022 allowing the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to proceed with its collective claim on behalf of hauliers seeking damages from some of the world’s largest truck manufacturers over their alleged involvement in a price-fixing cartel operating between 1997 and 2011. Over 18,000 operators have…

  As of Thursday last week the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) went live for applications.   With the continuing decline of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), DEFRA is hoping that the SFI will be popular among farmers and landowners, predicting that about 70% will put land into the scheme.   As the name suggests, the…

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has been asked by HMRC to share the message below about the recent pausing of Research & Development Tax Credit (RDTC) payments with their members.   Message from HMRC: “We previously notified agents that we have paused some Research & Development Tax Credit (RDTC) payments while we investigate an increase…

What is your pension saving statement? Your pension savings statement details your ‘pension input’ or ‘growth’ across all your NHS schemes during the 2021/22 tax year, as well as the previous three tax years. Your pension input amount is simply the growth in the capital value, above inflation, of your NHS pension benefits. Why do…

Back in March 2022, DEFRA quietly published new regulation affecting users of plant protection products (PPPs). All businesses, organisations or sole traders that use professional PPPs (sprays to you and I) need to register to comply with the new regulations by 22nd June 2022. This applies to all farmers, contractors, estates, landlords who use contractors,…

Understanding how to account for your business’s transactions with online selling platforms can be complicated. Ensuring that you are submitting the correct information to HMRC can be tricky as not all platforms have the same VAT treatment.   A2X could make your life easier by saving you time and headaches from the complex world of…