As we have highlighted in many posts to this blog, from 1 April 2019, ALL VAT registered businesses with turnover above the £85,000 VAT registration threshold will have to submit their VAT returns from within software that can link with HMRC’s networks. In techno- speak, your data will need to be transferred using a designated API (HMRC’s application programming interface). The...
A possible, unwelcome increase in service charges
From 1 November 2018, owners of properties on estates or sites that are obliged to pay service charges to a management company - for example, for the maintenance of common areas, gardens, or the employment of a site warden or caretaker - may be in for an unwelcome surprise. It would seem that HMRC have applied a concession in the past...
What is an OpRA?
OpRA is the acronym for an optional remuneration arrangement. Before April 2018, these were termed “salary sacrifice” arrangements. Essentially, both are benefits in kind (BiK) offered to employees in place of salary increases. Recent changes ensure that that where such benefits are offered recipients many are taxed as if the cash value of the benefits provided were taken as salary. Readers should...
Would you set off for uncharted territory without a plan?
Truthfully, no one knows what trading conditions will be like once we exit the EU. Will supply chains seize up or will it be business as usual? If there is a possibility, however remote, that the commercial landscape will change, doesn’t it make sense to undertake an assessment of any downside risks and plan accordingly? From a Brexit point of view, supply...
Tax Diary December 2018/January 2019
1 December 2018 - Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 29 February 2018. 19 December 2018 - PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 December 2018. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 December 2018) 19 December 2018 - Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 December...
Are you eligible to claim the Marriage Allowance?
Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,190 of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner - if they earn more than you. This reduces their tax by up to £238 in the tax year. To benefit from this arrangement, you (as the lower earner) must have an income below your Personal Allowance - this is £11,850 for the current...
What is AEO?
Businesses that presently trade with the EU block may like to consider applying for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status. The following notes explain why this may be helpful. AEO status is an internationally recognised quality mark that shows: your role in the international supply chain is secure your customs controls and procedures are efficient and meet EU standards It’s not mandatory, but gives quicker...
Tax free perks at Christmas time
This article is our usual reminder of the tax breaks available if you are organising a Christmas party for your staff. Many businesses take time out to provide their employees with a work based party or similar event. If you are concerned about the tax consequences of Christmas celebrations, read on. We have included in this article ways to organise these...
Disqualified from acting as a director
When a director has been found guilty of mismanagement verging on fraud, one of the remedies that the courts can impose is disqualification as a director. But what does this actually mean? A disqualified director has to abide to the following restrictions: While the order or undertaking is in force, it stops a person acting as if they were a director. Accordingly,...
Keep private bank accounts private
Many small businesses, including landlords, use personal bank accounts to lodge business receipts and make business payments. If traders in this situation are subject to a HMRC enquiry into their business affairs, HMRC would be entitled to request sight of all bank accounts that record business transactions even if those accounts are essentially, personal bank accounts. As many of the transactions...