At the end of this week, 31 January, the UK is leaving the EU. In actuality, we are entering the “transition” period during which we will need to negotiate our ongoing terms of trade with the EU. This transition period is due to end 31 December 2020. In the meantime, back at the coal-face, what do we need to change in...
VAT – how this can affect your cash-flow
Paying VAT should never reduce your business profits as you are acting as an unpaid tax collector for HMRC: the VAT added to your sales (less any VAT paid on your purchases) is simply collected from your customers (less amounts paid to suppliers) and the difference paid to HMRC. But if my customers are registered for VAT can’t they claim this...
Is your home a tax-free zone?
In most cases, if you have lived in your home during the entire period of your ownership of a property, then when you sell that property you should pay no capital gains tax (CGT) on any profit you make on the sale. You can claim the Private Residence Relief (PRR) to exempt any profits made. The situation is very different if...
VAT – leaving the Flat Rate Scheme
The VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS) does simplify the calculation of VAT returns, but there are certain circumstances when you may no longer use the FRS. You will need to leave if your turnover on the anniversary of joining was more than £230,000 including VAT in the last twelve months or if you expect your total income in the next thirty...
Budget day 2020
The treasury has announced that the next budget will be presented by the Chancellor, Sajid Javid, on Wednesday 11th March 2020. In recent years, the Budget has been held in the Autumn. The Autumn Budget 2019 was postponed due to the pre-election uncertainties last year. Now that our government has a significant working majority those uncertainties have been removed. Accordingly, matters...
Muras Matters: Budget Announcement
Background Last week the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid, announced that the next budget will be on 11 March 2020. Mr Javid has said that this budget “will set out ambitious plans to unleash Britain’s potential, level up across the UK and usher in a decade of renewal.” Detail In the run-up to the election, we reported on some of the main...
What now?
Even though many of the uncertainties that have plagued UK politics during 2019 are still to be decided, at least the hiatus in parliament has been resolved; the Conservatives now have a working majority and we can expect action on a number of fronts. Brexit Business readers with any sort of trading platform with the EU need to consider their options as...
In Business? Add these to your new year resolutions
The end of the calendar year is a popular accounting date for many businesses, but for those of us with a year-end accounting date of 31 March 2020, reviewing your management accounts for the nine months to the end of December 2019 is a must-do. Please use the following notes as a check list when you undertake this review: If you...
Spousal CGT tax advantages
It is fairly common knowledge that the UK tax system is biased in favour of married couples or those partners who have entered into a formal civil partnership. Note that from 2 December 2019, the Civil Partnership (Opposite Sex Couples) Regulations 2019 came into effect in England and Wales allowing opposite sex couples to enter into a Civil Partnership for the...
Keeping business records if self-employed
Now that we are approaching the end of the 2019-20 tax year it’s worth noting that you are required to keep your self-employed business records – that underpin your self-assessment tax return for 2019-20 - for 5 years after the 31 January 2021 submission deadline. This means that you will need to retain your 2019-20 business records until the end of...