Keeping an eye on the competition

If your competitor is a company, there is quite a lot of information you can obtain free of charge. For example, from the Gov.uk website you can obtain the following details: company information, for example registered address and date of incorporation current and resigned officers document images mortgage charge data previous company names insolvency information You can also set up free email alerts to tell you when...

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The new State Pension

Prior to April 2016, men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953, qualified for a basic State Pension and an Additional State Pension. If you were born after these dates you will qualify for the New State Pension and will no longer be eligible for the Additional State Pension (unless you inherit the Additional State Pension...

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Tax-free gains 2019-20

There are still a number of sales (disposals) that a UK taxpayer can make that will not incur a charge to the UK’s Capital Gains Tax. For most of us they are limited in extent, after all legislators have had plenty of time to close any favourable loop-holes. For most of us, the major tax-free gain remains the sale of our...

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HMRC and the National Minimum Wage rates

Readers are reminded that from 1 April 2019, the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) hourly rates increased to: 25 and over - £8.21 21 to 24 - £7.70 18-20 - £6.15 Under 18 £4.35 Apprentices £3.90 Workers who are entitled to receive these rates as a minimum include: part-time casual labourers, for example someone hired for one day agency workers workers and homeworkers paid by the...

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Landlords faced with another tax hit next year

From April 2020, HMRC are changing two important tax concessions that apply to landlords letting property that they as owners have previously occupied at some point as their home (Principal Private Residence (PPR)). The first is the reduction of the present rule that exempts the final 18 months of ownership from any Capital Gains Tax (CGT) charge. From April 2020 it...

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Employers what is Class 1a NIC?

If you have employees, and if one or more of those employees benefit from the use of facilities that you provide, cheap loans, a company car for example, it is well known that you as their employer will need to inform HMRC of the amount of these benefits following the end of the tax year. Employers new to this situation would...

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Do you manage your own VAT returns?

Unless you opt to register, or use, one of the available VAT special schemes, you are likely paying VAT to HMRC once a quarter based on the difference between the VAT added to your sales invoices less any VAT included in business purchases and expenses (including certain acquisitions of assets). There is a problem with this option if you give credit...

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Expenses you can set-off against rental income

The expenses you claim against your property income will need to follow the usual HMRC ruling that the costs must be incurred wholly and exclusively for the purpose of renting out the property. An example set out on the Gov.uk website illustrates the point: If you buy a new vacuum cleaner for your own home, and also use it to clean your...

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Can you change a will after death?

On the face of it, this sounds implausible. How can you change your will if you have died? In reality, as long as any beneficiaries left worse off after any change, agree, you can change a person’s will after their death. Any change must be completed within two years of the death. The circumstances that such a change can be agreed are to: Reduce...

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Income Tax – regional differences

You will pay Scottish Income Tax if you live in Scotland, Income Tax if you live in England or Northern Ireland and the Welsh Income Tax if you live in Wales. At present, the only regional variations under the control of the Scottish or Welsh governments are the rates of Income Tax charged. For 2019-20, the rates set by the Welsh Government...

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