News
Summer Statement09/07/2020 - More...
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak continued with his campaign to support the business and jobs community today, 8 July 2020, as firms engage with the disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the measures taken to control infection. The main thrust of his announcements during his Summer Economic update concerned his nominated Plan for
Tax Credits updates required this month
08/07/2020 - More...
Families and individuals that receive tax credits should ensure that they review their tax credit claims by 31 July 2020. Claimants who do not inform HMRC about relevant changes in their circumstances by the deadline date may have their payments stopped. HMRC has sent tax credits renewal packs to tax credit claimants and is encouraging
Reminder of businesses opening since 4 July 2020
08/07/2020 - More...
A reminder that since 4 July 2020, many business sectors have been given permission to reopen in England. The businesses are expected to follow COVID-19 secure guidelines. The categories of businesses that have been allowed to reopen include: hotels, hostels, bed and breakfast accommodation, holiday apartments or homes, cottages or
Reminder of businesses not opening 4 July 2020
08/07/2020 - More...
There are business sectors that have not yet been given permission to reopen in England. There has been no indication given as to when these businesses will be able to reopen. Government guidance lists the following businesses that currently need to remain closed, as government assessment suggest that they cannot yet be made sufficiently
UK VAT claims by non EU businesses
08/07/2020 - More...
There are special rules for businesses established outside the EU submitting a claim for VAT incurred on goods or services bought in the UK. The exact rules that determine what VAT is refundable can be complex. There are also a number of conditions which must be met in order for a claim to qualify. The deadline for the submission of a
Finance Bill 2020 progress
08/07/2020 - More...
The government’s Finance Bill 2020 (formally known as Finance Bill 2019-21) has now completed its passage through the House of Commons and the 1st reading at the House of Lords took place on 2 July 2020. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords. The date for the 2nd reading of the
SEISS further update
08/07/2020 - More...
HM Treasury has published a further Treasury Direction made under the Coronavirus Act 2020, ss. 71 and 76, which modifies and extends the effect of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).The Direction mainly deals with the expansion of the SEISS for a final three-month period to 31 August 2020, officially referred to as the
Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill receives Royal Assent
08/07/2020 - More...
The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (the Act) received Royal Assent, with most provisions coming into force on 26 June 2020. The Act addresses numerous issues arising for businesses from the COVID-19 pandemic to give distressed businesses the breathing space they need to get advice and seek a rescue Some of the key
Reclaiming VAT after deregistration
08/07/2020 - More...
Businesses can close a VAT registration for two main reasons. For example, the business has stopped making taxable supplies or a voluntary deregistration can be made by businesses that does not expect its taxable turnover to exceed the deregistration limit. The current deregistration limit is £83,000. A business that deregisters
Redundancy process map
07/07/2020 - More...
Acas has published a process map for employers who are having to consider making redundancies due to coronavirus. The interactive tool has been designed to help employers better understand redundancy processes, required steps and good practice when engaging with employees. It also provides details of options and alternatives to making
The new reality
06/07/2020 - More...
It may be some time before we could state with some certainty that it was back to business as usual; usual being the business environment before the arrival of Coronavirus. What has changed? The major change has been the dampening of demand due to lock-down and other government interventions aimed at job retention and support for
What is working capital?
06/07/2020 - More...
Accountants would say that working capital is the difference between current assets and current liabilities. It is the capital of a business used in day to day trading operations. Current assets are generally those that can be converted into cash reasonably quickly, money in your bank account. For example, stocks and work in progress,
Updated HM Treasury instructions re: CJRS
01/07/2020 - More...
On 26 June 2020, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak made a further (third) Treasury Direction under sections 71 and 76 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 concerning the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). There are a number of important changes to the way the revised scheme works that started to come into effect from 1 July 2020, the date that
Government support for pubs, cafes and restaurants
01/07/2020 - More...
The government has confirmed a further easing of lockdown as pubs, cafes, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers and cinemas have been given permission to reopen in England from 4 July. The launch date has been dubbed as Super Saturday. These changes will see a further move towards the reopening of certain businesses that can operate by
Financial help for debt advisers
01/07/2020 - More...
The government has announced that an extra £37.8 million will be made available to support debt advice providers during 2020-21. The distribution of the money will be overseen by the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). MaPS will set out the process for allocating funds in the coming weeks to charities for debt advice and to other
Reporting Capital Gains on residential property
01/07/2020 - More...
The Capital Gains Tax (CGT) reporting and payment date for UK residents that sell a residential property changed from 6 April 2020. This change means that any CGT due on the sale of a residential property needs to be reported and a payment on account of any CGT due made within 30 days of the completion of the transaction. In practice,
Vehicle MOT dates
01/07/2020 - More...
The government has announced that mandatory MOT tests for car, motorcycle and van owners in England, Scotland and Wales are to be reintroduced from 1 August 2020. This means that all drivers whose vehicle is due for an MOT test from 1 August will be required to get a test certificate to continue driving their vehicle. The government is
Trusts and CGT
01/07/2020 - More...
A trust is an obligation that binds a trustee, an individual or a company to deal with the assets such as land, money and shares which form part of the trust. The person who places assets into a trust is known as a settlor and the trust benefits one or more beneficiaries. The trustees make decisions about how the assets in the trust are
IHT exemption for gifts out of income
01/07/2020 - More...
It is possible for wealthier taxpayers to take advantage of the IHT exemption for gifts and payments that are paid as normal expenditure out of income. This is a very flexible exemption from IHT as there are no specific requirements, for example, making fixed, regular gifts to the same person. With proper planning this can be a
Stock valued at net realisable value
01/07/2020 - More...
One of the acceptable methods to value stock is at the lower of cost and net realisable value (NRV). NRV is broadly defined as the estimated selling price of an asset less any disposal costs. HMRC provides the following guidance in their Business Income Manual. The realisable value is the expected sale price of the relevant stock in the
