Autumn Budget 2024 – Preview

With Labour’s inaugural Budget taking place on 30 October, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has set the tone by cautioning that “difficult decisions” need to be made on key areas such as spending, tax and welfare. With an apparent GBP22bn “black hole” in the public finances, speculation is mounting over the taxes the Chancellor may choose to amend to plug the gap. We already know that school fees have been targeted, with…

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Missed the Self Assessment filing deadline? Here’s what to do

The deadline for submitting a Self Assessment tax return online is midnight on 31 January each year. If you missed the Self Assessment filing deadline for reporting your 2023/24 income, you should send your tax return as soon as possible. Depending on how quickly you do this, you may be able to minimise the late filing penalties applied by HMRC.  An estimated 1.1 million people missed the deadline for filing…

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Autumn Statement 2023

/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFZ14qhUl0E On 22 November, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt unveiled the government’s latest tax and spending plans saying “we back British business” announcing 110 growth measures which he said would boost business investment by £20bn a year. The Chancellor said the government had taken difficult decisions to put the economy “back on track” and claimed, “our plan for the British economy is working.” He also stressed that “the work…

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How to submit a VAT return

Wondering how to do a VAT return and pay your tax bill to HMRC? It can feel overwhelming if you’re a newly-registered small business and trying to understand all the forms and processes. Fortunately, this guide explains how to do a VAT return and the different rules if you’re using one of the special accounting schemes. And if you’re not sure whether you need to register or if you’re over the threshold, I…

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Bonus or Dividend from April 2023

It’s common for director shareholders to take additional remuneration in the form of dividends rather than bonuses. But with the corporation tax hike from April 2023 to 25%, would it be better to take bonuses instead in the 2023/24 tax year? Historically dividends have been a more tax-efficient remuneration option than bonuses, particularly for those director shareholders with income in the higher and additional rate bands. However, there was a 1.25%…

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Changes to the Period of Taxation for Unincorporated Businesses

The way in which the tax basis period is calculated for the self-employed and partnerships is set to be reformed ahead of the implementation of Making Tax Digital in April 2024. How Does it Work Presently? At present unincorporated businesses are free to choose their accounting year-end. These profits are then taxed according to the tax year in which the accounting year-end falls. A business with a year-end of 30…

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The Residence Nil Rate Band When There’s No Residence

Your mother recently died having spent the last couple of years in care. Last year her home was sold to help pay nursing home fees. When preparing the inheritance tax forms are you entitled to claim the residence nil rate band? Residence Nil Rate Band The inheritance tax (IHT) residence nil rate band (RNRB) was introduced in 2017. It followed pressure on the Government to protect estates which had fallen…

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Higher Taxes and Levies

The recently announced rise in National Insurance (NI) and dividend tax was unwelcome news for most workers but especially for business owner managers. What impact can you expect the increases to have on your income? There’s more to the NI and dividend tax increases than was apparent when they were first announced. The first point to note is that the additional 1.25% NI is a temporary measure for 2022/23 only.…

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