Commencing this month, HMRC will begin sending out simple assessments. They will come as a surprise to many recipients. From June 2025, HMRC will begin to issue simple assessment letters to those who are not required to…
Directors personal liability in costs in winding up proceedings
It’s not often we ask directors to personally fund costs of legal services following the issue of a winding up petition, but it is a necessary move given s.127(1) of the Insolvency Act 1986. For…
HMRC suffers from too much interest
Taxpayers relying on HMRC to sort out the tax due on interest are given a warning. As had often been noted over the last few years, one of the strategies adopted by successive governments to…
Companies House Identity Verification
Identity verification is being introduced for directors, people with significant control (PSC) and those who file at Companies House. Verification is currently voluntary, but will be made mandatory from this autumn. From autumn 2025, mandatory…
Mandatory Payrolling: Employee Benefits
The deadline requiring employers to report most taxable benefits through payroll software has been postponed by one year to 6 April 2027. As a result, employers can continue using form P11D to report benefits for…
Statutory Sick Pay Changes
Proposed changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will introduce entitlement from the first day of sickness, with the lower earnings threshold removed. The changes are part of the Employment Rights Bill, currently progressing through parliament.…
More detail on business and agricultural IHT reliefs threshold cut
HMRC’s recently closed consultation offers further clarity on how the £1 million inheritance tax (IHT) business and agricultural relief allowance will work from 6 April 2026. The total value of business and agricultural property eligible…
What might spark a CGT bill?
With basic rate taxpayers now facing doubling capital gains tax (CGT) rates, and with the exempt amount a quarter of its previous level, it is no surprise that considerably more CGT is being paid to…
Time To Pay? New VAT Late Payment Penalties
It is now more expensive to be late when it comes to making a VAT payment. The slowest payers now face a 250% increase to an annualised rate. In addition, the rate of late payment…
Paying the high income child benefit charge
From this summer, employed taxpayers who have to pay the high income child benefit charge (HICBC) will no longer need to complete a self assessment tax return. Instead, they can report the charge using HMRC’s…