Employers need to be aware that since 6 April 2024, employees are entitled to take a week’s unpaid leave each year if they need to fulfil caring responsibilities for a dependant. An important consideration is…
Child benefit charge changes confirmed
Taxpayers will benefit from the changes made to the high income child benefit charge thanks to all tax measures from the March 2024 Budget being enacted before parliament was prorogued. Changes to benefit charge For…
Not in the NIC of time
A useful new web tool has emerged, a little late in the game, in a joint effort from two government departments. In early 2023, HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found they…
Uncertainty for landlords
Despite support from the Labour Party, the Renters (Reform) Bill was not enacted before parliament was prorogued ahead of the general election. The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act made it under the wire, but without…
Election tax stories…………………
It’s early days yet, but some pointers on tax have emerged from both the main parties. Within one week of the surprise firing of the general election starting gun, both the Conservatives and Labour have…
Electric vehicles can boost income with salary sacrifice
It may seem counter-intuitive, but taking a pay cut and opting for a salary sacrifice scheme with an electric car can boost take-home pay thanks to tax and national insurance contribution (NIC) savings. Salary sacrifice…
The importance of a well-drafted will
The risk of relying on homemade wills was highlighted in a recent case where a will was held to be invalid. Even a well-written will must be kept up to date given the possibility of…
Landlord update on Renters Reform Bill
The Renters Reform Bill has finally completed its passage through the House of Commons with important concessions made in favour of landlords. Landlords with leasehold property may also benefit from an annual cap of £250…
Have you overlooked a changed tax status?
With allowances frozen or cut, you may have underpaid tax for 2023/24. Your tax position may have changed for the last year without you really noticing. Consider the following: Tax Year 2021/22 2023/24 2024/25 Personal…
Daily penalties come in for late self assessment returns
Around 1.1 million taxpayers who failed to submit the self assessment tax return for 2022/23 on 31 January 2024 now face a £10 daily penalty charge by HMRC. HMRC has imposed a daily penalty of…