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Reforms are being considered that will ensure that Scottish Limited Partnerships continue to be used as a legitimate vehicle for investment in the UK. Measures to crack down on the abuse of a specialised financial arrangement to launder foreign money through the UK was unveiled at the end of April 2018. This is part of…

In a recent press release, HMRC urged underpaid workers to complain as figures show that the number of workers getting the money they're owed by employers has doubled after interventions by HMRC. According to latest figures, in 2017-18, HMRC investigators identified £15.6 million in pay owed to more than a record 200,000 of the UK’s…

There seems to be an endless growth in illegal sites who aim to make money by claiming to be associated with HMRC. The Government announced recently that it had scuppered one of these schemes. According to HMRC: Scammers create websites that look similar to HMRC’s official site and then direct the public to call numbers…

Since April 2016, the amount of tax-free income you can earn from letting a room in your home has increased to £7,500 per annum, or £3,750 if two persons own a property jointly. You can use the scheme if: you let a furnished room to a lodger your letting activity amounts to a trade, for…

You would be hard pushed to find a tax payer who was happy to pay tax. Whatever the economic benefits of taxation, we would all prefer that someone other than ourselves paid the bill. Companies are obliged to disclose their corporation tax liabilities in the year in which they are charged. Profits are stated net…

The government is looking at ways to incentivised users of vans to go green. According to the statistics, less than one in every two hundred vans (0.4%) bought in 2016/17 was an ultra-low emission model. To tackle this issue, the government is seeking views on reforms to vehicle excise duty, currently charged at a flat…

HMRC is launching a new consultation to make sure that people who effectively work as employees pay the right amount of tax. As announced at the Autumn Budget, the consultation will look at how to increase compliance with the existing ‘off-payroll’ working rules. These rules mean that contractors such as IT and management consultants who…

There is something uniquely satisfying about a tax refund. Of course, you must first overpay tax before it can be refunded, but there is a universal joy in receiving a cheque or direct payment to your bank account from HMRC. Occasionally, HMRC will volunteer the information, they may even send you a formal assessment and…

We have all heard of individuals who have been affected by the nefarious antics of loan sharks, lenders that breach the normal fiscal rules by taking advantage of needy persons who do not qualify for support from mainstream banking sources. The government has announced additional funding to crack down on this activity. Their announcement, published…

A typical two parent, two child family can claim £34.40 per week in Child Benefit (CB). In a tax year this would amount to £1,789. Often, this becomes part of the family housekeeping and is spent. Consider Mary and John and their two children. John collects the CB, it is paid into his current account…