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In certain circumstances it can be beneficial to make voluntary National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to increase your entitlement to benefits, including the State or New State Pension. Usually, HMRC allows you to pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 tax years. The deadline is 5 April each year. However, there is currently an opportunity for…

The Gift Aid scheme, which was originally introduced in 1990, allows charities to reclaim from HMRC the basic rate of Income Tax deducted from qualifying donations by UK taxpayers. This means that when a basic rate taxpayer claims gift aid on a £10 donation, the charity can reclaim from HMRC the £2.50 of tax paid…

Fraudsters often try to take advantage of the 31 July deadline for submitting tax credits renewal information. The fraudulent emails, texts or calls claim to be from HMRC and often promise money back in the form of a tax rebate together with a click-through link to a replica of the HMRC website. The fraudsters then…

HMRC has confirmed that plans to extend the Help to Save scheme by 18 months, until April 2025 have been confirmed. The Help to Save scheme is intended to help those on low incomes to boost their savings. Eligible users of the scheme can save between £1 and £50 every calendar month and receive a…

Support measures have been agreed for those struggling with, or anxious about, their mortgage repayments. A new mortgage charter was approved following a meeting of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the UK’s principal mortgage lenders and the Financial Conduct Authority. Three of the key measures Anyone concerned can talk to their bank or their mortgage…

The Education Secretary has claimed businesses are ‘driving with the handbrake on’ without the right skills. Gillian Keegan, who was speaking last week at the Government’s Business Connect Skills for Growth conference, said: “I know from my years in business that organisations drive innovation and create opportunities, but without skilled workers, it often feels like…

More than 200 companies – including several household names – have been named and shamed for failing to pay minimum wage to members of staff. The 202 employers left around 63,000 workers out of pocket to the tune of almost £5 million in a breach of National Minimum Wage law. Companies being named range from…

AI – or to give it its full name, artificial intelligence – has been hitting the headlines in recent months, arousing concerns that bots are going to make humans redundant. Fear of the unknown is a big factor as we continue to learn about all the skills that can be taught to these mysterious non-beings.…

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, businesses are embracing the benefits of hiring talent from overseas. However, if you are considering appointing someone from another country, there are additional considerations and requirements, including ensuring the necessary documentation is in place. The immigration system has specific rules and regulations for employing individuals from abroad. You need…

Schemes offering people shares in their employer are set for a shake-up as the Government explores changes to help boost business growth. The Government wants to hear views on Save As You Earn (SAYE) and the Share Incentive Plan (SIP), as it seeks to improve the schemes and expand their use by making it easier…