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The following extracts from HMRC’s website explain how certain benefits to employees can be tax-free. Surprisingly, HMRC describe these as “trivial” benefits. You don’t have to pay tax on a benefit for your employee if all of the following apply: it cost you £50 or less to provide it isn’t cash or a cash voucher…

We are approaching the end of the calendar year, goodbye 2019, and the end of the of the current tax year, 2019-20, will draw to a close 5 April 2020. Add to this self-assessment deadlines, Brexit changes, election results and will we – won’t we – have a budget speech any time soon, and it’s…

Most buy-to-let property is let on short leases to a single tenant. The income from rents is treated as a property business, but a number of reliefs available to other trading businesses are not available to buy-to-let landlords. However, if these same properties were let as Furnished Holiday Let (FHLs) property, more advantageous tax benefits…

Businesses that have a significant number of workers who are paid at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (NLW) rates should probably read the recent independent report that suggests rates of NLW could rise, as internationally, there is evident that realistic rises have little impact on employment levels but do have a positive…

Believe it or not, HMRC will consider you are the employer of a nanny, housekeeper, gardener or anyone else who works in your home if both the following criteria apply: you hire them, and they are not self-employed or paid through an agency. If these criteria do apply this means you have certain responsibilities, like…

1 November 2019 - Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 31 January 2019. 19 November 2019 - PAYE and NIC deductions due for the month ended 5 November 2019. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 November 2019.) 19 November 2019 - Filing deadline for the CIS300…

As a general rule, if you sell shares for more than you paid for them, any profit you make will be chargeable to Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Shares and investments you may need to pay tax on include: shares that are not in an ISA or PEP units in a unit trust certain bonds (not…

It is fine to keep working past your State Retirement Age unless your employment is subject to retirement at a compulsory retirement age. If your employer does this, they must give a good reason, for example: the job requires certain physical abilities (e.g. in the construction industry) or the job has an age limit set…

When you make a gift to third parties you are potentially transferring part of your estate and a life-time charge to IHT may be applied. However, in most cases you will not need to open your cheque book as there are a number of exemptions that may cover your intended gifts. The current gift exemptions…

This article does not cover the risks of owning an electric car, depreciation rates etc. Instead it discusses the tax implications if you buy an electric car for business purposes. As electric cars have zero carbon emissions for tax purposes it should be possible to claim what is called a “first year allowance” when the…