National insurance contributions (NICs) are set aside to pay the state pension and other benefits, but due to the UK’s ageing population the National Insurance Fund is under increasing strain, with the state pension taking up more than 90% of its annual outlay in 2018. A review by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) predicted the…

Leading tax bodies have joined the House of Lords in calls to delay the introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for all taxes, less than three months before it’s due to come into force for VAT. MTD is finally due to commence on 1 April 2019 for VAT-registered businesses with an annual taxable turnover of…

The Office for Tax Simplification (OTS) has urged the Government to implement a digital system for inheritance tax, following complaints the current form-filling system is too complex. On average, there are around 570,000 deaths in the UK every year, although inheritance tax is due on less than 5% of estates. Although the majority of estates…

  As the year draws to a close, the thought of your tax return is there, at the back of your mind. But with so much time before the deadline, you decide not to worry about it for now. Then the weeks start to fly by, Christmas comes and goes, and soon you’re planning for…

Individuals set to benefit from an increase to the higher-rate threshold in 2019 will only see half of the tax reduction expected, as a result of a Budget measure not mentioned in the Chancellor’s speech. In Budget 2018, the Chancellor announced that the higher-rate income tax threshold would increase from £46,350 to £50,000 in 2019/20.…

Contractors could face a higher tax bill from April 2020 when reforms to IR35 legislation are set to take effect in the private sector. This is expected to raise more than £3 billion between 2020 and 2024, as self-employed individuals who fall within the rules, and the businesses engaging them, will face a higher tax…

The annual investment allowance is set to temporarily increase from £200,000 to £1 million, allowing businesses to gain more tax relief on their investments. This will take effect from 1 January 2019 and remain in place until 31 December 2020, after which it is due to revert back to £200,000. Using the annual investment allowance,…

When and how to begin the process of deregistration. These days VAT thresholds are the subject of much speculation, with the Government concerned that many business owners deliberately choose to stay below the VAT-registration threshold. Limiting your ambition in this way might seem counter-intuitive – surely you want your business to get as big as…

How your pension savings can help finance your business. As traditional loans fall out of favour with increasing numbers of business owners, you may be looking for an alternative route for financing – and your pension could be the answer. Data from the British Business Bank shows that in 2017 the number of small businesses…

What are the tax implications? People run businesses for a variety of reasons from passion to pride, but making a living is high up the list for most people. How do you go about drawing profit from your business, and doing so efficiently? If your business operates as a partnership or sole trader, the profits…

A think tank is calling for inheritance tax to be abolished, as part of a set of proposals for major reform to the UK tax system. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) published its 10-part plan for economic reform, which includes replacing the system of inheritance tax with a new ‘lifetime gifts tax’. Under…

Chancellor Philip Hammond has opted to scrap the planned abolition of class 2 national insurance contributions (NICs). The Government was originally due to abolish class 2 NICs for the self-employed from 6 April 2018, but the move was delayed for 12 months in November 2017 and has now been abandoned. The policy, which was first…