Blog
Improve your cash flow
Posted 6th February 2024 at 1:58 pm
A new report from business rescue and recovery specialists Begbies Traynor estimates that more than 47,000 businesses in the UK are near collapse because of being in critical financial distress. This is a startling increase of 25.9% from the previous quarter, with particular concern raised for the construction and real estate sectors. Whilst we can hope that falling inflation and interest rates will give a boost to these businesses over the coming months, this news might encourage all businesses to turn their attention to optimising their cash flow, which is an essential component of sustained growth and success. In particular,... Read more
Business Valuation: Why it matters and how you can boost it
Posted 30th January 2024 at 11:55 am
Being tuned into the current value of your business can be very useful in shaping the business for growth or for a future sale. In this blog, we explore the significance of business valuation and provide advice to help you propel your business value to new heights. Business valuation serves as a comprehensive assessment of your business’s worth. It goes beyond financial metrics and encompasses various factors that contribute to the overall worth of your business. Being aware of the value of your business and the factors that influence this can then inform and influence your decisions in crucial areas... Read more
Holiday pay and entitlement reforms
Posted 22nd January 2024 at 11:23 am
Following Brexit, any European laws that were retained in the UK automatically expired on December 31 unless legislation was brought in to keep them. The Employment Rights Regulations 2023 do just that and are applicable across the UK. As well as reinstating some EU laws, these regulations make several changes to existing laws. These reforms, which came into force on 1st January, include changes that affect rates of holiday pay and annual leave. They also cover handling irregular hours and part-year workers, accrual of COVID-19 carryover of leave, and rolled-up holiday pay. The aim of these changes is to simplify... Read more
What tax do you pay if you sell on eBay?
Posted 9th January 2024 at 10:27 am
In these economically challenging times, and in an era where we are all more conscious of our impact on the environment, many of us are choosing to sell our unwanted second-hand items on sites like eBay, with some people even making this their main source of income. You might think of this as ‘free money’ but in fact, this is unfortunately not necessarily the case. The tax implications of selling on eBay are more obvious if you are making or buying goods specifically to sell for a profit – HMRC will view this as business income that needs declaring. However,... Read more
Reporting PAYE information in real time – Early Christmas Payments
Posted 18th December 2023 at 11:17 am
Some employers pay their employees earlier than usual over the Christmas period. This can be for a number of reasons, for example, during the Christmas period the business may close, meaning workers need to be paid earlier than normal. If you do pay early over the Christmas period, please report your normal or contractual payday as the payment date on your Full Payment Submission (FPS) and ensure that the FPS is submitted on or before this date. For example, if you pay on Friday 22 December 2023 but the normal or contractual payment date is Friday 29 December 2023, you... Read more
Important changes to UK company law
Posted 4th December 2023 at 12:32 pm
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023 and will introduce a number of changes over the next few years. The act gives Companies House the power to play a more significant role in tackling economic crime and supporting economic growth. Over time, the measures will lead to improved transparency and more accurate and trusted information on Companies House registers. The legislation applies to companies and other entities registered in England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland and applies to anyone who files on behalf of clients, such as accountants and company formation agents.... Read more
The Autumn Statement
Posted 28th November 2023 at 5:29 pm
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last week unveiled the government’s tax and spending plans in the Autumn Statement. He started his speech by saying that there were 110 measures to “Help grow the British economy”. Growth is better than expected this year according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), although they state the impact of the Autumn Statement on output growth will be “modest”. They state that the economy recovered more fully from the pandemic and weathered the energy shock better than expected, but they expect inflation to remain higher for longer, taking until the second quarter of 2025 to... Read more
Growing your business? Just keep going!
Posted 20th November 2023 at 4:24 pm
The Bank of England (BOE) recently held interest rates at 5.25% and warned that the restrictive policy will remain for an extended period, despite the bleak economic outlook. BOE forecasts suggest the UK will not get to the 2% inflation target until the end of 2025. They expect inflation to fall to around 5% by the end of this year. Their forecasts also predict that output will remain stagnant in 2024. The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, remains more optimistic and was quoted as saying that the UK economy has remained far more resilient than many expected. Clearly things are changing rapidly... Read more
Inheritance Tax Planning Tips
Posted 14th November 2023 at 3:57 pm
With inheritance tax receipts to HMRC set to reach new levels this financial year, now more than ever families are needing to plan for their future. Inheritance tax could take a large proportion of your wealth – 40% of everything above £325,000 – and stop your family members enjoying the results of your hard work. Avoiding or reducing inheritance tax is possible if you have expert advice and plan accordingly. Below are three essentials to mitigate inheritance tax. Talk to your family The first step towards a successful inheritance plan for all families is communication. Talk to your spouse,... Read more
New guidance from HMRC on home-charging of company electric and hybrid vehicles
Posted 7th November 2023 at 12:41 pm
HMRC has recently provided amended guidance on the tax treatment of the costs of charging company cars and vans at home. Where reimbursed by the employer, the costs of charging electric and hybrid company vehicles at home are now treated as a tax-free benefit, in contrast to their previous treatment as taxable earnings. HMRC has updated the EIM23900 manual to reflect this revised guidance. Section 239 ITEPA 2003 details an exemption on payments and benefits provided in connection with company cars and vans. This legislative provision therefore exempts aspects such as vehicle repairs, insurance, and road tax. HMRC previously maintained that... Read more