Month: July 2018

  • Making Tax Digital – obligations from 1st April 2019

    Obligations from 1 April 2019 onwards. Although the Making Tax Digital (MTD) regime has suffered several setbacks and delays, MTD for VAT remains on course to take effect from its planned implementation date of 1 April 2019. Under the scheme, VAT-registered businesses are required to maintain digital records, complete the VAT return from the digital…

  • Letting holiday accommodation – the good and bad

    The pros and cons of letting furnished holiday accommodation. When furnished holiday property is let on a commercial basis for short periods, the owner can benefit from certain tax reliefs which wouldn’t otherwise be available to residential landlords, providing certain conditions are met. However, there are also several disadvantages associated with letting property as holiday…

  • Working pensioners pay £8.6bn in income tax

    Working pensioners are on course to pay £8.6 billion in income tax in 2018/19, according to Aegon. The number of pensioner households containing at least one person working beyond their state pension age increased from 12% in 1997/98 to an estimated 17% in 2018/19. Aegon estimates there are around 12.8 million people living in 8.7…

  • SME’s missing out on balance interest

    Small business owners could alleviate pressure on their cashflow by paying more attention to business savings interest, according to a report. Aldermore polled 950 SME owners and sole traders and found that 62% are earning no interest on their business savings at all. Over half (53%) are earning less than £300 a year in interest…

  • VAT – raise or lower the threshold?

    The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) has called for the VAT threshold to be increased, in response to a government consultation. The current £85,000 threshold at which businesses must register for VAT has been frozen until 2020, while the government deliberates on its approach to the tax. Chancellor Philip Hammond considered lowering…

  • Apprenticeships levy – flawed system?

    Pressure is mounting on the government to reform the apprenticeships system, following recent apprenticeship levy statistics. The Institute of Directors (IoD) has joined the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in urging the government to address ongoing problems with the levy. Apprenticeship starts were down 25% for the seven months to February 2018 compared with the…