This is a question we often come across in our practice and the answer may surprise you: YES. HMRC can look into your bank account without your permission. Since 2021, HMRC has had in fact the power to contact your bank directly if they suspect something isn’t quite right with your taxes. They don’t need…
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Managing employee benefits and expenses can feel like navigating a maze, especially when it comes to reporting to HMRC. If you’ve provided any taxable expenses or benefits in the 2024/25 tax year, it’s crucial to hit the right deadlines—both for HMRC filings and for keeping your team informed. Even if you’ve payrolled benefits through real-time…
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Thinking about taking a new company car or hanging on to the one you’ve got? Here’s the low‑down on how the tax rules are about to creep up over the next few years—and why your electric run‑about might not stay the bargain it looks today. First, a quick refresher. If you can use your company…
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Starting 6 April 2025, employers begin paying NI on an employee’s wages once those earnings hit £96 a week (that’s £417 a month or £5,000 a year). Because the threshold is dropping, some part-timers who used to fly under the radar will now cost their bosses NI. To make life tougher, the employer rate itself…
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If you own a personal or family company, it’s worth reviewing your dividend strategy before the 2024/25 tax year concludes. In particular, you may want to decide whether paying a dividend ahead of 6 April 2025 could be to your advantage. In this case consider the following points: 1. Check Your Retained Profits Dividends can…
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1. Increase in Secondary Class 1 National Insurance Rate: Current Rate: Employers currently pay 13.8% in secondary Class 1 National Insurance contributions on employee earnings above the secondary threshold. New Rate: Starting 6 April 2025, this rate will rise by 1.2 percentage points, from 13.8% to 15%. This is a substantial increase that will impact…
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Promising not to increase taxes for ‘working people’, Chancellor Rachel Reeves today unveiled increases to capital gains tax and employer’s national insurance but unfroze the personal tax thresholds from 2028 in a Budget aimed at repairing the public finances. Below are details of some of the key announcements from today’s budget: Taxation and Business: £40bn…
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Scammers are increasingly skilled at deceiving individuals, often using letters, texts, or emails that seem to come from HMRC and frequently promise tax refunds in exchange for personal and financial information. Recently, many taxpayers received a convincing scam letter allegedly from HMRC’s Individuals and Small Business Compliance scheme. This letter requested sensitive information, including business…
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The VAT flat rate scheme is designed to simplify VAT reporting for smaller VAT-registered businesses. Instead of calculating the difference between the VAT charged to customers and the VAT paid on business expenses, businesses in the scheme pay a fixed percentage of their VAT-inclusive turnover directly to HMRC. This percentage varies depending on the business…
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Earlier this year, HMRC reached out to wealthy taxpayers who had not filed tax returns for the 2020/21 and/or 2021/22 tax years. The letters were sent to individuals who had submitted returns for 2020/21 and 2022/23 but not for 2021/22, or for those who had filed returns for 2019/20 and 2022/23 but not for 2020/21…
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