We have also become aware of scam letters and emails purporting to be from HMRC being sent to taxpayers. These letters request important personal information which would be needed by fraudsters to access your data. If you have doubts about whether a communication from...

HMRC have recently increased their use of “one to many” or “nudge” letters to taxpayers which suggest that there may be errors or omissions in tax returns or accounts information.  HMRC argue that these letters are a key tool in their compliance strategy but this...

The current State Pension is £11,502 and is due to rise to around £12,000 a year for 2025/26. At current annuity rates it would cost over £300,000 to receive an index-linked annuity starting at £12,000 a year, so it’s important to maximise your entitlement. In order...

Under current pension rules, many pension funds allow pension scheme members to withdraw up to 25% of their pension savings tax-free. Finance Act 2023 limited the tax-free amount to £268,275 unless the individual had applied for protection at a higher amount. There...

If you, or your child, was born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, there could be a savings account with your or their name on it – literally! More than 670,000 young people, aged 18-22, have yet to claim their Child Trust Fund, with HM Revenue & Customs...

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that details how the two organisations will cooperate to improve the UK’s cyber resilience. The aim is that their working more...

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics last week show that the UK economy showed no growth in July 2024. This is the second month in a row as there was also no growth in June. However, looking at the three months ending in July, Gross Domestic Product...

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has declared a bluetongue restricted zone across Norfolk and Suffolk following several confirmed cases of Bluetongue virus BTV3 in the region. Since 30 August all keepers of cattle, sheep, and other ruminants and camelids in this area...

Many wealthy individuals are apparently passing on substantial amounts of their wealth in anticipation of possible changes to inheritance tax (IHT) in Labour’s first Budget on 30 October. This allegedly includes a number of high-profile individuals such as TV...

Last month, the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced a significant government crackdown on employers hiring migrants illegally. Overview of the government's crackdown From Sunday 18 to Saturday 24 August, Immigration Enforcement teams carried out a series of...

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, speaking from Downing Street last Tuesday, has said that the budget in October will be “painful” and the government would be making “big asks” of the country. He said that the country would need to be prepared to “accept...

As a pensioner you were likely dismayed to learn that Winter Fuel Payments are now being restricted to those who are on benefits and Pension Credit. The Winter Fuel Payment is a key benefit to help with increased heating costs during winter that was previously paid to...

The Office of National Statistics has reported that inflation for July has risen to 2.2%. This is the first rise of 2024 after inflation fell during the early part of the year and then settled at 2% for May and June. A rise was expected because energy prices are now...

The economy is continuing to grow, according to the latest figures for the April to June quarter. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to have increased by 0.6% for the quarter. This compares with an increase of 0.7% for the January to March quarter. Two quarters...

The Bank of England’s decision to reduce the base rate to 5% means that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will also reduce their interest rates. The interest rates charged by HM Revenue and Customs on late tax payments, as well as the rates they pay on repayments are...

The UK government has announced £32 million in funding for 98 innovative AI projects, aimed at improving efficiency in various sectors. These include delivery of prescriptions, railway maintenance and training construction workforces. The funding will support over 200...

The previous government included plans to end non-domiciled tax status at the Spring Budget and replace it with a 4-year foreign income and gains (FIG) regime. The new government have now announced their intention to continue with these plans, while ending some...

Dealing with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) can often be challenging. Long wait times when calling for assistance, incorrect refund amounts, errors in tax codes, and other issues can be frustrating. Recently, the decline in service standards from HMRC has been...

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released guidance aimed at assisting developers, engineers, decision-makers, and risk owners in the creation and use of machine learning systems. Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence where computers...

While commenting on the GDP growth and what it indicates about the economy, the Prime Minister again drew attention to National Insurance. The article released by the Prime Minister’s Office noted that the progress in the economy has allowed them to bring down taxes,...

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have released figures showing that 295,250 Self Assessment tax returns were filed in the first week of the new tax year. Almost 70,000 were filed on the first day – April 6th. This seems to suggest an increasing trend for filing tax...

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published an article outlining its approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in workplaces. The article has some implications that businesses should consider, as follows: Regulatory compliance As with any other area...

A new digital service has been launched that makes it easier to check if you have any gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record that may affect your State Pension entitlement. GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR WIMBLEDON ACCOUNTANTS The service is called Check Your State Pension...

According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.2% in the 12 months to March 2024. This is down from 3.4% in February. The main reason for the change was that prices for food are rising by less...

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are running a campaign to help people avoid being caught out by tax avoidance schemes. This is particularly relevant to those who are contractors, agency workers, or are working through an umbrella company. Tax avoidance schemes are...

Losing access to any of your digital accounts can be very stressful, and if it’s an account you need for work this can be doubly the case. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) produces guidance that can help the self-employed and sole traders as well as any...

New Disability Confident guidance has been published to help managers recruit, retain, and foster the progression of disabled people and those with health conditions in the workplace. The Disability Confident scheme is voluntary and helps employers make the most of...

As a result of a new UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), UK artists will now be able to claim resale royalties when their art is resold in the Australian professional art market. Previously, UK artists have not received any royalties when their artwork was resold...

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has published a report on the future of the National Minimum Wage beyond 2024. In recent years, the LPC has been setting the National Living Wage based on a target of two-thirds of median hourly earnings. The National Living Wage is now...

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently published a guide for CEOs (and by extension all business owners) on responding to a cyber incident. A cyber incident can occur in various forms and often result in financial loss, reputational damage, legal...

Last year, Vodafone UK and Three UK announced a joint venture deal that would bring their customers under a new, single network provider. As two major providers of telecommunication services in the UK, this deal affects around 27 million customers. Many of these...

The original concept for national insurance contributions (NICs) was as a part of social welfare reforms implemented by the government in the early 20th century. The idea being to establish a social insurance that provides financial protection and assistance to...

Last week, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announced changes to its helpline services that will encourage people to go online first. However, in a fast about turn, the very next day they halted these changes while they consider how best to help taxpayers make more use...

When you browse to a website it is now commonplace to have to interact with a cookie notice where you give permission or not to the use of advertising cookies. Website cookies are small text files that websites store on a user's computer or device. These files contain...

Penny Appeal, a charity based in Wakefield, have been ordered to stop sending unsolicited marketing texts by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The charity sent more than 460,000 unsolicited texts over a ten-day period to 52,000 people who had either not...

2024 seems to be a good year to be a small business. The UK Government is doubling down on its commitment to the nation’s 5.5 million small businesses by announcing the launch of a new Small Business Council. Small businesses are the backbone of the UK economy,...

Self-Assessment customers, who are starting to think about their annual tax returns for the 2022 to 2023 tax year, should guard against being targeted by fraudsters, warns HMRC. Fraudsters target customers when they know they are more likely to be in contact...

There’s a growing trend in people submitting their Self-Assessment returns to HMRC early. In the last five years, the number of people choosing to file their return on the first day of the tax year has almost doubled. The deadline for sending your Self-Assessment tax...

Self Assessment customers, who are starting to think about their annual tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year, should guard against being targeted by fraudsters, warns HMRC. There are plenty of fraudsters and scams around at this time, asking for personal...