05 July, 2011

Effective from 1 July 2011, the Bribery Act 2010 means that businesses need to ensure that they have adequate procedures in place to prevent acts of bribery and, should the worst happen, protect themselves in a legal dispute.

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17 February, 2011

A raft of legislative changes is set to come into force later this year, much of which will have a considerable impact on employers. This factsheet summarises some of the main reforms, including the removal of the default retirement age and the changes to the tax treatment of employer-supported childcare.

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18 January, 2011

In his Autumn Statement on 29 November 2010, Chancellor George Osborne presented his reaction to the economic forecasts of the Office for Budget Responsibility, and also outlined the Government's plans for reforming corporate tax over the next five years.

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28 March, 2011

This Report, which was written immediately after the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his Budget Speech, is intended to provide an overview of the latest announcements and recent measures most likely to affect you or your business.

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04 December, 2010

Chancellor George Osborne presented the Autumn Statement to the House of Commons on 29 November 2010. This newsletter summarises the key points, and rounds up some of the recent tax changes announced by the Coalition Government.

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04 December, 2010

In the Emergency Budget, the Government made it clear that it intended to replace a series of complicated changes, due to start next April, which had already been put into the legislation by the previous Government. Draft replacement legislation has recently been issued, with rules which apply to everyone, rather than targeting high earners.

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04 December, 2010

Student loans are part of the Government's financial support package for students in higher education in the UK. They are available to help students meet their expenses while they are studying. The Student Loans Company (SLC) was set up to undertake the administration and processing involved in the payment of loans and grants to students, and the payment of tuition fees to higher and further education services.

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20 July, 2010

Welcome to the 2010 Budget Tax Cards

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23 June, 2010

Welcome to the 2010 Emergency Budget. What does the budget mean for you?

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14 April, 2010

Welcome to the 2010 Budget Tax. What does the budget mean for you?

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01 February, 2010

The rules governing charities What is a charity? A charity is a body set up and established for exclusively charitable purposes. In England and Wales, charitable purposes are as set out in the Charities Act 2006 and each of the charity's aims must provide a benefit to the public. This may be only a section of the public, but must not be unreasonably restricted geographically or by ability to pay any fees charged.

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04 August, 2009

The Companies Act 2006: the missing links The Companies Act 2006 received Royal Assent on 8 November 2006, and has been introduced in a series of stages. 1 October 2009 sees the coming into force of the final 500 or so sections of the Act.

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14 July, 2009

The rise and fall of Furnished Holiday Lettings Currently, income received from furnished holiday accommodation in the UK may be treated differently for tax purposes from other rental income. Providing they meet certain criteria, landlords can benefit from tax advantages if they make a loss on their earnings from the property or decide to sell the property. However, the 2009 Budget made significant changes to the rules on Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL).

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14 July, 2009

Take care to avoid a penalty You could be charged a penalty if you don't take reasonable care with your tax affairs. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) acknowledge that most people do take care to declare and pay the right amount of tax. They use penalties to stop people who don't take care from gaining an unfair advantage.

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27 May, 2008

The 10% starting rate and changes to personal allowances The 'abolition' of the 10% rate In March 2007, Gordon Brown closed his last Budget speech as Chancellor with a surprise announcement that he intended to 'abolish' the 10% starting rate of income tax. The move was confirmed by Alistair Darling in his maiden Budget on 12 March 2008.

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10 July, 2008

Financial planning in an economic downturn As concerns over the UK economy continue to grow, it is essential that all businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, are properly prepared for financially-testing times. Sound business and financial planning is always important, but especially so in an economic downturn.

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28 October, 2008

Associated Companies and the Marginal Rate In between the small companies rate of corporation tax (21%) which applies up to profits of £300,000 and the main rate (28%) which applies to profits over £1,500,000, lies the 'marginal rate zone'. This is the band where an effective composite rate of 29.75% is applied to ensure a smooth transition between the 21% and 28% thresholds.

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28 October, 2008

Pooled Cars and Vans Some employers, or groups of employers, find it convenient to have one or more cars or vans that are readily available for business use by a number of employees. The cars or vans are not allocated to any one employee and are only available for genuine business use. Such cars and vans are usually known as pooled cars and vans.

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16 December, 2008

Changes to the standard rate of VAT - December 2008 In his Pre-Budget Report on 24 November 2008, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a temporary reduction in the standard rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) from 17.5% to 15%. The lower rate came into effect on 1 December 2008 and will remain in place until 31 December 2009. The move - intended to boost consumer spending - will inevitably have implications for businesses and individuals as consumers.

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25 November, 2008

Pre-Budget Report: A summary of the Chancellors statement

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