HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recently issued a timely reminder about the support available to taxpayers as the Self-Assessment deadline nears. With 31 January 2026 fast approaching, many businesses, sole traders and individuals are understandably starting to feel the pressure of meeting their tax obligations. To help manage this, HMRC is highlighting the Time […]
Many business owners reach a point where they begin to question whether the way their companies are arranged still suits their ambitions. Separate trading entities might have grown organically, acquisitions may have been made along the way or activities may have been kept apart for practical reasons. Over time, these associated companies can become difficult […]
What the 2027 IHT change means From 6 April 2027, the rules for passing on pensions after death will change in a way that affects many families. Under the government’s reforms, most unused pension pots and pension scheme death benefits will be brought into the scope of Inheritance Tax, IHT. This represents a major restructuring […]
The proposed council tax surcharge on high value homes, due from April 2028, has triggered a lively and sometimes sharp response across the press. While the headlines have focused on the “mansion tax” label, the underlying commentary has been more nuanced, splitting broadly into three camps: those who see it as a modest step towards […]
From 1 December 2025 the UK deposit protection rules will shift in a way that will matter for many savers, especially those holding larger balances or receiving significant one-off payments. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme is increasing the maximum protection for eligible deposits held with UK banks, building societies and credit unions. The long-standing limit […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, have become extremely popular. They can create emails, write marketing content, and debug code quickly. Many people think these tools could replace traditional editing tools. A spell checker, once a key part of word processors, might seem unnecessary now that AI can rewrite a […]
1 December 2025 – Due date for Corporation Tax payable for the year ended 28 February 2025. 19 December 2025 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 December 2025. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 December 2025). 19 December 2025 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly […]
A demerger involves splitting the trading activities of a single company or group into two or more independent entities. This can be facilitated by distributing the assets of a holding company to its shareholders. There are special statutory demerger provisions that are designed to make it easier to divide and put into separate corporate ownership the […]
The Chancellor has kept the main pension allowances unchanged but has confirmed a new cap on salary sacrifice arrangements that will apply from April 2029. There had been heated speculation that the Chancellor would change the pension rules to help the government raise taxes, but no changes were announced to the annual allowance (which remains at £60,000) […]
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves announced increases to the Minimum Wage rates on the eve of the Budget. The Chancellor confirmed that the government has accepted in full the proposals of the Low Pay Commission (LPC) for increasing minimum wage rates from 1 April 2026. The National Living Wage (NLW) rate will increase […]