Tax

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Maintaining your Residence Status throughout lockdown

27th July 2020
The Statutory Residence Test is quite a methodical and precise set of tests which are not open to much interpretation in the main. The application of ‘exceptional circumstances’ has, for most of us, rarely been seen in practice. What Qualifies as Exceptional Circumstances The main characteristics of an ‘exceptional circumstance’ are: 1. It is a...

Covid-19: HMRC delays MTD ‘digital links’ Excel deadline

2nd April 2020
HMRC has deferred by one year the deadline for businesses reporting under Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT to meet the requirement to have ‘digital links’ within their recordkeeping for transferring information from Excel spreadsheets and other data sources to their online VAT filing. Businesses will now be able to continue using their current ad-hoc...

COVID-19 – Practical steps to help every business

20th March 2020
Few businesses could ever have imagined, let alone made plans for, the potential impact of a massive epidemic such as the current coronavirus crisis. As accountants, we want to provide you with some practical steps that you can take. Keep in touch Keep in touch with your accountant. The sooner that they are made aware...
Tax deductions for giving away goods

Tax deductions for giving away goods

2nd March 2020
Your company is about to support a local charity. This will include donating the use of company equipment and employees’ time, as these resources will partly be used for non-business activity, will the related costs be tax deductible? Usually, if your business incurs costs in connection with making a gift, it won’t be entitled to...
tax

Q&A – A tax-free perk for being the boss?

2nd March 2020
Q. A friend has told you that he and his wife are taking a tax-free luxury weekend away on the company. Apparently, because the business has been running a long time HMRC allows this. Is this something you can take advantage of? A. Tax rules include a surprisingly long list of benefits in kind which...

Q&A – Can I claim a mileage allowance while using a courtesy car?

2nd March 2020
Q. I’m a director and co-owner of a company. I use my own car for business journeys for which the company pays me a mileage allowance at HMRC’s official rates. Last month my car was off the road for over three weeks for repair and the insurance company provided me with a courtesy car. Apart...

Q&A – Is a working holiday tax deductible?

2nd March 2020
Q. Mr Jones has arranged to add on a couple days to his family holiday so he can visit colleagues to discuss work matters. His accountant has told him that he can’t claim any of the costs relating to the trip. Is this correct? A. As you probably already know about the general rule for...
Planning for retirement - tax efficiently

How to avoid tax costs on staff clothing

28th February 2020
A business provides their staff with workplace clothing but because of a recent change to the rules, they might face a tax and NI bill. What are HMRC referring to and is there any way to avoid these tax costs? Helen Johnstone finds out. ABC Limited provides all staff who might come into contact with...

Tax relief on property rental

5th February 2020
There’s more than one rule which determines the type of tax relief you can claim for capital expenditure in a property rental business. Different rules can apply from year to year. But which can you claim and how can you ensure maximum relief? Brona MacDougall takes a closer look. Generally, it doesn’t matter what type...

Is food and drink for customers tax deductible?

4th February 2020
As a business which hosts seminars and courses, food and drink is provided as part of this during the day. A tax inspector refused to allow a tax deduction for the cost because he says that it is business entertainment. Is he correct? Income tax, corporation tax and VAT legislation each contain a similar rule...