During major sporting events such as The Open or Commonwealth Games, many people looked to boost their income by renting property to spectators and so on. So why might these people receive a letter from HMRC? Lauren Herbert advises. A sporting event held over several days is a great opportunity to utilise spare rooms or...

New rules were introduced on 6 October 2020, that requires more UK trusts and some non-UK trusts to be registered on the TRS, regardless of whether the trust has any tax to pay, by 1st September 2022 but with some specific exclusions. Registration requirements The main categories of trusts caught by the new requirements include:...

A set of draft company accounts have been prepared and they show that the director shareholders received “unlawful dividends”. What are the tax consequences of this and how can they best be managed? Jane McWilliam provides advice. The last couple of years have been tough with many businesses having had significant contractions in profits compared...

Your business leases cars for your employees, paying VAT on the monthly charges. But are you correctly claiming input tax and what happens if you return the vehicle before the end of the agreement? Or if you receive a rebate of your rental payments? VAT Expert John Craig explains. If the car has business and...

You are planning on holding a summer party for your employees but what is the tax and NI position of such an event and what do HMRC’s rules say about it? Lauren Herbert advises. Usually, business entertainment is not a tax-deductible expense. However, the cost of entertaining your employees (including directors), such as having a...

You are about to take on some temporary workers over the next couple of months. But what do you need to do to ensure that the tax and NI bill is kept to a minimum? Head of Payroll Joanne Gibson takes a closer look. When HMRC introduced real time information reporting for payroll data, the...

With an ongoing growing client base, we have a requirement for an experienced Accounts Senior / Manager in our Peebles office. As a business, we focus on exceeding our clients’ expectations and adding value to them in a commercially effective way. It is therefore essential that candidates have this same outlook. We are looking for:...

HMRC has issued new guidance to employers about the tax and NI which is payable on tips. It explains the position when customers choose to tip electronically. The most common form of electronic tipping is already explained in the existing E24 guidance. Where customers pay by card, Apple Pay and so on, and add a...

Several of your employees have been affected by the recent NI rate increase. As their employer, they have asked if there is anything that you can do to increase their pay packages. Could salary sacrifice be an unexpected solution? Brona MacDougall provides the answer. The tax advantages of some salary sacrifice schemes for employees, for...

During routine checks, HMRC looks for mistakes which businesses commonly make. One such area is the VAT treatment of travel expenses. What should you check to ensure your VAT returns are correct? One error often made by businesses that provide professional services involves passing on their employees’ travel expenses to their customers. The following example...