Is there a new workplace pension scheme? Q. We’ve heard that employers are now able to enrol their employees into a different type of workplace pension scheme. Is this correct? A. Previously, employers were only able to offer their employees defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit pension schemes. However, following changes brought about by the...

A VAT-registered rugby club will be paid £15,000 each year from an insurance company in return for the right to purchase the club’s entitlement to tickets for international matches. Is this subject to VAT?  Gail Trojan discusses below. VAT is defined as a tax on the supply of goods or services made in the UK...

You have planning permission to convert an empty commercial property into flats. You haven’t decided whether to let or sell the property when the flats are completed. What is the position relating to VAT for both renting or selling?  Tax expert John Craig discusses. The VAT position for converting a property for rent or for...

You live on a farm and have decided to convert a barn on part of the land into a self-contained dwelling and live there when it is completed. Building work will be carried out by external contractors. What are the VAT issues that you should be aware of?  Tax expert John Craig explains further. The...

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...

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...

You are planning improvements to your business premises; you will be using individual contractors for the work as they provided you with the best quotes. However, none of them is VAT registered which could mean you paying hidden VAT. Why and how can you reclaim it? Elaine Wight advises. With inflation rising, everyone is keen...

You are in the process of leasing a property to a tenant who will use the ground floor for her retail business and the upper floor as living accommodation. Could opting to tax the property save you VAT? Supplies of property, e.g., letting, are normally exempt from VAT but opting to tax the property changes...

You are downsizing your office and have asked a few staff to permanently change to homeworking. You’ll pay them a one-off allowance towards the cost of setting up their home workspace. Can you reclaim the VAT they incur? VAT expert John Craig provides the answers. People often suggest that “putting it through the business” will...

A regular customer owes you a lot of money and has offered to pay half now if you agree to accept it as full payment for all outstanding invoices. But how do you deal with the bad debt? Our VAT expert John Craig explains in greater detail. The VAT rules are different according to whether...