Several employment law changes are approaching that businesses need to understand. The first arrives on 1 October 2026, when the normal period in which an employee can bring a claim to an Employment Tribunal increases from three months to six months. The change has a practical consequence for employers. Employment records relating to
More...When an employee develops a health problem, the consequences can extend far beyond a few days of absence. The Government published an update to its Keep Britain Working programme on 23 September, setting out plans for what it describes as Britain’s first Workplace Health System. The scale of the problem is substantial. Around 300,000
More...Some taxpayers have already started to receive Simple Assessment letters from HMRC for the 2025-26 tax year, with a further tranche due to be sent between October and December 2026. Simple Assessment is used where HMRC cannot collect income tax through PAYE or self-assessment. The PA302 letter sets out HMRC’s calculation of the tax due,
More...Mayors and local leaders in England are to be given powers to introduce an overnight visitor levy, creating a new charge for people staying in short-term visitor accommodation. The government announced the plans on 10 September 2026 following a consultation which closed on 18 February 2026. The levy will be optional, with mayors and
More...A new press release from HMRC is highlighting the fact that almost 7 million UK adults could be heading towards retirement without knowing how much State Pension they may be entitled to. New research has found that around one in eight adults (12.5%) have never checked their State Pension forecast. Those aged 45 to 54 are more likely
More...HMRC is contacting some trustees after identifying possible errors in recent Trust and Estate tax returns relating to the type of trust being reported. The latest HMRC compliance campaign focuses on trusts where box 8.15 of the Trust and Estate Tax Return was ticked to indicate that the trust is not an accumulation or discretionary
More...Businesses importing certain carbon-intensive goods into the UK will face a new carbon tax from 1 January 2027, when the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) comes into effect. CBAM will apply to specified goods imported from outside the UK in the aluminium, cement, fertiliser, hydrogen, and iron and steel sectors. The tax is
More...HMRC has clarified how employers can handle benefits in kind for globally mobile employees as mandatory payrolling is introduced from April 2027. Under the new rules, most benefits in kind will have to be reported through payroll rather than on annual P11D forms. The first phase, starting on 6 April 2027, covers company cars, vans, fuel
More...Businesses waiting for cheaper borrowing may need to reconsider their plans. The Bank of England kept Bank Rate unchanged at 3.75% in September, but three members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted for an immediate increase to 4%. The concern is inflation. UK inflation has moved above the Bank’s 2% target and higher energy costs are
More...Cyber security is sometimes treated as a problem for large organisations with specialist IT departments. In reality, smaller businesses can be particularly vulnerable because they often have fewer resources available to detect an attack and recover afterwards. The Government continues to strengthen its approach to cyber resilience,
More...HMRC has launched an improved online service to make it easier for individuals to register for self-assessment. Anyone who needs to submit a tax return for the first time for the 2025-26 tax year should notify HMRC by 5 October 2026 to avoid a potential penalty. The new service is available through a Personal Tax Account and includes
More...HMRC is reviewing proposals to introduce new powers for recovering lower-value, persistent tax debts from individuals and businesses that repeatedly fail to engage with collection efforts. The proposals, set out in a public consultation earlier this year, would allow HMRC to recover debts through affordable monthly instalments taken
More...Businesses in the vaping sector are reminded that the new Vaping Products Duty and the Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme will take effect from 1 October 2026. HMRC is urging manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers to make sure they are ready for the introduction of the Vaping Products Duty and the associated Vaping Duty Stamps
More...The tax treatment of some crypto assets is set to change under draft legislation for Finance Bill 2026-27. The proposed changes include new rules for qualifying stablecoins, crypto asset loans and liquidity pools. Eligible stablecoins are expected to be treated more like money for Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Income Tax and Corporation Tax
More...Pensioners who do not want to receive the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026-27 have until September to opt out. The payment will be recovered through the tax system from those whose total income exceeds £35,000. In England and Wales, pensioners who receive a State Pension can opt out through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
More...When a couple divorces or separates, they need to agree how their finances will be divided. This can include property, pensions, savings, investments and maintenance payments. Where possible, reaching an agreement without going to court can be quicker and less expensive. In England and Wales, however, an agreed division of assets will
More...Seeking to claw back training costs from wages is common practice. However, a recent ruling has set clearer boundaries as to how this can become an unenforceable restraint of trade. An appellant joined an IT services provider as a trainee quality assurance engineer and entered into an employment contract alongside a separate
More...The Government has announced plans to simplify corporate reporting and reduce the administrative burden placed on UK businesses. It estimates that the proposed reforms could save businesses more than £450 million each year. The measures are expected to include replacing some paper-based reporting with digital alternatives, simplifying
More...The British Business Bank has launched a £210 million investment fund to help smaller businesses in the South East of England start, develop and grow. The South East Investment Fund will offer loans ranging from £25,000 to £2 million, together with equity investments of up to £5 million. The area covered includes Buckinghamshire,
More...1 October 2026 - Corporation Tax payment is due for companies with an accounting period ending 31 December 2025, unless the company is required to make quarterly instalment payments. 5 October 2026 - Deadline for notifying HMRC of a new liability to Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax for the 2025-26 tax year. This may include registering
More...The rate of Corporation Tax payable depends mainly on the level of a company’s taxable profits. The main rate is 25% and applies where profits exceed £250,000. Companies with profits of £50,000 or less generally pay Corporation Tax at the small profits rate of 19%. But note, these two thresholds will reduce if a company has associated
More...Making a trading loss whilst not ideal can sometimes generate a tax refund. If you are a self-employed individual or a member of a trading partnerships, a trading loss can potentially be set against other income or capital gains. This can reduce the amount of tax payable and, where tax has already been paid, may result in a refund. For
More...A company does not have to be formally closed to become dormant for Corporation Tax. A company is usually considered dormant if it has stopped trading and has no other income, such as investment income. A new limited company that has not yet started trading can also be dormant for Corporation Tax. Other examples include certain flat
More...Employers must make sure their staff receive at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage rate that applies to them. The correct rate depends on the worker's age and, in some cases, whether they are an apprentice. Since 1 April 2026, workers aged 21 and over are entitled to the National Living Wage of £12.71 an hour. The
More...Self-employed people can choose to use simplified expenses to calculate certain business costs using flat rates rather than working out their actual expenses. The system can save time and make record keeping easier, but it will not necessarily produce the best tax position. It is therefore worth comparing the flat rates with the actual
More...Self-employed people can deduct allowable business expenses when calculating their taxable profits. However, where a cost has both a business and private element, only the business proportion can normally be claimed. For example, if a mobile phone bill is £200 for the year, with £70 relating to business calls and £130 to personal use,
More...The Government has named nearly 660 employers for failing to pay workers the National Minimum Wage, highlighting how costly National Minimum Wage compliance failures can become. The latest naming round, published on 3 September 2026, involved around £4 million being repaid to more than 27,000 workers. Employers were also issued with
More...The Government has announced plans to consider major changes to the rules governing when companies can make distributions to shareholder. As part of a wider corporate reporting overhaul announced on 6 September 2026, the Government is considering replacing the existing rules on distributable profits and capital maintenance with a
More...The temporary 5% reduced rate of VAT introduced for certain children’s meals, tickets and family attractions ended on 1 September 2026. The relief applied from 25 June 2026 and was intended to reduce the cost of selected activities and services for families during the summer holidays. The relief covered qualifying children’s meals
More...HMRC is currently carrying out its annual reconciliation of PAYE for the 2025-26 tax year. Between June and November, HMRC calculates the Income Tax paid by individuals and checks whether the correct amount has been collected. Where HMRC identifies a difference, it may issue a tax calculation letter, known as a P800. If you receive a
More...UK employers with employees who normally work overseas may have PAYE and National Insurance obligations when those employees come to the UK to carry out their duties in the UK on a short-term basis. Employers should consider the position whenever an overseas employee visits the UK to work. The fact that the employee remains employed and
More...Businesses planning major infrastructure and development projects should be aware of a new government consultation on the tax treatment of predevelopment costs. The consultation follows the conclusion of recent litigation at the Supreme Court. The Court found that certain early-stage surveys and studies for offshore wind farms did not
More...The tax rules concerning what constitutes a distribution for tax purposes have remained largely unchanged since Corporation Tax was introduced in 1965. HMRC has recently published a consultation looking at possible changes to bring the rules more closely into line with modern commercial practices. The consultation considers seven areas
More...A strong VAT control system should clearly identify who is responsible for VAT, document the processes involved and regularly check that controls are working. HMRC also recommends keeping procedures up to date when the business, its systems or the VAT rules change. Businesses should also review how VAT data moves through their systems.
More...Where an employee is promised a discretionary bonus as an incentive, an employer may be held liable for the full figure if the preconditions have been met and the chain of authorisation is fully satisfied. Indeed, a recent ruling by a tribunal has made it clear that employers cannot unilaterally alter the preconditions or quantum of a
More...The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that conditions remain challenging for many UK businesses. In July 2026, 15% of trading businesses reported an increase in turnover compared with the previous month. However, 22% reported that turnover had fallen. Economic uncertainty remains an important concern, while
More...An important change is coming to the way companies file their annual accounts. From 1 April 2028, all UK-registered companies will be required to file their annual accounts with Companies House using commercial software. The existing web and paper filing routes for company accounts will close. The change will affect companies that
More...Businesses that register for VAT may be able to reclaim VAT paid on certain goods and services purchased before VAT registration. There are specific time limits for claiming pre-registration VAT. VAT on goods can generally be reclaimed where the goods are still held by the business or have been used to produce other goods that are still
More...Missing a tax deadline can result in penalties from HMRC, but a taxpayer may be able to appeal if they have a genuine reasonable excuse. Whether an excuse is accepted depends on the individual facts and whether the taxpayer took action to put things right without unnecessary delay. HMRC does not provide a complete list of acceptable
More...Employers providing uniforms or protective clothing to employees need to understand the tax and National Insurance rules that apply. The treatment depends on whether the clothing is required for the employee’s job, is a uniform worn only at work, or is simply additional clothing provided by the employer. Most uniforms and protective
More...Businesses investing in qualifying assets may be able to claim the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) and deduct the full cost of eligible purchases from their profits before tax. This can help by reducing the amount of taxable profit in the period the investment is made. The AIA can generally be claimed by sole traders, companies and
More...Businesses should regularly review whether individuals working for them are correctly classified as employees, workers or self-employed. Getting employment status wrong can result in unexpected tax liabilities, penalties and loss of employment rights. Employment status affects both the rights of the individual and the responsibilities of
More...Self-employed individuals can deduct allowable business expenses from their income when calculating taxable profits. However, businesses must keep accurate records and evidence to support the costs being claimed. HMRC requires taxpayers to keep proof of business expenses, although evidence does not usually need to be submitted with a
More...Cybercrime is no longer a problem that only affects large organisations. Increasingly, small and medium-sized businesses are becoming targets because criminals often see them as having weaker security and fewer resources to recover from an attack. A successful cyberattack can have serious consequences. Customer information may be stolen,
More...Employment law continues to evolve, and businesses should keep a close eye on forthcoming changes that may affect the way they recruit, manage and retain staff. Although many of the proposed reforms are still being developed, employers should not wait until new legislation comes into force before reviewing their existing
More...Receiving tax relief on pension contributions into a workplace pension is a great way to help prepare for retirement. In addition, contributions from your employer can make the pension savings even greater. If you are automatically enrolled into a workplace pension a percentage of your earnings is paid into your pension fund each
More...If you become liable to pay a tax or register for a tax that HMRC has not already been informed about, you must notify HMRC within the relevant time limit. Failing to do so can result in a financial penalty in addition to the tax and any interest due. A failure to notify can arise in a range of situations, including when a business
More...When a sole trader or the partners in a partnership transfer a business to a limited company, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) may arise. This is because business assets are normally treated as being transferred at their market value, which may be considerably more than their original cost. However, Incorporation Relief can allow some or all of
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