Late payment of invoices remains one of the most persistent problems facing UK small businesses, and recent research suggests the situation is becoming increasingly difficult. 60% of UK small and medium-sized businesses report that customers are taking longer to settle invoices than they were a year ago. The average amount owed in
More...Business confidence across the UK is showing signs of improvement, although many smaller businesses remain reluctant to commit money to new investment. The latest British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey, published in October 2026, found that 47% of businesses expect their turnover to increase over the next 12 months.
More...A new excise duty on vaping products came into force on 1 October 2026. Vaping Products Duty (VPD) applies to vaping liquids manufactured in, or imported into, the UK, whether or not they contain nicotine. The duty is charged at £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid. It is paid by manufacturers, importers and certain wholesalers, although
More...HMRC is writing to individuals it believes may have failed to declare consultancy income from private healthcare providers on their self-assessment tax returns. The letters follow information received from private healthcare providers and form part of an HMRC campaign specifically targeting the medical sector. The letter asks recipients
More...The tax treatment of predevelopment costs has been the subject of a recent Supreme Court decision. This is likely to mean that capital allowances will be restricted for some predevelopment costs. The government has consulted on the impact of the decision and whether the current rules could affect investment decisions. Predevelopment
More...Anyone selling a UK residential property usually needs to report the disposal to HMRC within 60 days of completion. The requirement applies even where the individual is not normally required to report Capital Gains Tax (CGT) through a tax return. Any CGT due must normally be paid within the same 60-day period. Payment can be made online
More...Businesses using the Trader Support Service (TSS) to move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland need to prepare for a new platform launching soon. From 20 October 2026, all goods movements must be submitted using the new TSS platform. Businesses are being asked to pre-enrol before the switchover. From 1 October, existing TSS
More...HMRC’s latest Corporation Tax statistics show that receipts from corporate taxes passed £100 billion for the first time in 2025-26. The main statistics are as follows: Total receipts from all corporate taxes were £100.4 billion in 2025-26, an increase of £3.5 billion (4%) compared with the previous year. The total includes Corporation
More...November 2026: 1 November 2026 - Due date for Corporation Tax payable by companies with an accounting period ended 31 January 2026, unless the company is required to pay Corporation Tax by instalments. 7 November 2026 - Deadline for the second quarterly update under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for the 2026-27 tax year. This applies
More...A part-time private hire driver challenged a flat weekly fee his company charged for access to its booking and dispatch system. Because the fee did not vary with hours worked, part-timers paid far more per hour than full-timers for the same service. He claimed less favourable treatment because of his part-time status. The Employment
More...A new system for recording waste movements came into operation on 1 October 2026. The first phase of mandatory digital waste tracking applies to permitted or licensed sites receiving controlled waste in England and Wales. Affected organisations must record details of every load they receive through the Government’s new digital service.
More...A business may have the finance, premises and customers for an expansion project, yet still face another obstacle: obtaining enough electricity. The Government has announced Great British Grid, a new publicly owned organisation intended to help accelerate investment in Britain’s electricity network. The issue is becoming increasingly
More...HMRC has been consulting on proposals to modernise the tax rules governing distributions and repayments of capital from companies. The consultation was published on 23 June 2026 and closed on 14 September 2026. The proposals look at the treatment of ‘new consideration’ and ‘repayments of capital’, distributions from non-UK companies and
More...Employers operating employee share schemes may now be receiving penalties from HMRC for failing to submit their employment related securities (ERS) end of year returns on time. ERS schemes are used to provide employees with shares, options and other securities as rewards or incentives. Employers must submit an annual ERS return for every
More...HMRC has updated its guidance on how individuals and organisations can apply for a certificate of residence or letter of confirmation to prove UK tax residence. A certificate of residence can be used to claim tax relief in another country where UK residents pay tax on foreign income. It confirms to the overseas tax authority that the
More...The government is considering changes to the voluntary National Insurance contributions (NICs) system following a call for evidence published earlier this year. Voluntary NICs allow individuals to fill gaps in their National Insurance record where they have not built up a qualifying year through compulsory contributions or National
More...A limited company usually pays Corporation Tax on the profit, known as a chargeable gain, when it sells or otherwise disposes of a business asset. Business assets can include land and property, equipment & machinery and shares. The rules also apply to most unincorporated associations and foreign companies with a UK branch or office.
More...HMRC has published an updated list of deliberate tax defaulters. The list includes individuals, businesses and companies, detailing the amounts on which penalties are due and the exact penalties charged. The details of a tax defaulter will be held on HMRC’s website for a maximum of 12 months from the date they are first published and are
More...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
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