HMRC defers tax deadline for millions of self-employed people
HMRC defers tax deadline for millions of self-employed people
The coronavirus pandemic means the 31 July payment on account date has been postponed for six months.
31 Jul 2020
Should capital gains tax be higher or lower?
Should capital gains tax be higher or lower?
Capital gains tax is up for review. There are plenty of long-term arguments to be had about this. But in the short term, Merryn Somerset Webb has a fe…
23 Jul 2020
How to have a low-tax retirement in the sun
How to have a low-tax retirement in the sun
Greece is to offer a ten-year tax incentive to foreign pensioners. That’s a pretty good offer, says Merryn Somerset Webb. But it might not last.
20 Jul 2020
Prepare yourself for a rise in capital gains tax
Prepare yourself for a rise in capital gains tax
With the UK desperate to raise more money to cover the massive rise in public spending, squeezing more revenue out of capital gains tax looks like an …
20 Jul 2020
Can Rishi Sunak save the economy with stamp duty cuts and half-price meal deals?
Can Rishi Sunak save the economy with stamp duty cuts and half-price meal deals?
John Stepek runs his eye over the chancellor's £30bn stimulus package and asks if it's enough to get the economy back on its feet after months of lock…
9 Jul 2020
Paying for all the Covid-19 demands on the public purse
Paying for all the Covid-19 demands on the public purse
Everyone wants a bailout. Not everyone will get one, but many will. So how do we go about paying for it all? A minimum tax rate on earned and unearned…
18 Jun 2020
How to navigate the probate process
How to navigate the probate process
Death can create a great deal of paperwork. Here’s what to do if you need to apply for probate.
15 Jun 2020
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An update for the business-rate support scheme
An update for the business-rate support scheme
The government has added £600m to plug the gap in its small business rates relief scheme for businesses in shared-office buildings.
5 Jun 2020
Should you put off paying your VAT bill?
Should you put off paying your VAT bill?
Just because you can put off your VAT bill doesn’t mean you should. It is a loan, not a cancellation of the debt.
5 Jun 2020
The death of buy-to-let property is a useful cautionary tale for all investors
The death of buy-to-let property is a useful cautionary tale for all investors
Investing in buy-to-let property was once a perfectly valid thing to do. But the government killed the market. John Stepek explains what investors sho…
29 May 2020
Dividends, directors and the holes in the government’s coronavirus furlough scheme
Dividends, directors and the holes in the government’s coronavirus furlough scheme
By topping up a minimal salary with dividends, many owner/directors of small companies have fallen through the net when it comes to the government’s …
27 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: help for the self-employed
Coronavirus: help for the self-employed
The government has unveiled new measures for sole traders. But it is complicated – so read the small print carefully.
4 Apr 2020
A few ways to save tax before the end of the tax year
A few ways to save tax before the end of the tax year
The end of the tax year is nigh. You have until midnight on 5 April to take advantage of various tax allowances or risk losing them.
3 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: where the self-employed can turn for help
Coronavirus: where the self-employed can turn for help
Freelancers and the self-employed should check what help they may be eligible for.
27 Mar 2020
The UK’s bailout of the self employed comes with a hidden catch
The UK’s bailout of the self employed comes with a hidden catch
The chancellor’s £6.5bn bailout of the self employed is welcome. But it has hidden benefits for the taxman, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
27 Mar 2020
How to protect the earnings of the self-employed as well as employees
How to protect the earnings of the self-employed as well as employees
The government has acted swiftly to protect the earnings of those in employment, But the self-employed deserve help too. Merryn Somerset Webb has a fe…
25 Mar 2020
Coronavirus and tax: now isn’t a time to have to worry about money
Coronavirus and tax: now isn’t a time to have to worry about money
HMRC won’t penalise non-residents who might otherwise have to pay UK tax if they get stuck in the country. That’s going to be expensive, says Merryn S…
24 Mar 2020
What you need to know about claiming expenses and tax refunds for working from home
What you need to know about claiming expenses and tax refunds for working from home
The taxman and your employer should help you out with some of the additional expenses homeworking creates. Here’s what you need to know.
20 Mar 2020
How Rishi Sunak's bumper giveaway Budget affects you
How Rishi Sunak's bumper giveaway Budget affects you
In his first Budget, Rishi Sunak was in a generous mood, pledging billions to counter coronavirus, plus money for business, infrastructure, and educat…
12 Mar 2020
Don't scrap pensions tax relief. We need people to save more, not less
Don't scrap pensions tax relief. We need people to save more, not less
Scrapping higher-rate pension tax relief would amount to double taxation and discourage retirement
saving, thereby depriving the economy of crucial …
5 Mar 2020
Should we replace entrepreneurs’ tax perks with employee ownership?
Should we replace entrepreneurs’ tax perks with employee ownership?
The chancellor could well abolish entrepreneurs’ relief in the Budget. We could use some of the tax savings to create more worker-owned businesses, sa…
5 Mar 2020
A legal judgment that could seriously dent housebuilders’ profits
A legal judgment that could seriously dent housebuilders’ profits
An employment tribunal has ruled that two recently dismissed bricklayers were not self employed, whatever the contract they signed said. The conseque…
4 Mar 2020