Category: Employer

Businesses are finally beginning to understand the apprenticeship levy, after previously voicing serious concerns over its complexity and lack of flexibility. The apprenticeship levy took effect on 6 April 2017 and means businesses with an annual pay bill of more than £3 million must pay the levy towards apprenticeship funding. It is charged at 0.5% … Continued

Contractors could face a higher tax bill from April 2020 when reforms to IR35 legislation are set to take effect in the private sector. This is expected to raise more than £3 billion between 2020 and 2024, as self-employed individuals who fall within the rules, and the businesses engaging them, will face a higher tax … Continued

Automatic enrolment is a continuing process for employers – it doesn’t end once they’ve put their staff into a workplace pension. There are ongoing responsibilities you will need to complete after you’ve submitted your declaration of compliance. To stay compliant, you will need to: assess the age and earnings of their staff who aren’t enrolled … Continued

Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced a package of new measures to reform the under-fire apprenticeship levy. Under the revised rules, employers who pay the apprenticeship levy will be able to transfer a quarter of their funds to organisations in their supply chain, including smaller employers. Levy-paying businesses have been able to transfer up to 10% … Continued

The number of people starting apprenticeships has dropped by 31% in the last 12 months, the Department for Education has claimed. In the academic year between August 2017 and May 2018 there were 315,900 apprenticeship starts, compared to 457,200 the same time the year before. Business groups including the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and … Continued

Working pensioners are on course to pay £8.6 billion in income tax in 2018/19, according to Aegon. The number of pensioner households containing at least one person working beyond their state pension age increased from 12% in 1997/98 to an estimated 17% in 2018/19. Aegon estimates there are around 12.8 million people living in 8.7 … Continued

Most employers are currently getting their houses in order when it comes to reporting employee benefits and expenses ahead of the 6 July 2018 deadline. At the end of the tax year, employers may need to inform HMRC if any taxable benefits were handed out to members of staff over the previous 12 months. These … Continued

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned that the doubling of minimum employer contributions into workplace pensions from 6 April 2018 will “hit the very smallest firms and startups the hardest”. Firms in labour-intensive industries – such as retail, childcare and construction – will reportedly feel the impact most acutely. The FSB claims these sectors … Continued

Last year we reported that the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee published a report calling on the Government to close the loopholes that allow “bogus” self-employment practices, which burden the welfare state but reduce the tax contributions needed to sustain it. Most of the people working for organisations such as such as Uber, … Continued

The number of employers that have complied with auto-enrolment passed one million for the first time in January 2018. Data released by The Pensions Regulator showed the total number of employers to have completed their declaration of compliance stood at 1,032,567 in the first month of 2018. More than 600,000 employers complied with their duties … Continued