The inflation rate hit 10.1% in the 12 months to September, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is up from 9.9% in August and sees a return to the recent 40-year high witnessed in July. One of the biggest contributors to the rise in the inflation rate in September … Continued
MTD for VAT penalties begin from November
HMRC has announced that penalties will be issued to those not completing VAT returns through Making Tax Digital (MTD) from 1 November 2022. Anyone who files a VAT return via a non-electric submission will face penalties of up to £400. These changes will apply to VAT customers for accounting periods on or after 1 April … Continued
Covid loans scheme hit by over £1bn in suspected fraud
The Government is joining forces with lenders and agencies to tackle the high level of bounce-back scheme fraud cases. A new report shows that £1.1 billion worth of loans provided through the Government’s bounce-back loan scheme (BBLS) have been marked as suspected fraud. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) released a document … Continued
Bank of England predicts the UK to enter recession this year
The Bank of England (BoE) has predicted that the UK will enter a recession before the end of the year. The prediction, backed up by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), follows consecutive rises in interest rates, with inflation reaching a 40-year high of 10.1% in July. Although the BoE expects the economy to contract … Continued
Chancellor announces biggest tax cuts in 50 years
The additional tax rate has been scrapped completely by the new Chancellor. Kwasi Kwarteng has announced the biggest bundle of tax cuts since 1972 in his first fiscal statement as Chancellor. Income tax, corporation tax and stamp duty make up the majority of the most significant cuts in a bid to promote growth within the … Continued
Capital gains tax rules for divorced couples ease
The Government has announced plans to relax capital gains tax (CGT) rules in divorce settlements, giving spouses and civil partners more time to transfer assets without incurring CGT charges. If the new rules are approved, they will come into effect from 6 April 2023. Newly separated couples are currently given until the end of the … Continued
Help to grow scheme extends to smallest businesses
The Government’s ‘help to grow: digital’ scheme has now expanded to include businesses with fewer than five employees. Over a million more businesses will now be eligible for the scheme, which has also been expanded to include one-to-one advice and additional software. Launched in January this year, the scheme was established to help small to … Continued
Energy bill support to be split over six payments
The Government has announced a £400 energy bill grant will be paid to customers over six payments to help households cope with the cost of living crisis. As part of an £11.7 billion energy support package, some 29 million households will receive grants to help pay for their energy bills this winter, starting in October. … Continued
Bank of England raises interest rates to 1.75
The Bank of England (BoE) has increased interest rates to 1.75%, the first rise of half a per cent in over 20 years. The latest increase is the fifth rise since December 2021, with the BoE arguing that rate rises are needed to tackle soaring inflation. Inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) … Continued
Self-employed struggling with tax obligations
Self-employed individuals are having difficulties completing their self-assessment tax return, according to a new report commissioned by HMRC. A lot of people have trouble with their tax reporting duties because of “confusing terminology, ambiguity around allowable business expenses and uncertainty transferring figures to HMRC’s system,” according to the report. Undertaken by Kantar on behalf of … Continued