An employee who is being made redundant has asked his employer to write off their outstanding training costs loan as part of their redundancy termination package. But what are the tax implications here?  Tax Expert Brona MacDougall explains. Where a loan to an employee is written off by the employer for any reason, HMRC treats...

The First-tier Tribunal recently ruled on whether profit made from the sale of land bought as part of a residential property was taxable as trading income or capital gains. What was the outcome and why?  Brona MacDougall looks at this in more detail. The dispute The case of Heather Whyte v HMRC followed a long...

Boris Johnson unveiled plans on 7 September for tax increases that aim to specifically address underfunding in the NHS and social care systems. The new Health and Social Care Levy Bill is currently at committee stage in the House of Commons and is set to be fast tracked to ensure that the relevant changes are...

The Super-Deduction and the Increase in the Main Rate of Corporation Tax Rishi Sunak’s plan for replenishing the public purse consists of encouraging businesses to invest heavily now to strengthen the economy, so that by 2023 they will be resilient enough to start paying tax at much higher rates. The government anticipates a £10bn loss...

Many companies pay dividends to spouses, but what are the tax traps to avoid and how can spouses benefit from splitting company shares? Brona MacDougall advises. It is very common for one-person companies to utilise their directors’ tax-free allowance by paying themselves a small salary. With proper planning, the director incurs no income tax or...

There are not many areas of tax planning where one can say that something is a ‘no-brainer’, but utilising pensions planning wherever possible is one.  Tax and Succession Planning expert Brona MacDougall advises. Income tax savings The saving that most people obtain from contributing to a pension is income tax relief. A basic rate taxpayer...

Whilst the Finance Bill 2021 was fairly low key, one announcement might mean a year has been slashed from a crucial Making Tax Digital (MTD) deadline for many unincorporated businesses. What’s the full story? Kenny Logan takes a look. A major aim of MTD is to bring the payment date for all taxes closer to...

In between tenants you are doing some work on your rental property. How these are categorised, as repairs or improvements, determines whether or not you’re entitled to an income tax deduction. What factors should you consider? Improvement or just repair? As a rule, a “revenue” tax deduction can’t be claimed for the cost of improving...

HMRC wants individuals who are self-employed or have a property rental business to trial its Making Tax Digital for Income Tax service before it becomes mandatory. HMRC has changed the login process for its digital services for all business users; it now requires two-step verification. Lauren Herbert discusses in greater detail below. MTD for income...

Despite a difficult year, it looks like the accounts will show a profit after all. What could you look at to legitimately reduce the corporation tax bill the company has to pay? Kenny Logan advises. Generally, expenses that the company incurs are tax deductible. However, special rules mean that tax relief for some expenses might...