NI contributions are crucial to your entitlement to the state pension and other benefits, so it’s a very good idea to keep a close eye on them. But how can you identify and check if you’ve overpaid or underpaid contributions?  Head of Payroll Department Joanne Gibson brings you up to date. Whilst HMRC keeps a...

If a business can’t pay the VAT it owes on time, a new time-to-pay option could provide some breathing space. Who can take advantage and how can it be applied for?  Naomi Swan explains. If a business cannot pay its VAT on time and owes less than £20,000, it is now possible to set up...

As an owner manager of a company, taking income from it in the most tax and NI-efficient way is probably a top priority. The general view is that dividends are the best option, but when might benefits in kind be better?  Kenny Logan from our Edinburgh office takes a closer look. Benefits in kind are...

Two property owners are about to sell residential property. One has lived in their property intermittently whilst working in the UK and overseas, whereas the other has never lived in their property at all. How could both owners potentially claim private residence relief (PRR) in full? Our Head of Tax Christiaan Hansen advises. Owner number...

You have a long-standing tenant who has moved out of your buy-to-let property and you haven’t yet found another. You are still incurring costs on the property but as there is no rent coming in, can you continue to claim a tax deduction for them? Naomi Swan from our Tax Department advises. It’s unlikely that...

GDPR – What information do you hold on me? Q. If an employee wants to make a subject access request, must it be given in a particular format? A. The UK GDPR does not set out any formal requirements or suggestions for a valid subject access request. This means that a subject access request can...

You want to hold a summer event to entertain your employees and to improve morale. But you are unsure what the tax and NI position will be?  Gail Trojan advises. Normally, business entertainment is not a tax-deductible expense. However, the cost of entertaining employees (including directors), such as by having a staff party, is an...

Your firm is relocating premises and spending a lot on refurbishments including expensive furnishings and artwork for the offices. A colleague has said you might not be entitled to reclaim VAT on some of these costs. Are they right? VAT expert John Craig advises. If you are VAT registered and buy goods or services for...

Can services be zero-rated? Q. We have decided to build a bungalow next to our farmhouse so that my partners elderly mother can live in it and be close to us. We have obtained planning permission for the project and have appointed a builder to start the work. The builder will supply labour and materials....

Much is made of the tax savings that can be achieved by convincing HMRC that a car or van used by employees for work is a pool vehicle. But even if a pool car is not used for any private journeys, there are still plenty of hoops to jump through. Naomi Swan looks at this...