Childcare Account chores

HMRC’s Childcare Account can be used to claim free childcare (if eligible) or pay for Tax-Free Childcare. HMRC’s sign in page for the account states that in order ‘…to keep getting free childcare or Tax-Free Childcare, you must sign in every 3 months and confirm your details are up to date’. There are various eligibility […]

Where do your tips go?

Many of us will have experienced good and bad service in restaurants or hotels and wondered who actually received the service charges added to bills. Was it the grumpy individual who ignored our attempts to request a bill or was it the waiter with the engaging smile who very definitely deserved his fair share of […]

More corporate red tape

We are still waiting for the government to introduce secondary legislation that will oblige directors and others with significant control – so-called PSCs – to verify their identity in order to file documents or set up a company at Companies House. According to Companies House this will: “…deter those wishing to use companies for illegal […]

New employment protections

The following changes were enacted from 6 April 2024. These changes apply to England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland is not included as employment law is devolved. The information that follows is reproduced from a post on the House of Commons Library at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/what-employment-laws-are-changing-from-april-2024/#:~:text=New%20legislation%20has%20expanded%20rights,effect%20from%206%20April%202024. Changes to flexible working Employees can now make two rather than […]

Opening up small company reporting

Companies House are working on detailed changes that will require small and micro sized companies to file information about their turnover and profits at Companies House. Once filed, this data will be available to anyone searching affected companies’ records at Companies House. At present, smaller companies can file abridged accounts that do not include a […]

Boost for small businesses

In a recent press release, HMRC underlined the benefits to smaller businesses from the increase in the VAT registration threshold and the business rates freeze. Here’s what they said: “Small businesses have received a boost as the VAT registration threshold is raised from £85,000 to £90,000, and £4.3 billion of business rates relief comes into […]