Welcome back to the HB Accountants Podcast. After the success of our first episode, we are excited to bring you Episode Two, where we tackle a crucial topic for every business owner – tax planning.
A number of workers are not being paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Often, this isn’t intentional, it’s because the NMW is more than just a pay rate, it’s a calculation. The main reason why so many companies accidentally underpay their workers is because they do not know about the calculation. Here is the HB overview of the NMW – our payroll team is always on hand if you need advice.
The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves has delivered her second fiscal statement announcing her focus is on growth. In the run up to the event, the Chancellor stated that she ‘remains committed to one major fiscal event a year to give families and businesses stability and certainty on upcoming tax and spending changes and, in turn, to support the government’s growth mission’.
You only have until 5 April 2025 to check your National Insurance record to enable you to fill in any gaps in your NI contributions from 2006 to 2018. If you have a shortfall in your record you have a few days to 5 April 2025 to buy back missed years to qualify for a full state pension – from 6 April you will only be able to fill in gaps for the last six tax years
Significant changes are due to come into effect for non-UK domiciled individuals – also known as non-doms. From 6th April 2025, the current rules for the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals will end to be replaced by a new residence-based foreign income and gains (FIG) regime. There is a transition provision for those already working under the existing rules.
We know that it’s tough for small businesses and sole traders right now, and it’s more important than ever for businesses to access the advice and support they need. Whilst every business is different, we recognise that there are actions that every business can take to help mitigate the cost of doing business.
From 6th April 2025, HMRC’s definition of a double cab pick up (DCPU) is changing. From this date, most double cab pickups are likely to be classed as cars rather than vans. This is what you need to know.
You may wish to change how you pay a director’s salary and dividends due to the changes to Employer’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) announced in the October budget. NICs are not payable on dividends so despite salaries being tax deductible, the optimum balance between paying a salary and a dividend may have shifted – depending on how many directors are in your business. If you are a director or shareholders of a small, limited company, read on to find out more.
From 6 April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD ITSA) will transform the way self-employed individuals and landlords manage their tax affairs. If you earn income through self-employment or property rentals, you’ll need to keep digital records and submit updates to HMRC every quarter. While payment deadlines remain the same, the shift to more frequent reporting means you’ll need to stay on top of your bookkeeping because the way you report your earnings is changing – are you prepared?
While it is incredibly tempting to wind down in the days leading up to Christmas and take it easy between Christmas and the New Year celebrations, it really is the perfect time to ensure that your accounts are in tip top shape.
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