Directors – do you know the most tax efficient way to pay yourself?

As a director of a limited company, you are probably keen to know the most tax efficient way to take money from the company personally. This is usually by taking a combination of salary and dividends from the limited company. The salary is paid in the same way you’d pay a regular employee and needs to be reported via the HMRC’s Real Time Information (RTI) rules.

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Apprenticeships: New talent, new skills, and lots of business value

Businesses need people with the right skill sets; talented people now and talent in the pipeline for succession planning. These people are not always easy to find, particularly at the time that they are needed. Here’s a potential solution: grow your own via the often overlooked Apprenticeship Scheme. 

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New one-off Lockdown grant just announced (on top of the discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities & Local Restriction Support Grants & Furlough) – could be worth up to £9k

Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are to receive a one-off Lockdown grant on top of grants already being paid out. This is in addition to the discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities & Local Restriction Support Grants & extension to Furlough.

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Have you been required to work from home, even for one day since 6 April 2020? Then you may be entitled to claim for expenses for the whole of the 2020-21 tax year

You have always been able as an employee to claim expenses for working from home if your employer requires you to work at home. This has become much more relevant during the 2020/21 tax year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. HMRC has confirmed that claims from employees working at home due to coronavirus measures, if their usual workplace is closed, count as working from home for tax purposes.

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HMRC’s new creditor status – how will it affect you?

From 1st December, under the Finance Act 2020, HMRC will regain its status as a ‘preferential creditor’ meaning it will be repaid certain outstanding taxes, including Employees’ PAYE and National Insurance Contributions, VAT and CIS, ahead of lenders’ floating charges and suppliers if a business becomes insolvent.

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Further Furlough Guidance for Claim Periods from 1st November 2020 – CJRS

The government has published further guidance regarding the extended furlough scheme today (11th November 2020). The basic workings of The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme have not changed – the scheme will remain open until 31 March 2021. From 1 November 2020 you can claim 80% of an employee’s usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

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Two further SEISS Grants available for sole traders whose business has been negatively affected by Covid19

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant extension provides critical support to the self-employed in the form of 2 further grants, each available for 3 month periods. Grant 3 covering November 2020 to January 2021 and Grant 4 February 2021 to April 2021.

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CJRS extended until March 2021 (80% until at least January 2021) – did you know you can rehire redundant employees and place them on furlough?

Just announced, the government is extending the CJRS to support individuals and businesses who are impacted by disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) this winter. This is an extension of the CJRS and the scheme rules will remain the same except where HMRC state otherwise.

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