2008 - February
When someone dies, the property in his or her estate is fixed at the market value at the date of death. In a rising market that’s a bonus. However, in a falling market there is also an advantage to be had. What is it?
Don’t miss a rollover opportunity
Any capital gains made by your company are simply added to the profits to calculate the Corporation Tax (CT) bill. Is there any way that you can delay paying CT on such a windfall?
If the Taxman challenges your claim for expenses, and it transpires that you’ve simply thrown away the receipts needed to back them up, will the whole lot be disallowed?
Knowing when to (de)register for VAT
One of the main danger areas for your business is the point of VAT registration/deregistration. What are the current trigger points, and what do you need to do to avoid a problem with the VATman?
Struggling to come to terms with the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) bill on the sale of your property? What can you do to make sure you don’t lose out on any CGT reliefs available?
Should you change your shareholding?
From April 6 2008 the new income shifting law threatens to increase tax bills for all business owners who share out their business profits. Is there anything you can do now to protect yourself and your business from this new law?
You’ll need to change your pension contribution payments from April 2008 or your fund will lose out in the long term. Why, and by how much?
One of our subscribers contacted us for advice following a visit from a new fire safety inspector. Although a previous inspector felt that what they were doing was sufficient, this one felt otherwise. How should they deal with this situation?
The government has been reviewing how health and safety laws affect business. What has it identified, and can you expect things to get any easier?
Authorisation to drive a lift truck
Before you allow staff to drive a lift truck on your site you must make them aware of any site-specific risks and formally give permission to use your vehicles. To help, why not use our example lift truck authorisation document?
A member of your secretarial team has complained that she’s suffering pains in her arms; which she is convinced are caused by her workstation. How should you deal with this complaint?
When your staff arrive at work do they always use the door that they’re supposed to? Two members of staff had serious accidents as a consequence. What can you learn from our subscriber’s experience?
If you’ve recently set up your business or even if you’ve been in business a while but haven’t yet tackled health and safety issues, what are the basics that you absolutely must get right?
A construction company has just been heavily fined following the death of one of its employees. How did the accident happen, and how can you avoid something similar occurring on your site?
The best RSS reader is free at last
NewsGator, considered by many to be the best RSS reader for news syndication, is free and available in several versions. What makes it such a good tool?
It’s World Book Day on March 6. We look at websites that celebrate books and their authors, and look beyond Amazon for where to buy online.
Like Google Docs, Zoho is an online alternative for the traditional Office products. But Zoho has much more to offer than just an online word processor and spreadsheet. We check what else Zoho has up its sleeve.
You will have noticed that the more software you install on your computer, the longer it will take to start up. If you use the appropriate free tool, you can easily disable these “inhibitors”.
Are browser toolbars really useful?
The three major search engines - Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! - would all like you to install their free browser toolbar... But do they make life easier?
How about some classical music?
The Internet is not only the place to be for modern music, it also presents lots of classical works. Where can you listen to them online?
The breakthrough of the e-book?
The e-book or electronic book has been around for years, but it hasn’t succeeded in making a breakthrough. Still, it keeps hitting the news (think of the Amazon Kindle). Where are e-books available and what hardware can you use?
To ward off all kinds of malware, an all-in-one security suite is an aid that you can’t ignore. Which of these programs are the best ones?
Travelling starts with good planning!
Many people are already preparing their summer trip or are planning to make a city trip in the spring. Which online travel guides are the most helpful?
Many people will want to take a break this Easter. We decided to return to the sites we checked out in 2004 to see the extent to which the Web has changed since that time.
A dismissed employee wants to appeal but refuses to put it in writing. Can you insist that they do so? What does the latest case say?
Many employers have come unstuck in tribunals for sacking an employee who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. However, a new case shows how you may be able to get around this. What’s the latest news?
One of your employees is badly under-performing, but each time you try to deal with it, she says that you must back off because she’s disabled. Whilst this is true, does it mean that she can’t be touched?
Like many employers you provide a company sick pay scheme which pays more than just Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). But how much should you pay if the employee normally works more than their minimum contracted hours?
You’ve clear evidence that an employee has done something wrong, e.g. misappropriated some stock. However, you don’t have proof that one particular member of staff is guilty. What can you do?
With the economy slowing down, redundancy may be a word springing to many employers’ lips. In the first of several articles, we explore what a redundancy really is and the statutory redundancy payments scheme. What’s to know?
The Information Commissioner has published new guidance on the meaning of “personal data”. You’re probably processing personal data every day, so how can this guidance help ensure that you comply with the Data Protection Act 1998?
The deadline for tax returns passed on January 31, and now the Taxman’s computer is merrily spewing out penalties for late returns. If you get one of those unpleasant letters, is there anything you can do to avoid paying the fine?
For Inheritance Tax there are some simple annual “use it or lose it” exemptions. What are these, and how can you make sure you take full advantage of them before the current tax year ends on April 5 2008?
Has your company spent money on researching and developing new products over the last five years? If so, you only have until March 31 to take advantage of a special tax relief. What’s involved?
Whether you have some additional freelance income or are full-time self-employed, there is a way for you to simplify your accounts when it comes to car running costs. What’s involved?
As one tax year closes, another one opens
As the 2007/8 PAYE year-end draws near, the question of submitting employer annual returns should be raised. Is online filing still the best route? And is there anything you should be doing differently for 2007/8?
If stock markets are tumbling, you may be casting your eye around for alternative investments. Land and buildings can offer good returns in the long term, but are there any tax breaks to encourage you?
At last, Mr Darling has announced the new Capital Gains Tax (CGT) relief for entrepreneurs. What’s it worth to you?
Making your rules clear to cleaning contractors
You’ve recently observed one of your cleaning contractor’s staff totally ignoring your health and safety rules. Is it down to you to ensure that they work safely or is it their employer’s responsibility?
Energy-saving lightbulbs - the truth
You may have heard recently that energy-saving lightbulbs are dangerous. Is this really the case, or are the risks being exaggerated?
Selecting suitable equipment for the location
A recent case has highlighted that poor selection of equipment and not considering the risks to members of the public can end in a serious accident. What happened, and what can you learn from this particular case?
Most businesses use racking and shelving etc. for storage, but if it isn’t used properly or maintained in good condition it could cause a serious accident. How can you prevent any problems?
A number of so-called health and safety consultants are promoting their competence using the “buy with confidence” scheme. What is it, and is it a guaranteed way of getting good health and safety advice?
You have a fire escape door leading from one of your warehouses, which is also used as a goods inwards door. For security purposes the door is kept locked at night, even though staff remain on site. Are you allowed to do this?
A Romanian worker in the UK recently lost a leg in an accident. One of the causes was that, because of his limited English, he didn’t understand his employer’s health and safety systems. How can you avoid a similar experience?
You’re keen to use a particular supplier, but having looked at their terms and conditions, it seems to be littered with the phrase “to use your reasonable endeavours”. Should you be concerned, or is this just normal practice?
From April 6 the Taxman will make it much more difficult to save tax by paying dividends to your spouse. What can you do about it?
Paying life assurance premiums to make sure loved ones are adequately taken care of after your death is quite normal. However, had you ever thought about getting a tax deduction for this? Here’s how.
You were about to tell one of your directors to formally account for his poor performance, but he resigned first. Given his position, is this the good news that it seems to be, or are there any pitfalls? If so, how should you play it?
Can the landlord forfeit the lease?
The board is getting a bit uneasy because you’re hearing noises from your landlord’s agent that he’s looking to end the lease. The word “forfeiture” is being bandied about. Is there any cause for concern?
New legal duties for directors?
A colleague has recently informed you that new laws are being introduced that place specific health and safety duties on company directors. Naturally, you’re concerned about this, but is it true? If not, what’s the real story?
Last year your Corporation Tax bill was £X,000, a figure which you thought was way too high. What simple measures can you adopt this year to ensure less money goes to the Taxman?
Surfing safely on other Wi-Fi networks
When you’e in a hotel, an airport or a pub, it’s convenient if you can surf the Internet on your laptop using a Wi-Fi network. But there are risks involved. So how do you prevent others from “looking over your shoulder”?
When you have thousands of photos sitting on your hard disk, it’s often quite a chore to find the items you’re looking for. By “tagging” your photos correctly, you can make this task a lot easier and faster. What exactly do you have to do?
Suppose you’ve composed an e-mail which should not be sent immediately, but - say - in a couple of day’s time. Can your e-mail software send it automatically at that time?
If you don’t like certain software you've installed, you can generally remove it by means of the “uninstaller” supplied with the program. However, this isn’t always perfect. Dedicated uninstall tools do a better job. Are there any good, free tools?
With personal debt hitting £1.4 trillion in the UK, it seems timely to look at websites that can help with money management and advise on debt problems.
Mobile Internet: which is best?
More and more people wish to be online constantly. If you’re one of them, there are a lot of devices that make this possible. We examine several of the leading options?
For an effective protection of your computer, a firewall is an absolute must. However, many firewalls have been slow in developing full compatibility with Vista. We check the status today.
Syncing Outlook and Google Calendar
It’s a good idea to use both the Outlook calendar and the online Google Calendar. Using appropriate software, you can keep the two calendars synchronised at all times.
Shopping online – the best tactics
Online shopping sales figures in 2007 reached £47 billion - that’s 54% higher than in 2006. But with gloomy economic predictions for 2008, we look at where the best deals are on the Web.
You may sometimes need to convert a file - for instance a photograph, a video clip or a document - to a different format. We look at online services that allow you to do this easily and free of charge?
The danger of dismissing an illegal alien
You know that you have to follow the statutory procedures to the letter to ensure that any dismissal is fair. But what if the “employee” doesn’t have the right to work here in the first place? Can you just show them the door?
We’ve previously advised you on the benefits of using Pay in Lieu of Notice clauses (PILONs) in your contracts. If you’re still not convinced, maybe a new case will do the trick. What do you need to know?
Sacked for breaching smoking policy
If an employee breaches the terms of a policy or company rule, can you dismiss them? What does a recent case involving a smoker have to say?
Disability discrimination legislation requires you to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee. But what’s the position if this individual has found ways to seriously reduce the impact of their disability? What then?
If your business grows, you may need to consider moving to new premises. Employees’ jobs are still available, but at the new location. Can you require them to relocate and is it a redundancy if they refuse?
You want to make some changes to your employees’ employment contracts. Can you simply ask them to sign on the dotted line? If not, what’s the current legal thinking as to what you must do first?
With the credit squeeze starting to hurt, the number of personal insolvencies is set to rise throughout 2008. Are there any risks involved with employing bankrupt staff, and how should you deal with existing employees who are suffering?
Waste disposal - the expensive way
The increasing number of fly-tipping incidents has forced the Environment Agency and local authorities to get tough with offenders. So, how can you ensure your waste doesn’t end up in the wrong hands and land you in trouble?
We’ve already said that many are seeking alternatives to disposable plastic carrier bags due to environmental reasons. However, the bag manufacturers are fighting back, saying that they’re not that bad. Who should you believe?
Until recently, calculating the carbon footprint of your business has been difficult, to say the least. However, now there are a number of calculators available that make it far simpler, and they’re free. So, should you bother?
Do you need an Energy Performance Certificate?
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive takes effect this year and a certificate will need to be obtained which details how energy efficient a building is. How might you be affected?
Flooding and drainage assessment
You’ve decided that you need an environmental management plan for your business. You know that you need to start with a number of assessments, but you’re not sure what this involves. What do you need to do?
Changes to the WEEE Regulations
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations (WEEE) have recently been amended. What, if anything, will this mean for your business?
Security lighting does what it says on the box - it helps to protect your property from intruders. However, what should you do if your neighbours complain about the light? What happened when one person was taken to court?