2008 - March
Advantages of a separate bank account
You run your own business on a self-employed basis. Until now you’ve just had the one bank account out of which you’ve paid business and personal expenses. Should you separate the two?
Your company has been doing well and has accumulated some excess cash. Should you leave these funds in the company’s bank account or take them out and invest them in your own name?
The March 2008 Budget report confirmed proposed changes to both Corporation Tax and income tax. But was there any “news” about these key taxes?
You want to pass on your second home to your children as part of an Inheritance Tax planning exercise, but there is likely to be a large Capital Gains Tax bill to pay. Is there any way to avoid this tax charge?
You should have received your Employer Pack 2008 from the Taxman by now. What’s on the free accompanying CD and how can you use it to your advantage?
You have an opportunity to buy some equipment at a bargain price, which you think you can easily resell at a profit. Should you buy the kit personally, or get your company to do the deal? Which would end up costing more in tax?
An adjustment to your PAYE code can be a useful thing. However, not all coding adjustments are helpful, or even necessary. How can you spot the difference and make sure you’re not paying too much tax in 2008/9?
You strongly suspect that one of your employees has a second job that keeps him up late at night. As he operates machinery, you’re worried about any health and safety implications coming back on you. What should you do?
Claiming for business/home security
You want to beef up your home security system by adding some CCTV cameras. Can you get the supplier to upgrade your business and home premises at the same time and claim a tax deduction for it?
Your company has become reliant on one supplier. You’ve heard that they could have financial problems and you’re worried about the effect on your business. Or what if they simply refused to supply you?
Like any sensible director, you take the issue of life assurance very seriously. But is it safe to pick up a policy along with your supermarket groceries?
Personal development for directors
You’ve been in business for some time but still feel you could benefit from some extra management “training”. What’s the Taxman’s view on the associated costs and what if you were to choose a course in, e.g., wine appreciation instead?
Go online to delay your VAT payment
You make quarterly VAT returns but have heard there is a way to keep your money longer and pay the VAT due later. If this is true, what’s involved and are there any other benefits?
Maximising “home as office” claims
If you work at home you should claim the extra costs of running an office there. But how much? The Taxman has published his view on the tax-free status of such expenses. What do you need to know?
You’ve heard that some companies are running employee wellbeing schemes to help their staff stay fit and healthy. What’s involved, is it a legal requirement and is it something that you should consider for your business?
A recent survey has identified that many private vehicles used for work purposes aren’t fit for the road. How might this affect you?
Not one or two but three, and the manager!
Following the death of an apprentice scaffolder, three companies and a manager found themselves on the wrong side of the law. What happened and what lessons can be learned?
“You have to refer me to occupational health...”
An employee who’s been suffering with back pain, has said that an Occupational Health Practitioner must see him before he can return to work. He says that it’s a legal requirement for him to be seen. If it is, how should you deal with this?
Bad, poor and good safety advice - the HSE perspective
The HSE has published what it considers to be bad, poor and good examples of advice from health and safety consultants. What’s been flagged up and what can happen if you employ a third-party advisor that isn’t really up to the job?
Recently, a number of businesses have been prosecuted under fire safety laws for failing to ensure they have adequate escape routes and clear signage. What should you be doing to ensure that everyone could escape in an emergency?
Form F10 (Rev) - what’s it used for?
Since the Construction, Design and Management Regulations were revised in 2007, there has been much confusion as to how the HSE should be notified of construction projects. To make it simpler, why not use our guide and form?
Thunderbird & Lightning: a powerful duo?
The free Lightning add-on adds a calendar to the Thunderbird e-mail program. Can this calendar rival the one in Outlook?
Are you looking for a specific tune or sound to accompany your presentation, video, slideshow or talk? There are lots of sites where you can find them. We picked out the best ones for you.
How useful are “overlays” for IE?
Overlays for Internet Explorer used to be hugely popular, as they added various useful extras such as tabs. IE7 has most of these things on board itself now. So what is the added value of an overlay such as Avant Browser?
You’re probably familiar with “widgets” or “gadgets” which you can add to your computer desktop. But did you know they also exist on the Web, so that you can have your widgets at hand wherever you are? Where can you find them?
The battle between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD has been going on for years, but now HD-DVD has thrown in the towel. Has the time come to buy a Blu-Ray player? Where can you find the best information?
Videos that can teach you a lesson
A myriad of funny video clips are available on video-sharing communities such as the popular YouTube. However, there are other sites which specialise in instructional videos.
Research that anti-depressants may not be effective made the front pages recently. We check if the Web can help you to keep informed about medicines.
How to improve your imaging software?
You may not need Photoshop to edit your digital snapshots; there are free alternatives such as XnView or Gimp. Can you extend them by means of plug-ins?
Are there any financial as well as environmental benefits for the private or business motorist in buying and driving “low emission” cars? We check out the websites that can give you all the “green” information.
You may be quite proud of your website, but is it as fast and as good as you would like it to be? Here are some useful tools to help you monitor and improve your site.
Last summer many businesses were completely washed out by heavy flooding. With the weather becoming more unpredictable, employee contingency planning is a key consideration. What do you need to know?
New laws that aim to crack down on migrants working illegally in the UK have just come into force. But guess who will be expected to police them?
Stressed by grievance procedures
You know that employees can sue you for foreseeable work-related stress, but what happens if it’s your procedures that are to blame instead? In the first case of its type, what did the Court of Appeal say?
You’re experiencing a problem with bullying amongst some of your staff. It’s not on traditional lines as those targeted are obese with unhealthy lifestyles. Should you do anything about it?
What’s the latest on expired warnings?
In a recent case it was held that it can be fair to rely on an expired warning when reaching a decision to dismiss. So just how far can you go with this - will it always be safe to rely on an old warning?
Dismissing short-service staff
You’ve recruited a new employee only to find that they’re not up to the job. What essential points do you need to consider when dismissing an employee who has been employed for less than a year? Our top ten tips should help.
When it’s damaged or missing, who pays?
It’s a fact of life that from time to time, employees’ personal belongings will get damaged or be stolen at work. Are you responsible for compensating them for their loss and if so, can your liability be limited?
Too high or too low, or just right?
Every year you can take a tax-free amount out of your company by way of salary and dividends. But what if you’re approaching the limit for this year? What measures can you adopt to save tax?
During a busy period you accidentally forgot to send in your VAT return by the deadline for the latest period. How much will this cost in penalties? And will a visit from the VATman be the final outcome?
Holding commercial property in a pension has always been an attractive proposition because of its long-term tax-free status. Here’s one way to do this and get some cash back from the Taxman immediately. Read on...
If the Taxman discovers an old unpaid NI debt, he will ask you, as the employer, to simply pay up. However, he tends to over-inflate his demands. What can you do to make sure you keep the hit to a minimum?
A recent case shows that where any construction work is involved, there is always room for debate about the tax deductibility of your expenditure. How can you improve your chances of success?
If you own shares you might not qualify for relief from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) come April 6 2008. However, there is something you can do…
If the Taxman writes to you saying he doesn’t think you need to fill in a tax return anymore, should you believe him? What’s he up to? How should you react to such a letter?
A life assurance policy can provide essential protection for family, home and business. But even when something has been put in place, most of us ignore the simple steps needed to ensure a timely and tax-free payment. What’s to learn?
One rate for them and another for us
You’ve just taken out a new bank loan at what you thought was a favourable interest rate. Only it seems that another company has borrowed the same amount from the same bank at a better rate. Why the favouritism?
The number of prosecutions under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations more than tripled last year. How can you stay out of the line of fire?
Like many businesses these days, your company trades through a franchise. However, you’re becoming increasingly unhappy with the behaviour and demands of the franchisor. Can you simply walk away?
Your spouse/partner has run a successful business for some time. Now they’re about to incorporate it to form a limited company, with you as a director. Is it as simple as adding the word “Limited” to their letterhead?
Naturally, you reimburse your staff the cost of any business travel. However, you don’t scrutinise every mileage claim - you just don’t have the time. Could this prove to be a problem for the Taxman?
Like many successful directors you own an investment property. The rental market is strong and you think it’s time to increase the rent. What does the law allow and how much extra should you ask for?
If you give employees their normal pay (or a percentage of normal pay) whilst off sick for a number of weeks, how much will you have to pay if they regularly work more than their contracted hours?
As a director, what happens if you discover that you signed a guarantee without realising it? Are you still caught by the small print?
Workplace Health Connect is a government initiative aimed at helping employers cope with health and safety and personnel issues. Is this a service you should consider or could it be used against you?
With office equipment accounting for around 20% of your total energy consumption, is there anything that can be done to reduce the bill, especially in these challenging economic times?
Having a faulty fire alarm might alert the authorities to the fact that you haven’t addressed fire risks properly. What’s to learn from two recent cases?
You feel that you’ve finally got on top of health and safety issues and don’t think that there’s much else to do. So can you move on to something else or should you be looking to try and reduce risks further?
Failing to manage transport on your premises after you have been warned about it is just asking for trouble. And when an employee gets killed as a result of a reversing vehicle it makes matters far worse, as this company found out.
You’ve been asked by a member of staff to pay for a pair of spectacles so that they can read signs and safety warning notices. They said that it’s a legal requirement for you to do so. Is this true?
Managing the use of hand pallet trucks
Before you allow staff to use a forklift truck you ensure that they’re trained and then issue authorisation to use it, but you’ve never seen the point of doing the same for a pallet truck. Should you change your approach?
Should we use a questionnaire?
You’ve been considering asking all potential contractors to fill in a health and safety questionnaire to check their level of competence. Is this a good idea, and if so, what’s the best way of going about it?
A report published by the Fire and Rescue Service has identified that over 35% of fires at work start in stock rooms. What causes them and what can you do to ensure that the risks are managed in your stock rooms?
The free and highly popular audio editor Audacity recently released a new version. What are the improvements compared with previous versions? And what about the competitors?
Effective business involves collaboration among lots of people. How can you ensure this is optimal in your organisation at all times? Here are a couple of online services that can help you.
Blog: online service or software?
Weblogs, or “blogs” for short, are here to stay. If you’re planning to start your own blog, there are various blog services or programs around. Here’s an overview.
Sharing scrapbooks with friends
Some people like combining photos and text in a scrapbook. Some of them are masterpieces. How can you create such an electronic scrapbook and share it with friends and family?
Game consoles have become omnipresent in households these days. Gamers will of course want to be kept posted of news and new games. Where does the games buff find information and reviews?
Oops… you’ve inadvertently deleted an important e-mail message. Is it irretrievably lost or are there ways to recover it?
Better XP performance thanks to Vista tools
Windows Vista isn’t perfect, but it does come with an excellent utility for “performance improvement”. Are there similar tools that can boost your PC’s performance under Windows XP?
We examine whether a strong pound is a good reason to shop at the US websites.
Google Calendar on your desktop
In previous issues, we reviewed several tools for synchronising your Google Calendar with Outlook. The new, free Calgoo also offers synchronisation. How good is it?
Beat the downturn with new customers
Seventy-four percent of business owners, surveyed by the British Chamber of Commerce, think the UK economy will be weaker in 2008. We look at the best places to find new customers and to increase sales from your existing ones.
Holidays and the long-term sick
The big question of whether an employee on long-term sick leave can still accrue statutory holiday pay has reappeared. So what’s the latest legal position?
You need to make a position redundant but there’s more than one potential candidate. So how do you go about ensuring that the selection you ultimately make is a fair one?
Disciplinary matter or grievance?
You’ve no choice but to discipline an employee. However, he’s now raised a “grievance” and you need to know if you should deal with this first. What’s the safest course of action?
The benefits of gardening leave
A key employee has just resigned and given the requisite notice to our subscriber. However, due to the nature of her job, they want her to leave immediately. Is this the only option? If not, what’s the best course of action?
An employee has just confided in you that she’s contracted HIV. Your first response is one of panic! Won’t you have to let her go? How will the other members of staff react? Isn’t she a health risk?
Can you sack someone who’s unpopular?
Suppose one of your managers has a bullying personality and is clashing with colleagues. Can you deal with it by asking him to resign or by sacking him if he doesn’t take the hint? If not, what steps should you take first?