2015 -
March
COMPANY LAW - 31.03.2015
What happens when a shareholder dies?
The company’s managing director and controlling shareholder is seriously ill and it doesn’t look good. What steps can or must the directors take to prepare for a possible change in leadership and share ownership?
BUDGET - 31.03.2015
Budget benefits?
The Chancellor’s 2015 Budget was light on news for business. Company cars and anti-avoidance were the main features. How might these changes affect you?
PERSONNEL - 31.03.2015
Recruitment: can you ask for a heavy lifter?
You’re recruiting for a role where the need for heavy lifting is unavoidable. A colleague claims that if this requirement is mentioned in the job ad a disabled applicant could claim discrimination. Must you keep it quiet or not?
FINANCE - 31.03.2015
Can a former spouse go after your money?
The Supreme Court has ruled that the former spouse of a director has the legal right to claim a slice of his money, even though they split up decades before he made his fortune. Has this opened the floodgates to similar claims?
EXPENSES - 31.03.2015
Tax breaks for staff training
The tax deduction rules for job-related training costs are tricky, especially for your employees. As an employer how can you help them out and at the same time take advantage of a tax break?
CARS - 31.03.2015
Goodbye driving licence paper counterpart
On 8 June 2015 the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence will be abolished. From that date they’ll no longer be issued or valid. How will you be able to check the information that used to be on it?
PERSONAL WEBSITE - SITE DESIGN - 30.03.2015
Avoid usability errors
Not all websites achieve what they set out to. The reason is they violate the basic usability principles and this deters potential visitors. Here are some of the mistakes to avoid.
SOFTWARE - MUSIC - 30.03.2015
Organise your music in Clementine
You probably have thousands of music files. Clementine, a free open-source music manager, lets you play and organise all these files. What exactly does the program have to offer and how good is it?
COMPUTER - ONLINE ASSISTANCE - 30.03.2015
Asking technical questions
We’re all confronted with technical issues sometimes, such as a printer refusing to work or a problem in Word or Excel. If you can’t fall back on assistance in your workplace, try posting your questions on a forum.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE OFFICE - 30.03.2015
More dynamic presentations with Moovly?
Most presentations are still supported by PowerPoint slideshows which generally resemble each other and therefore can seem dull. Moovly wants to make your presentations more dynamic.
SOFTWARE - APPS - 30.03.2015
Document management with GoodReader
Do you want to open PDFs, Office files or other documents on your iPad or iPhone? GoodReader is an excellent option - unfortunately it’s only for iOS. How does the app work and how do you configure it?
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 30.03.2015
Android on Windows
Did you know that there are tools to transfer various functions on your Android device, e.g. reading text messages, to your larger Windows computer screen? It’s even possible to run Android within Windows itself.
E-MAIL - E-MAIL USE - 30.03.2015
E-mailing faster using templates
Do you have to type the same text over and over again? You can save a great deal of time by using templates or text replacement tools. What are your options?
BUSINESS ADVICE - 30.03.2015
SMEs and the work-life balance
Life is often difficult for SMEs. It’s a question of balance. If it’s out of kilter, family life can suffer. We look at how you can achieve the right equilibrium.
TELEPHONY - SMARTPHONES - 30.03.2015
Interactive notifications
Android (since version 5.0 - Lollipop) and iOS (since version 8) work with much smarter notifications. How do you ensure good use of these and make them less intrusive?
NEWS SITES - 30.03.2015
Looking for regional news?
The Internet is full of news sites, but the international news is generally provided by the major press agencies. Where can you find a more local look on a specific region?
COMPUTER - MISCELLANEOUS - 30.03.2015
Change your computer sounds
Many people spend time customising the look of their computer. However, did you know that you can also change the sounds made by your computer?
PENSIONS - 30.03.2015
Pension lump sums and PAYE loopholes
Pensions freedom provides new ways to take lump sums, as long as you’re at least 55. The tax you’ll pay is determined by the usual rules, but they are hazy about the timing. How can you make this work in your favour?
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 30.03.2015
A new tax-efficient way to sell your company
Planning an exit strategy from your company isn’t simple. The traditional options each have pros and cons. Might a relative newcomer offer a better way out and allow you to bag a new capital gains tax break as part of the deal?
COMPANY CARS - 30.03.2015
Payments that reduce company car tax
Employees who contribute to the cost of using their company car for personal journeys get a reduced tax charge. This can be calculated in two ways. As the employer which one offers you the greatest advantage?
VAT - 30.03.2015
Directors’ homes and VAT
At one time anti-avoidance rules blocked VAT claims relating to directors’ homes. This made claiming VAT on the cost of creating a home office tricky. The rules were overhauled in 2011, so where do they stand now?
BUDGET - 30.03.2015
A low key Budget
There was no big pre-election giveaway in the Budget, but some intriguing changes were announced. How might these affect you?
PROFIT EXTRACTION - 30.03.2015
Good reasons to pay yourself a salary in 2015/16
The new tax year starts on 6 April 2015 and with it comes a rise in personal tax-free allowances and NI limits. How do these and other factors affect the level of salary you should take from your company?
INVESTMENTS - 30.03.2015
There’s an ISA out there that’s right for you
This year’s Budget created a brand new ISA and introduced changes to the existing ones. All that on top of a raft of other improvements announced last year. What types of ISA can you choose from and which offer the best incentive?
AGENTS - 30.03.2015
The VAT consequences of selling through agents
When you sell your goods through an agent there are different VAT consequences than if you sell them directly as a principal. What are these differences and how might they affect you?
HMRC POWERS - 30.03.2015
What are HMRC’s inspection powers?
Every business dreads a visit from HMRC. But if it does come calling what powers does an officer have to examine your records and can they download your computer records?
IMPORT VAT - 30.03.2015
When is VAT due on imports?
You probably know that when you bring goods into the UK from outside of the EU VAT is due on the importation. But how is this paid and is it possible to secure any savings?
PROPERTY - 30.03.2015
When you opt to tax a property, what’s covered?
When businesses opt to tax a property there’s often confusion as to what exactly is covered by the option and how far it extends. As it’s important to get this right, what’s the position in reality?
INSPECTIONS - 30.03.2015
HMRC is collecting more VAT…
The latest figures from HMRC show that more VAT is being collected during VAT inspections. What does this mean for businesses like yours?
VAT RECOVERY - 30.03.2015
The need for a business purpose
When you purchase goods or services, you’ll normally pay input VAT. To be able to recover this tax there must be a clear business purpose behind the purchase. But what does this really mean?
ENFORCEMENT - 27.03.2015
Regulation is good (apparently!)
A study has concluded that environmental legislation has a positive impact on the economy. Where has this come from and should you take note of the findings?
REPORTING - 27.03.2015
Mandatory reporting for Scotland’s public sector bodies
The Scottish government intends to make climate change reporting mandatory for all public sector organisations. What does that mean, and what will be the implications for businesses supplying the public sector in Scotland?
ENERGY CERTIFICATES - 27.03.2015
Certificates to go?
The government is thinking about scrapping Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for the 54,000 public buildings across England and Wales. Could this happen and, if so, what are the implications?
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS - 27.03.2015
Read the small print
A director and his company were prosecuted in February 2015 for spreading waste on land. It was an activity for which they had an environmental permit, so why did they get into trouble?
VEHICLES - 27.03.2015
Get a grip on tyre savings
By law tyres should now carry a label detailing grip levels, how much noise they create and how they impact on fuel economy and carbon emissions. How much can you rely on this information?
ENERGY METERING - 27.03.2015
Smart meters - progress update
Although businesses and homeowners have been promised smart meters for some time, the rollout process isn’t working as it should. So will you get one soon, and if you have one installed, how should you use it?
LIGHTING - 27.03.2015
Not such a bright idea - the truth about halogen bulbs
Choosing the most efficient light bulb has never been easy, and to make it even more complicated, it has been suggested that some products don’t meet the claims made by manufacturers. What’s to know?
ELECTRICAL SAFETY - 27.03.2015
Must you test electrical wiring every five years?
You’ve been told by your insurance company that it’s essential to have an electrical installation check every five years. Assuming it’s really necessary, is this just a pass/fail test or is there more to it?
LEGISLATION - 27.03.2015
Construction legislation update
On 6 April 2015 the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) come into effect. What impact are they likely to have?
CONSTRUCTION - 27.03.2015
Killed by client’s lack of communication
A court has heard how a businessman who asked his Latvian employees to convert a building began a fatal catalogue of errors. What went wrong and how can you avoid making the same mistakes?
ASBESTOS - 27.03.2015
HSE criticised for asbestos campaign
A leading industry training body has publicly expressed its irritation at the HSE’s latest campaign which aims to help tradespeople avoid contact with asbestos. How could there be scope for disagreement?
H&S MANAGEMENT - 27.03.2015
New HSE guidance for the food industry
To help those in the food and drink manufacturing sector manage the health and safety risks associated with their work and premises, the HSE has published detailed guidance. What’s covered?
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH - 27.03.2015
NHS Trust overlooked dermatitis problem
The HSE has prosecuted a healthcare employer after inspectors discovered a number of dermatitis cases. What should the Trust have done to prevent them and what reporting requirements should it have followed?
WORKPLACE - 27.03.2015
How safe are your rooflights?
The National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers has spoken out about the misinterpretation of safety terminology used to describe the impact resistance of rooflights. What has it said and should you take note?
NATIONAL INSURANCE - 23.03.2015
Employers’ NI and the under 21s
On 6 April 2015 an NI break will be introduced which specifically benefits those who employ under 21s. So what’s in it for you?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 23.03.2015
Fit for Work: how many referrals can you make?
Under the new Fit for Work (FfW) service you can refer an employee for a free occupational health assessment after four weeks’ continuous sickness absence. Is there any limit on how many referrals you can make in total?
PAYSLIPS - 23.03.2015
Is it OK to send electronic payslips?
In order to streamline your admin costs you’re considering ditching printed payslips and sending PDF versions via e-mail instead. However, one of your employees insists that this practice is illegal. Are they correct?
PART TIMERS - 23.03.2015
Do part timers have fewer rights?
A colleague claims that it would be far better to employ part-time employees rather than full timers because, not only do they cost you less overall, they have far fewer employment rights. True or false?
PATERNITY LEAVE - 23.03.2015
A new right to four weeks’ paid paternity leave?
There have been numerous reports in the media that ordinary paternity leave and pay rights will both soon be enhanced. How likely is this to happen and what is the earliest point that paternity leave can start?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 23.03.2015
Dealing with a chatterbox
One of your employees talks non-stop all day long and her mundane chatter is incredibly distracting (not to mention boring) for those around her. What’s the best way to tackle this type of problem?
UNFAIR DISMISSAL - 23.03.2015
Unfairly dismissed over “Osama bin Laden” selfie
An employment tribunal has concluded that an employee who was sacked for taking a selfie on works premises whilst wearing a rubber Osama bin Laden face mask was unfairly dismissed. Where did the employer go wrong?
COMPUTER - PERIPHERALS - 17.03.2015
Use your smartphone as a webcam
You would like to conduct a Skype video conversation on your desktop computer screen; however, your device isn’t equipped with a camera. Using the right app you can turn your smartphone into a webcam.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE STORAGE - 17.03.2015
Moving files to other cloud drives
It might be a good idea to store your important files with more than one online storage service. But how do you move or copy files from one cloud drive to the other easily?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE PHOTOS - 17.03.2015
Sharing photos online efficiently
Remember the days when we used to share photos via e-mail? Cloud services such as Dropbox and Google+ now allow you to share photos easily and create web albums. But there are many more services available.
BUSINESS ADVICE - 17.03.2015
Meeting SME challenges
Healthy SMEs are vital if the UK is to have a sound economic future. We examine the main challenges that 2015 will bring and the potential solutions.
E-MAIL - E-MAIL ADDRESS - 17.03.2015
An extra address?
Most webmail services give you extra addresses or “aliases”: they are different from your principal address, but the messages sent to them end up in your ordinary inbox. What makes these addresses useful?
MISCELLANEOUS - CHILDREN - 17.03.2015
Protect your children
The Internet is an excellent source of information, but it also contains a lot of adult material. How can you prevent your young children from coming into contact with this kind of information?
SOFTWARE - COMPUTER MANAGEMENT - 17.03.2015
Clean up your hard drive
It’s a good idea to clean up your hard drive once or twice a year, not only to gain space, but also to make Windows run faster and more efficiently. How should you proceed?
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 17.03.2015
Tips and tricks for Windows 10
The free preview version of the upcoming Windows update, Windows 10, has been available for downloading for a while now. Here are some handy tips for the early downloaders.
WEB SERVICES - MISCELLANEOUS - 17.03.2015
Online invitations
If you are organising a company party, an open house or a birthday party it can be an organisational nightmare. How can you invite your guests online and follow up the response.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COLLABORATION - 17.03.2015
Sharing interesting information
During your surfing sessions you’re likely to come across interesting webpages which you want to share with colleagues or customers. Using the right tools this is child’s play.
BUSINESS - WEB SERVICES - 17.03.2015
Doing more with Zoho
You’re probably familiar with Zoho as an online alternative for the traditional Office products. But Zoho has other professional cloud tools in its product range. We put three of them to the test.
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 16.03.2015
Why generosity could land you with a CGT bill
A recent tribunal decision is a sharp reminder of a little known capital gains tax trap. The taxpayer on the wrong end of the ruling had sold a property to his fiancée at a bargain price. This landed him with a £5,000 tax bill; why?
VAT - 16.03.2015
Can you reclaim VAT after you’ve deregistered?
You’re winding up one of your subsidiary companies and it will soon have to deregister for VAT. The trouble is the company still has to pay rent for a while and the landlord adds VAT. Where do you stand with reclaiming it?
CAPITAL ALLOWANCES - 16.03.2015
Are you missing out on energy-saving tax breaks?
All good things must come to an end and that’s soon to be true of the tax break for residential landlords who install energy-saving features in their properties. However, there’s still time to make a claim. What’s involved?
COMPANY CARS - 16.03.2015
Is there a tax advantage to leasing a car?
When you’re financing new company cars, cost is usually a key factor. You’re weighing up making a straight purchase or leasing but the tax outcome varies for each. What is the difference and how does it affect the overall cost?
DIRECTORS’ TAX - 16.03.2015
Time to plan your year-end bonus?
Borrowing from your company can result in it having to pay extra tax, but it can be avoided if you repay the debt within a set time period. What steps can you take to make sure repaying what you owe is as tax efficient as possible?
PROPERTY - 16.03.2015
Buying a property - what costs are tax deductible?
When you buy a property you’ll incur legal and other professional costs. Usually these are only tax deductible when you come to sell the property, but if it’s used in your business, can you deduct any of them from profits?
INVESTIGATIONS - 16.03.2015
HMRC’s new fishing letters
HMRC has a new way to identify businesses it thinks are underdeclaring profit. It’s sending letters to those concerned. What should you do if you receive one?
DEBT RECOVERY - 12.03.2015
They’ve gone bust: what happens now?
You’ve heard a whisper that a company you have dealings with has got into financial trouble and is now in liquidation. How can you check its trading status, and what happens if you owe it?
COMPANY LAW - 12.03.2015
Company names: some new choices
New rules introduced in January 2015 mean that directors no longer have to obtain permission from the Secretary of State if they want to use certain terms in the company’s name or its trading name. What happened and why is this advantageous?
EXPENSES - 12.03.2015
Tax and NI free homeworking allowances
If one of your employees works at home, you can pay them a tax and NI-free allowance to cover their extra household costs. At just £4 per week it isn’t very generous. Is it possible to pay more without triggering tax and NI?
COST CUTTING - 12.03.2015
Fuel cards - are they worth trying?
Fuel card companies aim to tempt you into using their services by offering discounts plus streamlined admin to save your business time. Signing up for an account sounds like a no-brainer, but which should you choose?
DRIVING - 12.03.2015
Drug driving: on prescription?
On 2 March 2015 it became illegal for a person who is taking certain prescription drugs to drive a vehicle if they are unfit to do so. Can the company face criminal penalties where this new rule is breached?
TRAINING - 10.03.2015
Should you consider online safety training courses?
You’ve heard that many companies now go online to satisfy their health and safety training needs. Which subjects are covered and should you consider this method of training delivery?
PERMIT TO WORK - ASBESTOS - 10.03.2015
Permitting work with asbestos
If you have asbestos in your building, the usual course of action is to leave it alone. So what should you do if planned works are likely to disturb it? Use our permit to work - asbestos to get it right.
FORK LIFT TRUCKS - 10.03.2015
Fork lift overturned on litter strewn surface
A glass recycling company has been heavily fined after a temporary worker was killed in a fork lift truck accident. Why was the machine unsuitable for the work undertaken and what other criticisms were made in court?
LIABILITY - 10.03.2015
Legislation to limit civil claims
New legislation has been introduced to reduce an employer’s liability when it’s done the “right thing” to protect others. What’s the story?
SMOKING - 10.03.2015
Do you need to shelter your smokers?
When smoke-free legislation came into force many employers provided smokers with an outside shelter. One of our subscribers asks whether they must replace theirs now that it has fallen into disrepair. Must they?
