2015 -
June
RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION - 29.06.2015
Religious dress: choice and discrimination
When one employer asked a Muslim woman if she could wear a shorter jilbab at work she claimed that its request amounted to religious discrimination. What did the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decide?
HOLIDAYS - 29.06.2015
Last minute holidays
Last minute holidays have become increasingly popular. But an employee can’t book one and then expect you to fall in with their eleventh hour plans. What’s the real deal here?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 29.06.2015
Workplace companions and confidentiality
In certain circumstances an employee has the right to be accompanied by a workplace companion. Nevertheless, you don’t want the person they appoint breaching anyone’s confidentiality. How can you make this clear?
GROSS MISCONDUCT - 29.06.2015
Can you dismiss just because they smell of alcohol?
An employee has turned up to work smelling pretty bad and it’s obvious that it’s alcohol. Can you sack them simply because they reek of it or would a dismissal for this reason be inviting trouble?
TRIBUNAL PROCEDURE - 29.06.2015
Floodgates opened to historic claims?
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled that an employee who submitted a tribunal claim six years late must be allowed to proceed with it. Does this decision open the floodgates to other historic claims?
FLEXIBLE WORKING - 29.06.2015
Job ads and flexible working
According to research, only 6% of job ads mention that the employer offers flexible working. This suggests that the other 94% are doing something wrong. Must flexible working actually be referred to in job ads?
E-MAIL AND INTERNET - 29.06.2015
Checking e-mails during unexpected absences
An employee is off work unexpectedly and you’re worried that there might be e-mail messages which require answers sitting in their inbox. Can you just check the account or must you obtain their permission first?
SELF-ASSESSMENT - 29.06.2015
Late filing penalties to be written off?
A national newspaper has reported that HMRC is writing off late filing penalties without investigation. But is it as simple as it sounds?
OFFSHORE - 29.06.2015
Avoiding offshore company elephant traps
One of your corporate clients has asked whether he could save tax by setting up an offshore company. Does this sort of tax planning ever work and if so what are the traps to watch out for?
CGT - 29.06.2015
Selling part of a business tax free
A corporate client has been approached to sell off part of their business. How can the substantial shareholding exemption (SSE) be taken advantage of to ensure that any gain is free of corporation tax?
VAT - 29.06.2015
Is it a van or a car?
A VAT-registered client can usually claim back the VAT on a van but not on a car. But which vehicles does HMRC accept are vans?
VEHICLES - 24.06.2015
Dubious emissions counts
It’s come to light that the official emissions rating for some cars might not reflect those generated during real life usage of the vehicle. Is this likely to make a huge difference to you and, if so, how?
ENFORCEMENT - 24.06.2015
Different approach to enforcement
The Environment Agency (EA) is making greater use of its ability to issue enforcement undertakings against those who have breached environmental legislation. Is this a good move?
RAW MATERIALS - 24.06.2015
Are your timber products legal?
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, many timber products on sale in the UK are coming from sources known to be illegal for logging. How might this affect you?
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS - 24.06.2015
Get to grips with the circular economy
The British Standards Institute (BSI) has been working on the development of a new standard - the first of its kind - to help companies understand what the so-called circular economy actually means in practice. What’s involved?
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - 24.06.2015
Audit your policy
To maintain compliance with ISO 14001, you must ensure that your environmental policy meets its requirements. Why not use our audit document to ensure that your document is up to scratch.
WASTE - 24.06.2015
New waste regulation for Wales
The Welsh Assembly has published details of its Environment Bill, which requires businesses to separate waste at source. When does this come in and are there similar rules in other parts of the UK?
ENFORCEMENT - 24.06.2015
No profit from environmental offences
A Court of Appeal decision shows that businesses could be fined 100% of their pre-tax profit for environmental offences. What’s to know?
CAPITAL ALLOWANCES - 23.06.2015
Are capital allowances due on your home furnishings?
One of our subscribers set up her home office when she started a new job as a sales director. Her accountant claimed capital allowances (CAs) for her home office furniture, but the local tax inspector argued that none were due. Who’s right?
TAX CREDITS - 23.06.2015
Changes may make life difficult for entrepreneurs
Since April 2015 new restrictions and checks are in place for self-employed people claiming working tax credits (WTC). These changes may see more claims being rejected or clawed back. What’s the full story?
PENSIONS - 23.06.2015
Boost the value of your tax-free cash at zero cost
Pensions freedom took effect on 6 April 2015. It included changes to HMRC’s anti-avoidance rules on pension recycling. To what extent is it still possible and is there still an advantage to it?
BENEFITS IN KIND - 23.06.2015
Motorbikes - a low tax cost company perk
A friend tells you that motorbikes make tax-efficient company vehicles compared with cars. It might suit you to have one as a second vehicle for getting around town quickly. What are the tax and NI costs?
VAT - 23.06.2015
The pros and cons of VAT deregistration
When one of your companies started trading it registered and reclaimed VAT on its start-up costs. But now that its turnover has fallen what are the pros and cons of deregistering it?
PENALTIES - 23.06.2015
HMRC’s new take on penalties
HMRC has confirmed its new approach to appeals made against tax return late filing penalties. How will this affect you if you miss a deadline?
EXPENSES - 23.06.2015
Business trip accommodation expenses not deductible
Each week you travel to another part of the country on business and rent a flat there to save on hotel bills. Surely that’s a tax deductible business expense? The tribunal didn’t think so; why?
COMPANIES HOUSE - 22.06.2015
Up-to-date company records are good for credit ratings
Companies House is warning companies that their credit rating might be affected if they don’t keep their statutory records up to date. What is it referring to and is the warning really justified?
TAX - 22.06.2015
How to claim tax relief for business expenses
In June each year your bookkeeper hands you a copy of your P11D showing benefits and expenses and tells you to show the figures on your tax return. That sounds OK, but why might this land you in trouble with the Taxman?
DISCRIMINATION - 22.06.2015
Goods, services and discrimination
As two cases from May 2015 demonstrate, it’s not just your employees who can accuse your business of discrimination - such accusations can be made by potential clients and customers too. How can these be avoided?
HMRC - 22.06.2015
Second Incomes Campaign
HMRC has been busy pushing its new Second Incomes Campaign. How might directors and other business owners be affected?
CHILD MAINTENANCE - 22.06.2015
Making child maintenance payments
You believe your child maintenance payments may not be spent appropriately and would prefer to pay the money directly to your child. From a legal perspective why is this a bad idea and what can you do instead?
ENFORCEMENT - 19.06.2015
Must you follow industry guidance?
It appears that industry guidance is replacing HSE-produced material as the official line on compliance. What do you need to know?
TEMPORARY STAFF - 19.06.2015
Do you use agency workers?
You need to take on additional workers via an agency to cope with seasonal demand, but you’re not sure how health and safety responsibilities are divided. What must you do to protect both your business and the workers themselves?
FIRE SAFETY - 19.06.2015
Can you leave fire safety to your landlord?
You’re aware that as an employer you must comply with fire safety legislation. But you rent part of a larger building and the landlord seems to have it covered. Can you leave it at that or must you do more?
WORKPLACE - 19.06.2015
Child’s play on your premises
During previous school holidays you noticed that children were playing on your site. You’re especially concerned as this summer you are planning some building work. What are your liabilities and what do you need to do?
ASBESTOS - 19.06.2015
Obtain the right type of asbestos survey
In May 2015 the HSE prosecuted a company after it failed to identify asbestos materials in advance of construction work in a college. What type of survey ought to have been commissioned and why?
WORKPLACE - 19.06.2015
Wall collapsed onto employee
Walls may seem like simple structures but, as the prosecution of a carpet firm shows, there’s more to their design than meets the eye. What happened and how can you avoid making the same mistakes?
DISPLAY SCREEN EQUIPMENT - 19.06.2015
The trouble with tablets
One of your employees is complaining of neck and wrist pain caused by the tablet computer you’ve given him. What could be the reason for this and what practical solutions are available?
BUSINESS - JOBS - 18.06.2015
Jobs in continental Europe
With the Eurozone showing signs of a recovery, perhaps it’s time to consider moving out of the UK. We look at sites that help you find new challenges.
SOFTWARE - MISCELLANEOUS - 18.06.2015
Doing more with your clipboard
The Windows clipboard is a temporary storage space for information which you copy or cut on your computer. How can you extend the possibilities of the default clipboard?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE PHOTOS - 18.06.2015
Google Photos - photos and videos online
Google recently launched Google Photos, a service which allows you to store photos and videos in the cloud. What does this new service have to offer and are there alternatives?
SOFTWARE - DOWNLOADS - 18.06.2015
Caution: “free of charge”
The Internet is brimming with free software, quite often of a high quality. However, you should remain wary as many of these free programs try to install extra software on your system. What should you pay attention to?
TRANSPORT - MAPS & ROUTES - 18.06.2015
Planning your route in advance
A navigation system in your car is highly convenient, but you will probably also want to plan your routes via computer. The new TomTom MyDrive connects both systems. Can this help you better prepare for your trip or your customer calls?
ENTERTAINMENT - MUSIC - 18.06.2015
More than just music streaming
In response to the imminent launch of Apple’s streaming service, music services Spotify and Deezer are presenting a number of new features. What can we expect?
LEISURE - TRAVEL - 18.06.2015
Travel apps: listen to other people’s advice
Holidaymakers will want to make sure that they have a good hotel, can dine at quality restaurants and visit the local sights. Other travellers’ experiences may prove very useful. Here are some travel-advice apps.
TELEPHONY - INTERNET TELEPHONY - 18.06.2015
Extra features for Skype
Skype allows you to communicate free of charge with your customers, suppliers, colleagues, etc. We looked for some functions and additional tools which aim to improve your Skype experience.
E-MAIL - E-MAIL SOFTWARE - 18.06.2015
E-mail and holidays, a tough combination?
Are you already dreading an overflowing mailbox on your return from a restful holiday? The following tips will allow you to go on holiday without worrying about it.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE CALENDAR - 18.06.2015
Working more efficiently with Google Calendar
Do you use Google Calendar as your online digital calendar? If so, here are some tips and tricks which will help you to use this webtool even more efficiently!
INTERNET CONNECTION - MOBILE INTERNET - 18.06.2015
Cut your mobile data use
Most mobile subscriptions come with large data volumes, but it’s best to remain economical with data (especially abroad). Here are some tips for cutting data usage.
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 18.06.2015
Workplace fitness competitions
To help improve staff fitness levels, Legal & General has launched a “take the stairs” competition with climb Everest being just one option. Is this type of initiative something you should offer or avoid?
REST BREAKS - 18.06.2015
Food at desks and productivity
One major staff bugbear is sitting near a colleague who’s eating at their desk. However, apart from employee relations and hygiene, there’s another good reason why this activity should be banned. What is it?
INDUCTION - 18.06.2015
How to carry out effective inductions
There’s a whole host of reasons why every new employee should go through a comprehensive induction procedure. But how can you ensure that your own process is as effective as possible?
HEALTH AND SAFETY - 18.06.2015
Refusing to work on health and safety grounds
One of your employees has just raised a minor concern regarding health and safety in your workplace. However, they also claim that they can’t be forced to work until it’s dealt with. Does such a legal right exist?
TRIBUNAL PROCEDURE - 18.06.2015
Can’t face early conciliation: no excuses
When an employee ignored early conciliation because she “couldn’t talk to an employer who had treated her so badly”, the Employment Appeal Tribunal listened sympathetically. But what did it say about her decision?
UNFAIR DISMISSAL - 18.06.2015
Can you ban calls to external bodies?
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled that an employee who rang the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for advice after he was specifically told not to was fairly dismissed. Can you ban staff from contacting the ICO?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 18.06.2015
Regular sickness absence due to PMT
You’ve noticed that a female employee takes one or two days’ sick leave every four weeks. On querying this she claims to get severe PMT but says any further action will be discriminatory. Are your hands really tied?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE VIDEO - 08.06.2015
A YouTube channel: good for your business?
YouTube not only contains lots of entertainment videos: businesses, shops and the self-employed are increasingly using YouTube to promote their products. It’s easy to set up your own channel.
BUSINESS - HEALTH - 08.06.2015
A fit and healthy workplace
When people in the workplace are well-motivated, happy and healthy, there are benefits for employers and employees. How can the Internet help?
SOFTWARE - BROWSER - 08.06.2015
The same browser everywhere
Are you looking for a single browser which works on your computer, tablet as well as smartphone, even if they run different operating systems (Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android)? Here are three browsers which can do this.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE STORAGE - 08.06.2015
Deleting or restoring documents in the cloud
Online storage services are convenient for synchronising folders and files on different devices. It’s good to know that Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox take a different approach to the files you delete.
E-MAIL - WEBMAIL - 08.06.2015
Doing more with Gmail in Chrome
In Chrome you can use add-ons to help you improve your Gmail experience. Here are some handy extra functions which can give your Gmail account an extra boost.
SECURITY - PRIVACY - 08.06.2015
Increase the privacy of your smartphone
Most smartphone default settings are aimed at user comfort rather than at personal information protection. If you set great store by your privacy, how do you change these settings?
INTERNET CONNECTION - VPN - 08.06.2015
Simple and safe surfing via Tunnelbear
By using a virtual private network (VPN) you can access the Internet more safely, e.g. in public hotspots. In addition, you can view content which is only available in some countries. Tunnelbear combines both. How does it work?
SEARCHING - IMAGES - 08.06.2015
Looking for suitable photos
Suppose you’re looking for photos you want to insert into your website, company brochure, document or presentation. How do you find pictures which meet specific requirements, such as a certain colour or composition?
E-MAIL - WEBMAIL - 08.06.2015
Working efficiently with Outlook.com
Outlook.com is the successor to the popular Hotmail webmail service. The following tips and tricks will help you to work even more efficiently with Outlook.com.
TELEPHONY - SMARTPHONES - 08.06.2015
Beef up your laptop battery
Battery life remains the weak spot of almost every smartphone, certainly if you use your device intensively. Here are some tips for iOS and Android users to prolong battery life.
PERSONAL WEBSITE - WEBSITE PROMOTION - 08.06.2015
On-page and off-page website optimisation
By applying search engine optimisation (SEO) you can make your website score higher in the Google search results. Both the “on-page” and the “off-page” aspects of SEO are important. What are they?
INHERITANCE TAX - 05.06.2015
What’s the trouble with dividend waivers?
Dividend waivers can be used to alter the mix of how your company pays its shareholders, but in recent times they have fallen out of favour. Why and are they still safe to use?
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 05.06.2015
All is lost - except for loss relief
A few years ago you invested in your son’s new business. It never really got off the ground. The company survives but your shares in it are worth nothing. You’ve been told you can claim tax relief for your investment. How does this work?
EMPLOYMENT STATUS - 05.06.2015
New employment status indicator
HMRC has revamped its employment status indicator (ESI). What’s new, can you rely on it and, most importantly, is it worth using?
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 05.06.2015
Cut your CGT bill on investment property
You’ve owned a second property for several years and now want to sell it and buy a bigger place. The trouble is some of the proceeds will be needed to pay tax on the gain you make from the sale. How can you avoid or reduce this?
BENEFITS - 05.06.2015
Can you avoid paying tax on your 2014/15 benefits?
In 2014/15 your company paid a few of your personal bills and your accountant has shown them as benefits on your P11D. Is it too late to use your director’s loan account to cancel the benefit and what are the tax and NI consequences?
VAT - 05.06.2015
FRS may not be simple but it can save you VAT
HMRC promotes its VAT flat rate scheme (FRS) as a way to make your record keeping easier. What it doesn’t say is that there’s a stack of tricky rules to contend with. So is it worth signing up to or not?
PERSONNEL - 04.06.2015
Request to withdraw a resignation
An employee who recently tendered their formal resignation has just asked if they can withdraw it. Must you agree to their request? Also, would it make any difference if their resignation had been given verbally?
PERSONNEL - 04.06.2015
Zero-hour rules changed
New rules on exclusivity clauses in zero-hour contracts are now in force. If you use these what might the change mean to your business?
CARS - 04.06.2015
Hiring and buying without a paper licence
On 8 June 2015 the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence was abolished. However, this document was generally required when hiring, test-driving or buying a car. So what will you have to do now?
COMPANY LAW - 04.06.2015
Directors: a greater risk of disqualification?
It’s been suggested that due to provisions contained in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 far more directors could be disqualified in the future. Is this something you need to worry about?
VAT - 04.06.2015
Maximising VAT claims on equipment
When your business buys equipment that’s used both for work and personal purposes, you can’t usually reclaim all the VAT. But for some types of purchase HMRC allows it. When does this apply?
PURCHASE LEDGER - 03.06.2015
Preventing duplicate purchase invoices
Duplicate purchase invoices are much more than a bookkeeping nuisance. They can also seriously chip away at the bottom line. So how can you reduce the chance of them occurring?
TRAVEL - 03.06.2015
Clever currency savings
If you’re caught out by a last minute business trip abroad, chances are you’ll pick up some very expensive currency at the airport. Are there ways you can save on exchange rates?
