2016 -
September
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS & MAC - 30.09.2016
Working efficiently with Mac and PC
Do you have multiple computers, including Macs (with OS X) and PCs (with Windows)? Or do you use a PC at home and a Mac at the office? The following programs and tips will help you to work more efficiently on both platforms.
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 30.09.2016
How to get rid of ads in Windows 10?
Windows 10 presents unsolicited ads in various places (lock screen, start menu, the Edge browser, Windows games, etc.). How can you make these ads disappear?
BUSINESS - BUSINESS TRIPS - 30.09.2016
Useful apps for business trips
Do you travel abroad for business? There are several useful apps for your smartphone that can make your trip a lot more pleasant. Here are some good examples.
E-MAIL - E-MAIL USE - 30.09.2016
Keep the lid on your grey e-mail
Is your mailbox increasingly flooded by so-called “grey e-mail” (newsletters, offers, social updates, etc.)? How can Throttle help you keep everything under control?
BUSINESS - WEB SERVICES - 30.09.2016
HR management with Zoho People
Zoho is mainly known for its online office applications, but there’s also Zoho People, which promises of a “complete HR solution” in the cloud. Does it deliver?
COMPUTER - PERIPHERALS - 30.09.2016
How useful is a wireless external disk?
Any external disk can come in handy as an extra storage device. Did you know there are wireless external disks? What is their advantage, how do they work and what should you pay attention to when buying one?
SOFTWARE - IOS - 30.09.2016
What does iOS 10 have to offer?
Together with the new iPhones, Apple recently released iOS 10 for iPhone and iPad, but you can also install this operating system on older devices. What does iOS 10 bring?
TRAVEL APPLICATIONS - 30.09.2016
Get an app, go travelling
Travel apps are one of the most competitive areas in the business. Google Trips has arrived but there are new and updated apps across the board.
PERSONAL WEBSITE - WEBSITE DESIGN - 30.09.2016
A DIY package for your website?
You can have a professional website developed by a specialised firm, but you can also use a cheaper DIY package for this purpose. We put four such services to the test.
SOFTWARE - OFFICE - 30.09.2016
Can LibreOffice replace OpenOffice?
OpenOffice, the free alternative to Microsoft Office, has an uncertain future. Is the comparable LibreOffice suite a worthy replacement? We’ve researched it for you.
LEISURE - PHOTOGRAPHY - 30.09.2016
How to organise your holiday pictures
Did you return from your holiday with hundreds (or even thousands) of digital photos? How do you best organise all these photos so that you can easily locate them in the future?
RETURNS - 30.09.2016
Are you too late to make a claim?
If you forget to claim an allowance or deduction on your tax return you have a relatively short time in which to put it right. The good news is that if you miss the deadline all is not lost as a different type of claim can be made. What’s involved?
CARS - 30.09.2016
Two businesses, one car, how many tax bills?
Our subscriber and her husband run separate companies. They want a new car and plan to use the wife’s company to pay for it. Because of her income she’ll pay little or no tax. As the husband will pay more tax can HMRC tax him instead?
PROPERTY - 30.09.2016
IHT tax break for second homes
For a few years you’ve owned a seaside apartment as a holiday getaway. You’re now trying to reduce your estate to save inheritance tax. Can you keep the apartment for your use while shifting the value out of your estate?
PENSIONS - 30.09.2016
New pensions exemption takes shape
The 2016 Budget proposed a new tax exemption for pensions advice. A recent HMRC document about it contains one or two surprises. What’s the full story?
LOSSES - CASE LAW - 30.09.2016
When can share losses be set against income tax?
If you’re unlucky enough to have bought shares in a company which has gone bust you can claim a tax deduction for the loss. However, the Upper Tribunal had to decide for which year it could be claimed. What was the outcome?
BAD DEBT RELIEF - 29.09.2016
Tips and traps in claiming VAT bad debt relief
If a customer doesn’t pay their invoice, you may be able to claim VAT bad debt relief to recover your output tax. What happens if the bill is paid later, and how can attention to detail save you more money?
ONLINE SELLING - 29.09.2016
Accounting for VAT when selling online
Many small businesses sell goods online through the likes of Amazon and e-Bay but what the seller actually receives for the goods is often less than the selling price - so how do you get it right?
ERRORS - 29.09.2016
Correcting errors on your VAT return
If you make a mistake on your VAT return what procedure do you have to follow to correct it? And why is it so important to play it by the book - what could be the implications for your business?
REVERSE CHARGE - 29.09.2016
Reverse charge challenges
The reverse charge has been around since the start of VAT but we’re hearing that it’s being used increasingly to combat VAT evasion. What exactly is it and how does it work?
BUILDINGS - 29.09.2016
Rules on dwellings are changed
HMRC has released its latest Brief for 2016, confirming that some VAT rules in respect of buildings used as “dwellings” have changed. So what do you need to know?
INVOICES - 29.09.2016
Dealing with incorrectly addressed VAT invoices
Most suppliers will correctly address invoices to your business - required for a valid VAT invoice - but can you still reclaim input tax when the invoice is not in your business’s name?
WASTE - 29.09.2016
Home disposal savings?
All businesses need to have their waste collected by a regulated contractor, which costs money. But should staff be taking some of their own rubbish home and what will it save you if they do?
TRAINING - 29.09.2016
Office health and safety
You need to include some health and safety training in your new starter inductions. Is this something you can do in-house or must you fork out money for an outside expert?
BUSINESS VALUATIONS - 29.09.2016
Cash free/debt free?
Your company is expanding its operations and has found the perfect bolt-on business. The seller is proposing that the deal is structured on a cash-free/debt-free basis. What does this actually mean?
STAFF PAY - 29.09.2016
Perk persecution
Caffè Nero drew some bad press for cutting staff perks like free lunches to cover for the higher salaries it has to pay under the national living wage (NLW). Should you follow its lead?
COST CONTROL - 29.09.2016
Capacity planning and control
As financial controller, you need to keep a keen eye on the amount of capacity in the business. Too much and you will be carrying excess cost, too little and you may not be able to service orders. How do you find the right balance?
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS - 29.09.2016
Could you be a virtual close business?
The MD wants the top team to have access to real time financial data rather than having to wait until the month end process has been completed. He has asked you to investigate the possibility. Where do you start?
SPREADSHEETS - 29.09.2016
Computer upgrade problems
Your computer has just been upgraded to Windows 10 and now any new Excel workbook you create will only print in black and white. What’s going on and how can you fix it?
ENERGY COSTS - 29.09.2016
E is for energy rating
Did you know that just like your white goods, your business premises have an energy rating? Have you ever checked this rating, and if not why might it pay to do so?
FINANCE - 29.09.2016
Improve your company credit rating
You’ve found that your company has a poor credit rating, even though it has never defaulted on a payment. This is seriously affecting your supplier accounts - is there anything you can do to improve it?
PENSIONS - 29.09.2016
Use your pension fund for a company loan
Your company needs cash to buy new equipment. The bank might lend it, but the interest rate is high and there are conditions. Your pension fund has money; can you use it to provide a more flexible loan?
PERSONNEL - 29.09.2016
Complaints ignored - that’s £27,000!
A police force has been ordered to pay compensation totalling £27,000 to a police officer because it made a fatal employment law error. What did it do and how can you avoid following in its footsteps?
TAX - EXPENSES - 29.09.2016
Tax relief for personal credit card charges
HMRC says that personal credit card charges aren’t tax deductible. So if you use your card to make purchases for your business, and incur interest, does it mean your company can’t reimburse you without landing you with a tax bill?
DEBT RECOVERY - 29.09.2016
Latest on Prompt Payment Code
The Small Business minister has put her weight behind changes to the Prompt Payment Code. But are they likely to help your business?
MARKETING - 29.09.2016
Fined £40,000 for sending marketing texts
The Information Commissioner’s Office has fined one small company £40,000 after it sent marketing communications to potential customers via text message. Why were its actions unacceptable?
STOCK CONTROL - 29.09.2016
What’s the right amount of stock?
A delivery has arrived but one of your staff tells you there’s nowhere to put it. Could it be that you’re holding too much stock? If so you might be harming cash flow and even increasing your costs. What steps can you take to remedy this?
ENERGY SAVING - 29.09.2016
Energy efficiency - powerless to act?
A study published by the British Chambers of Commerce and British Gas has revealed that 27% of businesses in rented premises have no control over energy efficiency. What’s being done to address this situation?
MICRO GENERATION - 29.09.2016
Heat incentive changes
There has been an amendment to the Renewable Heat Incentive which toughens the rules under which certain biomass plants are subsidised every quarter. What do you need to know and how might you be affected?
ENFORCEMENT - 29.09.2016
First agreements on permit breaches
The Environment Agency has agreed its first voluntary enforcement undertakings for firms that fell foul of permitting laws. What can be learned from this?
HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES - 29.09.2016
Glyphosate licence extended
After much deliberation the European Commission has finally decided to extend the licence for the weed killing chemical glyphosate. So does this mean that you’re free to use products which contain it?
GREEN INITIATIVES - 29.09.2016
Sustainable procurement standard
The first international standard for sustainable procurement is nearing publication, giving companies a framework to better manage their purchasing of greener products. What are the implications for small suppliers?
MARKETING - 29.09.2016
More products with green labels
The EU Ecolabel scheme has been expanded to capture more products, including IT equipment and furniture. What do you need to know and are these certified goods worth looking out for?
GREEN INVESTMENT - 29.09.2016
Environmental funding pot at risk
Since the UK made the decision to leave the EU, questions have been raised about the ability of businesses to access green finance. So will money be available in the long term?
PUBLIC SAFETY - 26.09.2016
Prosecutions highlight falls risk to public
In 2016 two separate prosecutions led to heavy fines for businesses whose failures caused the deaths of members of the public. What happened and what action must you take to avoid similar accidents?
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH - 26.09.2016
Mice evicted from Tesco store
A company owned by retail giant Tesco has been ordered to pay fines and costs of £91,000 in connection with a mouse infestation. What caused such a large fine for what seems like a relatively minor offence?
PERSONAL INJURY - 26.09.2016
Compensation claims are still coming
Despite the government’s efforts to reduce the number of speculative compensation claims, it appears that the claim farmers have other ideas. What’s happening and how can you protect your business?
DRIVING - 26.09.2016
The latest on driver safety
You’ve heard of firms putting their staff through fancy driver training programmes. So far your own arrangements have focused on the basics such as driver licence checks. What’s the bottom line; must you do more?
WORK EQUIPMENT - 26.09.2016
Whirlpool dryers pose ongoing fire risk
In November 2015 Whirlpool contacted buyers of its Creda, Hotpoint and Indesit branded tumble dryers to say that there was a problem with their machines which could cause a fire. Why is the story still rumbling on nearly a year later?
STORAGE - 26.09.2016
Do you store metal articles?
If you use, transport or handle metal materials such as rods and sheets, you should be aware of updated guidance from the HSE. What’s covered and are there any new rules to consider?
ENFORCEMENT - 26.09.2016
Review of enforcement underway
Plans are afoot which could completely shake up how health and safety is enforced. What’s on the table and when can you expect the plans to come to fruition?
CAPITAL ALLOWANCES - 23.09.2016
Last chance to claim relief
Business property renovation allowance (BPRA) will be scrapped in 2017, for both individuals and companies. What is this allowance and could your clients still benefit before it’s axed?
NI CONTRIBUTIONS - 23.09.2016
Are your clients paying too much NI?
NI contributions are collected separately for each employment and self-employment, but are subject to an annual cap, which your clients may be unaware they have exceeded. How can this arise and what action should you take if your clients have overpaid?
INHERITANCE TAX - 23.09.2016
What happens when the estate value falls?
Sometimes, following the agreement of probate values, assets are sold out of the estate - for example to fund the tax bill. In uncertain economic times this sale can be for less than the probate value. What recourse is available to your clients?
TAX DEBT RECOVERY - 23.09.2016
How do you advise clients subject to recovery action?
How and when your clients pay their tax is out of your control - despite your warnings about penalties and interest some will still pay late for various reasons. However, the penalties are often just a starting point. How do you best advise clients facing recovery?
TRIBUNAL AWARDS - 22.09.2016
Job applicants motivated by compensation
Over the years many individuals have purposefully applied for jobs and then used discrimination laws to claim compensation, but the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has now put a stop to this. What’s happened?
PREGNANT EMPLOYEES - 22.09.2016
Rest breaks for pregnant employees
All adult employees have a statutory entitlement to minimum rest breaks and rest periods. But what happens where an employee falls pregnant - does she have enhanced rights due to her condition?
HOMEWORKING - 22.09.2016
The downsides of homeworking
It’s estimated that approximately 4.2 million employees carry out some form of homeworking. With these arrangements, much emphasis is placed on the advantages but there are significant downsides too. What are they?
HEALTH & SAFETY - 22.09.2016
Are employees legally entitled to a staff kitchen?
A subscriber’s employee says that they are obliged to provide staff with well-equipped kitchen facilities by law. Is this really true or has this employee fallen for a workplace myth?
ACAS CODE OF PRACTICE - 22.09.2016
The Code and SOSR dismissals
If there’s an irretrievable breakdown in a working relationship, it’s possible to dismiss an employee for some other substantial reason (SOSR). But does the Acas Code apply to these dismissals?
PERFORMANCE - 22.09.2016
There’s nothing wrong with me - honest!
You firmly believe that an employee may have a health issue due to certain symptoms that they are displaying. Having approached them tactfully, they’ve denied there’s any medical problem. What should you do now?
UNFAIR DISMISSAL - 22.09.2016
Refusing to return: right to claim unfair dismissal?
An employee’s dismissal has been overturned on appeal. However, rather than accept this decision and return to work, they’ve told you they intend to claim unfair dismissal. Can they actually do this?
BUSINESS - TRAVEL - 21.09.2016
Travelling on business, saving money
You can save money when travelling on business by using sharing services such as Uber and Airbnb. We look at sites and apps that can help.
SOFTWARE - DOWNLOADS - 21.09.2016
Free software… for one day
Apart from download sites for free software (freeware), there are sites where you can download commercial software which is temporarily offered for free. Which of these sites are reliable?
REFERENCE WORKS - DICTIONARIES - 21.09.2016
Google Translate: good for your business?
You’re probably familiar with Google Translate as a useful online assistant to translate words, phrases, sentences or even entire texts. Google Translate offers some professional services too. Are they useful for your business?
PERSONAL WEBSITE - WEBSITE DESIGN - 21.09.2016
Treat your customers to a web form
By using a web form on your site you can collect product orders, suggestions, requests for information, registrations for your newsletter, etc. in a fixed format. Can the Typeform service help you create good web forms?
E-MAIL - WEBMAIL - 21.09.2016
Better e-mailing with Gmail
The Gmail webmail service has loads of extra features, but many of them are more or less hidden. By activating them you can make your e-mail management even more efficient.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE STORAGE - 21.09.2016
News from Dropbox
Dropbox, the handy online storage service, is a versatile service as it is, but it was recently improved and has some new options. We put two of them to the test: Scanning and Dropbox Paper.
COMPUTER - HOME AUTOMATION - 21.09.2016
Turn your home into a smart home?
Everyone will have heard of the Nest thermostat by now. However, there are dozens of “smart home” devices which you can control via the Internet. Which ones are good?
E-MAIL - SECURITY - 21.09.2016
Encrypting e-mail easily
Encrypting e-mail is recommended to protect messages containing sensitive information, but generally this is a very complicated to achieve. ProtonMail proves that this needn’t be the case.
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 21.09.2016
Which is best: the Windows application or the app?
Since Windows 8 was launched Microsoft no longer distinguishes between classic desktop applications and apps which are available exclusively in the Windows Store. What are the differences?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COMMUNITIES - 21.09.2016
How to use Instagram and Pinterest in a business context
Instagram and Pinterest are becoming increasingly popular with businesses because of the visual possibilities they offer. How can these two services help you and your business?
BENEFITS IN KIND - 21.09.2016
Are you overpaying tax for the use of a company asset?
Your company has bought a boat for you and your fellow directors to sail on the nearby reservoir. There’ll be a tax charge of course, but how much will it be and is there a way to reduce it?
PENALTIES - 21.09.2016
Can you escape CIS late registration penalties?
If your business is within the scope of the construction industry scheme (CIS), you have to register with HMRC. Fines can be sky high if you don’t. However, it’s not always clear if the CIS applies. If you don’t register on time can you escape a fine?
BENEFITS IN KIND - 21.09.2016
Salary sacrifice still safe for directors
From April 2017 some types of salary sacrifice scheme for employees will cease to be tax efficient. But can directors escape the new rules?
PAYE - 21.09.2016
Tackling practical problems with payrolling benefits
Since April 2016 employers have been allowed to tax benefits in kind through their payrolls. This avoids having to report them on Form P11D and ensures the correct tax is paid. But can this work for benefits with changing values?
VAT - 21.09.2016
Is VAT payable when you sell your home office?
You plan to extend your house to accommodate an office for your business. A colleague has told you that this means VAT will have to be accounted for when you sell the property. Is he correct?
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 21.09.2016
Sell your property and save up to 44% of your tax bill
When the Chancellor announced a cut in capital gains tax rates he excluded residential landlords and anyone who owns more than one home. How can you qualify for new lower rates by using a legitimate tax break?
