2017 -
April
BENEFITS - 28.04.2017
Tax and second hand company equipment
You’re renewing the company’s PCs. One of them is less than three years old and far more up to date than your current home computer. If the company gives it to you, what tax charges will arise and can you reduce them?
PAYE - 28.04.2017
When can you use a retrospective PSA?
After landing a big contract a few months ago you treated your staff to a night on the town. The trouble is you now realise this will land them with a personal tax bill, which naturally wasn’t your intention. How can you rescue the situation?
PENSIONS - 28.04.2017
Accessing pension savings without triggering the MPAA
You want to use some of your pension savings for a one-off expense, but you’ve been told that this can result in tax relief on future contributions being capped. Is there a way to receive the money, but avoid the tax relief trap?
INCOME TAX - 28.04.2017
How does the new tax-free trading allowance work?
In April 2017 two new tax-free allowances for were introduced for micro businesses. One applies to trading and miscellaneous income and could save you tax on up to £1,000. How can you take advantage of it?
INVESTIGATIONS - 28.04.2017
Tackling an HMRC discovery assessment
You’ve received a tax assessment which HMRC says has been issued because it’s discovered that you’ve underpaid tax. You can appeal and argue its accuracy, but your first step should be to check its validity. What should you look for?
EXPENSES - 28.04.2017
Employee expenses reform
The government intends to reform the tax rules on employee expenses. Its first step is to ask employers about the policies and systems. Will this involve more work for you?
RAISING FINANCE - 26.04.2017
Can you take advantage of SEIS relief?
The seed enterprise investment scheme (SEIS) is a valuable tax break to attract new equity capital. It was originally scheduled to end on 5 April 2017 but has now been made permanent. Is this something your company can offer?
FINANCE DEPARTMENT - 26.04.2017
Developing talent in the finance team
The new HR director has instituted a staff appraisal scheme and as part of that has asked you to assess your team for future potential. Your team has some promising members you would like to develop. What next?
DECISION MAKING - 26.04.2017
Presenting an investment appraisal
Your company is considering a major investment. You have prepared the standard analyses using IRR, NPV and payback period. Does the board need any more from you to make a decision? If so, what would be most useful?
OFFICE COSTS - 26.04.2017
Time to move to save?
Because business premises are either owned or leased, the cost of occupying them can’t be reduced easily. A move therefore presents the perfect time to have a re-think on the space you need. What could you save?
SPREADSHEETS - 26.04.2017
New feature for setting pivot table defaults
Pivot tables are a great way to summarise data but you can sometimes spend as much time cleaning up the table as you can creating it. Could the latest Excel feature solve this problem?
IT - 26.04.2017
Do your staff really need laptops?
Smartphones are part and parcel of business life these days - everyone seems to have one. So do your staff still need a laptop and if not, what might you save by reducing the number you buy?
CREDIT CONTROL - 26.04.2017
New insolvency rules now in place
New insolvency rules came into force on 6 April 2017 which affect the creditor procedures you may be familiar with. What do you need to look out for?
MARKETING - 26.04.2017
Time to go digital?
The marketing team has been toying with the idea of a quarterly company magazine as a softer sell compared to a brochure. How much can you save by making a digital version?
COST REDUCTION - 26.04.2017
Analysing waste
You’ve been asked to look at the business and identify whether any cost reductions can be made through redesigning how things are done. Where do you start and how should you go about it?
DISCLOSURE - 26.04.2017
Disclosing card transactions
If your business accepts debit and credit card payments, it is possible to miss payments off your return. How might a new disclosure facility help?
VAT RECOVERY - 26.04.2017
Assets with both business and private use
Your business may purchase an asset that has both business and private use. In such a case, how much VAT can you recover and what different methods of recovery are available?
INSPECTIONS - 26.04.2017
When your VAT position bucks the trend
When your VAT return shows a large repayment when you are normally in a payment position, it is likely that HMRC will carry out a VAT inspection before releasing the funds. What should you expect and can you speed it up?
INVOICES - 26.04.2017
When should you issue an invoice?
In what circumstances does your business have to issue an invoice, and how long does it have to do so? Are there any planning opportunities in respect of timing?
ELECTRICITY - 26.04.2017
Man saved from electrocution by colleague
Two contractors have been fined over an accident in which a construction worker received an electric shock from an overhead power line. What happened and how was his life saved?
ASBESTOS - 26.04.2017
Too much reliance on asbestos experience
In April 2017 a construction company and its subcontractor appeared in court regarding an asbestos disturbance at a refurbishment project. But what was unusual about the case?
WORK AT HEIGHT - 26.04.2017
Must you use edge protection?
Following a fatal fall from height, the HSE built a case against a builder in which it was alleged that he had failed to ensure suitable edge protection and was therefore responsible for the accident. What happened in court?
WORKPLACE - 26.04.2017
Playground safety
You’re thinking of installing outdoor play equipment for children visiting your premises. However, you’ve heard that the requirements are really onerous. What’s involved?
LEGIONELLA - 26.04.2017
Testing the water temperature
You’ve been tasked with taking regular tap water temperatures as part of your routine Legionnaires’ disease prevention strategy. Why do you need to do this and are there any special methods required?
TRANSPORT - 26.04.2017
Risks of multi-site deliveries
The HSE is concerned that multi-site deliveries by heavy goods vehicles are creating risks to logistics staff which companies haven’t taken into account. So how should you prepare for such deliveries?
H&S MANAGEMENT - 26.04.2017
The cost of non-compliance
Research has shown that it’s much cheaper to comply with your health and safety duties than leave it to chance. What’s to know?
VEHICLES - 26.04.2017
Polluting vehicles are costly
“Buy diesel” the government said “it’s greener and more efficient”. But now the green bubble has burst the advice has changed. Where does this leave you?
WASTE - 26.04.2017
Time to throw out some bins
You’ve been told that removing individual bins from staff workstations could help you comply with waste legislation and save you money to boot. Is there anything in this?
ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS - 26.04.2017
Assess environmental risks
As part of the environmental permit application, you’ve been told that you need to complete a risk assessment to identify the significant risks on your site. How should you approach this?
GREEN INITIATIVES - 26.04.2017
Scotland’s first sustainable growth agreement
The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has just signed up the first business to its new strategy which aims to work with firms on environmental improvement rather than just flex its compliance muscles. What’s involved?
RECYCLING - 26.04.2017
It’s all in the taste
Coffee pod manufacturer Nespresso has suffered a great deal of bad press because of the capsules used in its machines. Why has it been in the firing line and what can you do to avoid similar criticism?
POLLUTION - 26.04.2017
Record fine for water pollution
Thames Water has been fined a record £20 million for allowing over one billion litres of raw sewage to pollute the River Thames. Why was the fine so high and what lessons can be learned from this case?
POLLUTANTS - 26.04.2017
Keep a check on POPs
According to a new Defra report, the UK is getting on top of the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) problem. Where might you find POPs and what steps should you be taking to manage the risks?
reCRUITMENT - 26.04.2017
Should you undertake criminal record checks?
The board of directors has asked that a criminal record check should be carried out on all new recruits. If you can do this legally how should you go about it and what do you need to be aware of?
DISMISSAL - 26.04.2017
How to dismiss short-serving employees
Employees with less than two years’ service cannot generally claim unfair dismissal so it’s relatively straightforward to dismiss them. What considerations do you need to have in mind before dismissing a short-serving employee and how should you go about it?
sunday working - 26.04.2017
What’s happened to shop workers’ enhanced rights?
The Enterprise Act 2016 includes provisions that strengthen shop workers’ rights in relation to Sunday working. It was anticipated these changes would take effect in October 2016. It didn’t happen and it’s been quiet since. What’s the latest?
OUTSIDE BUSINESS INTERESTS - 26.04.2017
Dealing with secondary employment
To clamp down on employees having second jobs, you need to insert an “outside business interests” clause into employment contracts. What should you include and what action should you take where you suspect an employee has secondary employment that they’ve not declared?
status - 26.04.2017
Get tooled up to check status?
Establishing the tax status of a worker you’ve engaged is not an easy task for any HR professional yet the consequences of getting it wrong can be serious. Should you use HMRC’s new tool for a reliable assessment?
TRADING STOCK - 24.04.2017
Restriction of elections on transferring stock or fixed assets
Your business client owns a capital asset worth less than its original cost, and the business has appropriated it to trading stock. They were told that the capital loss arising could be converted into a more flexible trading loss. What advice would you give?
BUSINESS TAXES - 24.04.2017
New era of cash-based taxation begins
From April 2017, changes to the rules for reporting taxable profits on a cash basis mean that more clients will be able to use the simplified regime. What do you need to know?
PENSIONS - 24.04.2017
Tribunal test case imposes tax charges
HMRC’s campaign against so-called “pension liberation” schemes has received a boost in the Upper Tier Tribunal. Why is the decision important, and what do you need to pass on to your own clients?
PROFIT EXTRACTION - 24.04.2017
Ensuring tax efficiency when looking at dividends
There are thankfully no further changes to dividend taxation for 2017/18. But changes to the personal allowance and the corporation tax rate mean that you can’t rest on your laurels. How can your one-man band clients be tax efficient this year and beyond?
TAX DEBTS - 24.04.2017
New online time to pay requests go live
If your client is struggling to pay a self-assessment debt, you are probably aware that they can apply for a time to pay arrangement, but how do you actually go about doing this in a way that has the most likelihood of success, and do they have to apply via phone?
CORPORATION TAX LOSSES - 24.04.2017
Dealing with losses after 1 April 2017
Two changes to how company losses can be used have been in force since 1 April 2017. You will need to know about both to advise effectively - so what are they, and how will they affect your clients?
TAX-FREE CHILDCARE - 24.04.2017
Tax-efficient scheme finally launches
Tax-Free Childcare was first announced in 2013. After years of delays and uncertainty, it finally began to roll out on 28 April 2017. What can you tell your clients who will be seeking advice from you?
NON-BUSINESS INCOME - 24.04.2017
The business or non-business dilemma
VAT is only payable on income that is earned while carrying on a business. So why does HMRC sometimes seek to reclassify non-business income as relevant to a business or vice versa, and how can you help your clients avoid a problem?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 24.04.2017
Employee objects to carry out work for a client
One of your employees has told you they don’t want to work for a particular client. How should you tackle this situation and what if their objection turns into an outright refusal?
TRIBUNALS - 24.04.2017
European rulings - status post-Brexit?
Currently, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is the highest court where employment cases can be heard. But what status will its rulings have post-Brexit?
SICKNESS ABSENCE - 24.04.2017
Sickness absence: managing migraines
An employee regularly suffers from terrible migraines and needs to go home early. Can you require them to make up the time they miss when they are feeling better or is this problematic?
SOCIAL MEDIA - 24.04.2017
Rejected due to “online activity”
At least 20% of employers have rejected a job applicant because of something they’ve seen posted in their online activity. Can you check out job applicants on social media and what if you find something you don’t like?
UNFAIR DISMISSAL - 24.04.2017
Sacked apprentice awarded £25,000
An employer who ended a four-year apprenticeship early has been ordered to pay its former apprentice £25,000. Is this the going rate for the early termination of an apprenticeship or is there another reason for the sizeable award?
TERMINATION - 24.04.2017
Termination notices: when do they take effect?
In some situations you might send an employee notice of termination of employment by post. According to the Court of Appeal, when does this notice take effect - when it’s posted or when it’s read by the employee?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 24.04.2017
Disciplinary proceedings: during normal hours?
You need to arrange a disciplinary hearing but there aren’t enough hours in the normal working day. It’s therefore been suggested that the disciplinary hearing is arranged outside of normal working hours. Is this permissible?
benefits - 21.04.2017
How to payroll benefits in kind
Have you considered that July 2017 might be the last time you complete P11Ds? If you’ve not yet embraced payrolling benefits what do you need to know to prepare for the inevitable?
data protection - 21.04.2017
EU data protection regulations coming
The UK will still be a member of the EU in May 2018 when far-reaching changes to data protection will come into force. As employee payroll and HR data is sensitive and dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands, what will this mean for your organisation?
statutory rates - 21.04.2017
New tax year, new rates
The start of the tax year always heralds lots of statutory changes and this year, as well as the usual suspects, we have a change to the national minimum wage too. What key checks should you run?
salary sacrifice - 21.04.2017
Act now on benefit rule changes
Using salary sacrifice is a long established method of remunerating staff in a tax-efficient way. But the government can no longer afford it and significant changes have taken effect in April 2017. Could you be affected?
employer guidance - 21.04.2017
HMRC’s fake news?
The last HMRC Employer Bulletin of the 2016/17 tax year has been published. But has it just added to your worry list? What do you need to know?
INHERITANCE TAX - 20.04.2017
Gifts - timing is the difference between IHT or no IHT
Making gifts, especially sizeable ones, usually reduces the potential inheritance tax bill on your estate as long as you survive seven years. But tricky rules can mean this won’t always be achieved. What traps should you look out for?
BENEFITS - 20.04.2017
Tax-free awards for long service
One of your employees has been with you for 25 years and you want to reward him. HMRC allows some types of long-service gift to be tax free, but the exemption isn’t very generous. Is there a better option?
CORPORATION TAX - 20.04.2017
Selling a substantial shareholding tax efficiently
If your company owns shares in another and plans to sell, any gain it makes can qualify for a special tax exemption. But it won’t apply unless conditions are met. If they aren’t, what steps can you take to reduce the tax bill?
NATIONAL INSURANCE - 20.04.2017
NI and multiple employments
You split your time between two companies and each pays you a modest salary below the NI threshold. During a PAYE inspection you were told that in future one of the companies must pay NI on the combined salary. Is HMRC correct?
PAYE - 20.04.2017
Ignore employee starter checklists at your peril!
The First-tier Tribunal recently ruled that a business was liable for an employee’s PAYE bill which resulted from her failure to complete the “starter checklist”. What steps should the employer have taken to protect itself?
HMRC - 20.04.2017
HMRC starts its MTD pilot
HMRC is inviting eligible businesses to pilot Making Tax Digital. Will you be asked to take part and if you are, should you bother?
TAX - BENEFITS - 20.04.2017
How to ensure tax relief for your home broadband
While most of your working time is spent at the office, you also need to work at home. This means going online, but HMRC refuses to allow a tax deduction for any of your broadband costs. What steps can you take to improve tax efficiency?
RAISING FINANCE - 20.04.2017
A different type of share in your company
You need to raise money to expand your business, but the bank won’t lend sufficient funds and the shareholders don’t want to water down their stake by issuing ordinary shares to outside investors. Might preference shares be a viable alternative?
HEALTH AND SAFETY - 20.04.2017
Health and safety costs small business £90,000
A small business has been fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs totalling nearly £30,000 for breaching health and safety laws. What did it do wrong and how can you avoid making the same mistake?
BREXIT - 20.04.2017
Preparing for Brexit
The government has released official guidance for businesses on the Great Repeal Bill. It explains how the UK will take back control of its laws following Brexit. What do you need to know?
TAX - CARS - 20.04.2017
Tax deductions - what’s the best company car?
Tax relief for the cost of company cars can be allowed all in one year or take over 20 years. This makes a big difference to your cash flow. What types of car should you choose for the best results?
PERSONNEL - 20.04.2017
Can employees sit on their own chairs?
An employee has asked if they can bring in their own office seating as it’s “far more comfortable” than the standard chairs you provide. Can you allow this, especially as they want to bring in something that’s unconventional?
LEGAL COMPLIANCE - 20.04.2017
Can “off the record” bypass confidentiality rules?
Your business has been asked to disclose information which is clearly confidential. The person who’s asking for it says that if it’s given off the record, there will be nothing to worry about. Is this correct?
WEB SERVICES - AUDIO - 12.04.2017
Create your own audio commercial
Are you planning to make an audio recording to help create a presentation or commercial? To make a professional impression, apply the following tools and tips.
SECURITY - ANTI-MALWARE - 12.04.2017
Don’t be hoaxed
Phishing and cryptoware (ransomware) are two quite recent and very dangerous forms of Internet fraud. How can you tell that a message is a hoax? Apply common sense and use the following tips.
PERSONAL WEBSITE - MISCELLANEOUS - 12.04.2017
Do more with data
Do you regularly publish data on your website, intranet or blog? The Datawrapper webtool claims it will help you to create handy interactive charts or tables. How useful is it?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COLLABORATION - 12.04.2017
Team-oriented communication tools
The Slack webtool is highly popular in businesses as a communication tool for teams. But there are other services which let you communicate with team members. Here are two less well-known alternatives.
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE REPUTATION - 12.04.2017
Polish your online reputation
The Internet is an open book. Potential business partners, customers, suppliers or employers only need to google your name to find out more about you. How can you touch up your online reputation?
BUSINESS - MISCELLANEOUS - 12.04.2017
Export advice for SMEs
Post-Brexit there’s an increased need to review export opportunities. The government has revamped its online presence and there is plenty of advice.
SOFTWARE - OPERATING SYSTEMS - 12.04.2017
Chrome OS - Google on your desktop
Chrome OS has been around since 2011. Google’s own operating system generally comes pre-installed on cheap laptops, but you can install it yourself. What does Chrome OS have to offer and how does it work?
