2018 -
July
TAX - 09.07.2018
Childcare - more good news
In March 2018 HMRC put back the deadline for employer childcare schemes. It’s now gone a step further by extending the exemption to certain payments outside the scheme. What’s the full story?
VAT - BENEFITS - 09.07.2018
Staff perks - are you missing out on VAT recovery?
Sometimes you provide perks to your employees as a reward. Your last bookkeeper didn’t reclaim the VAT on these as she said it wouldn’t save you money. But your new bookkeeper says you should reclaim the VAT. Who is right?
TAX - CAPITAL GAINS - 09.07.2018
Avoiding HMRC’s anti-avoidance trap for entrepreneurs
You plan to wind up your current business and use the money to start a new one. Your accountant warns that tax anti-avoidance rules might block the tax break on the old business. How can you prevent this?
PR/PROMOTION - 09.07.2018
Get yourself an award?
It’s business awards season again and you’ve been receiving e-mails encouraging you to apply. But is the effort (and sometimes the entry fee) really worth it or are these awards a bit of a sham?
PERSONNEL - 09.07.2018
The potential in part-time working
You’re recruiting for a new admin assistant. The role is full time, but you’ve had some interesting candidates apply that can only work part time. Is this something you should think about?
PERSONNEL - 09.07.2018
Self-employed contractor was really employed
In June 2018 the Supreme Court ruled that a plumber was a worker directly engaged by the company that had hired him, rather than an “independent contractor” as stated in their contract. Why did this happen?
SALES - 09.07.2018
Irrelevant alternatives to boost webshop sales
Recognising a growing trend away from traditional sales channels, you’re keen to make more of your website sales. How could a TED Talk that’s almost a decade old help you set effective online prices?
LEGISLATION - 09.07.2018
New payroll legislation to bear in mind
As we’re now half-way through 2018 are you struggling to remember which payroll proposals are still due for delivery in the next year or so and what appears to have fallen by the wayside?
OVERSEAS VISITORS - 09.07.2018
Just passing through or a need to tax them?
Increasingly, UK businesses have a worldwide footprint which means visitors will come and go for training, meetings and placements etc. But in your role operating payroll, can they just be ignored for tax purposes?
WORKPLACE PENSIONS - 09.07.2018
Your role in delivering workplace pensions
Since 2012 employers, and specifically payroll professionals like you, have had to become pensions specialists too. So what are the nuts and bolts of this new area of expertise?
TAX - 09.07.2018
Mind the tax gap
New figures released by HMRC show a widening tax gap. But what does this really mean, and should you be worried by it?
PAYROLL FAQS - 09.07.2018
Cars to error questions answered
At Payroll Professional we often receive questions on the more troublesome aspects of working in payroll. We can’t respond individually so we thought we’d share some of our answers with you this month. What’s to learn?
VAT - 09.07.2018
VAT and rewards for loyal customers
To drum up more business you want to create a points based loyalty scheme for your customers. You’ve decided on the terms and conditions for the scheme but the VAT consequences worry you. How should you tackle them?
CARS - 09.07.2018
The tax cost of higher mileage allowances
A few of your employees are complaining that the amount you pay for business journeys made in their personally owned cars hasn’t increased for a long time. If you pay them more than HMRC’s approved rates, what’s the tax and NI position?
CAPITAL GAINS TAX - 09.07.2018
HMRC’s real-time CGT service - how does it work?
HMRC is promoting its online system for reporting capital gains and losses. It looks straightforward enough, but some tax advisors are saying that it’s not such a good idea to use it. Who should you believe, HMRC or the advisors?
LAND AND BUILDINGS TRANSACTION TAX - 09.07.2018
LBTT - retroactive refunds
A new law gives some couples the right to a refund if they purchased a home in Scotland and paid the additional land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT). What’s the full story?
RETURNS - 09.07.2018
The latest on the “requirement to correct” rules
The deadline for the new requirement to correct (RTC) rule is 30 September 2018, with very tough penalties if you don’t comply. RTC applies to “offshore matters”. What does this mean and should you be concerned?
PROPERTY - LOSSES - 09.07.2018
Rental business losses - the overlooked relief
Your company rents its business premises from you. Last year you spent so much on replacement fittings in the building that the expenses outweighed the rent you received. What’s the most tax-efficient way to deal with this loss?
PROFIT EXTRACTION - 09.07.2018
Realising tax-free cash from your assets
You need a little extra cash. You could take it from your company which has a healthy bank balance, but this usually means more tax and possibly NI. Is there a way to get cash from your company and avoid tax and NI altogether?
SOFTWARE - APPS - 05.07.2018
Productive during your holiday
For many entrepreneurs, working during the holidays is a necessary evil. The following apps will keep you productive and connected during your holiday.
SOFTWARE - WINDOWS - 05.07.2018
Clean up your desktop!
Most people’s Windows desktop is a hotchpotch of program shortcuts, files, documents and folders. How can you clean up this mess and work faster?
WEB SERVICES - VIDEO - 05.07.2018
One video on multiple screens
Do you sometimes need to play the same video simultaneously on multiple computers, for example during a presentation, workshop or meeting (remotely)? Which tools can help you? We put a few of them to the test.
BUSINESS - SMARTPHONES - 05.07.2018
Think of your mobile customers
Almost all consumers are “mobile” nowadays. If you cater for them properly via their smartphones, you can increase your chances of doing better than your competitors.
COMPUTER - MOBILE - 05.07.2018
Working more efficiently with your iPad
If you own an iPad, there are various tips and tricks can which can help you to make even better use of it. Here are some of them.
WEB SERVICES - PDF - 05.07.2018
Work efficiently with PDFs in Google Drive
You typically use Google Drive to make backups of files, making them available everywhere or sharing them with others. However, did you know that it’s also a handy tool to handle PDF files efficiently?
WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COMMUNITIES - 05.07.2018
Useful tools for your Instagram business account
The visual potential of Instagram makes this an ideal instrument for business people and companies. Specific functions and tools allow you to extend these possibilities even further.
SOFTWARE - BROWSER - 05.07.2018
Webpage not found! What do I do?
You sometimes see an error message “404 Not Found” (or a variant of this message) when trying to access a webpage. How can you still find what you’re looking if this happens?
E-MAIL - E-MAIL USE - 05.07.2018
Mailing with your own domain name
If you have an e-mail address which is based on your own domain name, this will make a more professional impression on your customers and suppliers. How do you create such an address?
SEARCHING - MISCELLANEOUS - 05.07.2018
Life after StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon used to be a good tool to help you to discover interesting links relating to specific topics. However, the developers of this web service have now thrown in the towel. Are there any alternatives?
WEB SERVICES - MISCELLANEOUS - 05.07.2018
Working efficiently thanks to templates
To make a text more attractive to readers or to visualise your ideas better, you can use a template if you don’t want to start from scratch. Where can you find good templates?
SPREADSHEETS - 03.07.2018
Keep track of your month-end checklist using Icon Sets
You have a list of steps that must be completed to finish the accounts close down each month. The list is in a spreadsheet and extends down a number of rows. How can you use Excel to keep track of this accounting close checklist?
BUSINESS PLAN - 03.07.2018
The one-page business plan?
Last year’s planning process took too much time and the feedback from the management team indicated it was overly complicated. You have been asked to design a radically cut back template. What should it look like?
CASH MANAGEMENT - 03.07.2018
How much excess cash do you have?
The business has been trading successfully for the last year and the bank balance is growing. The managing director has asked you how much excess cash there is in the bank. How do you calculate the correct amount?
STAFF GIFTS - 03.07.2018
Is it Christmas already?
Christmas is many months away so the thought of buying seasonal gifts is probably the last thing on your mind. However, a bit of foresight could save you a packet. How?
CASH FLOW - 03.07.2018
A way to get the cash flowing
Late payments can create all kinds of headaches when it comes to cash flow, and it’s the UK’s small and medium sized businesses that seem to be hit hardest. What tactics are available to you?
CARS - 03.07.2018
Time to dump the diesel?
The noises coming from government suggest that it’s time you got rid of any diesel cars and went for petrol. Certainly, sales of new diesels are plummeting. Is this the right thing to do or could it be a costly mistake?
CORPORATION TAX - 03.07.2018
Can you take advantage of rollover relief?
Your company has realised a gain on the disposal of a property. Any capital gains made by your company are added to its profits to calculate the corporation tax (CT) bill. Is there any way that you can delay paying CT on such a windfall?
FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT - 03.07.2018
Large contract risks
The sales manager is cock-a-hoop as the company has just won a major new contract, but you have a few concerns about how this will impact the company. What factors do you need to consider before accepting the contract?
COMPETITION - 03.07.2018
Keeping tabs on the competition
One of the directors wants regular updates on the pricing of competitors’ services and products over the next six months. It could be a big task so what’s the most cost-effective way to do it?
NOMINAL LEDGER - 03.07.2018
Accounting system sub accounts
You’re changing your accounting software during the next year. As part of that process you are reconsidering your chart of accounts. Are sub accounts a feature worth considering and how could you use them?
FIRE - 03.07.2018
Fire contraventions land business owner in jail
When operating a public venue, you have a responsibility to ensure the safety of both guests and employees; something which one business owner ignored to his cost. What can be learned from this case?
PPE - 03.07.2018
Should you ban shorts at work?
Male builders have made headlines by wearing dresses to work to get around a health and safety ban on shorts. What can you learn from this?
PUBLIC SAFETY - 03.07.2018
Bouncy castle couple convicted
Following the death of a young girl who was on a bouncy castle when it blew away, two fairground workers have been convicted of manslaughter. What went wrong and could the accident have been prevented?
WORKPLACE - 03.07.2018
Is your landlord letting you down?
During a recent audit a number of gaps were found in the safety arrangements for your building. Your lease is for just part of the premises and the problems identified are not in your remit. Is this any concern of yours?
GAS - 03.07.2018
Safe use of gas supply equipment guidance
If your staff work with equipment which is supplied via portable gas cylinders, you will find it useful to read the latest guidance from the industry’s lead safety body. What does it cover?
COMPETENT ADVICE - 03.07.2018
Choose your consultant wisely
The HSE has been reviewing how health and safety consultancies market themselves and deliver services, and it hasn’t been impressed. How can you avoid the cowboys?
SAFETY BRIEFING - HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY - 03.07.2018
Brief your staff on your health and safety policy
You have produced a written health and safety policy, but do your staff know all they need to about it? Use our safety briefing document to run through how it affects them.
CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL - 02.07.2018
Fleeting comment = a constructive dismissal
An employee who overheard her manager saying to a colleague that her dismissal was “a work in progress” has won her constructive dismissal claim. Why are comments like this dangerous?
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT - 02.07.2018
When can “without prejudice” be used?
It’s been suggested that to protect your business the words “without prejudice” should clearly be stated at the top of all communications to your employees and job applicants. Is this a good idea or not?
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL - 02.07.2018
Substance misuse assistance
Public Health England (PHE) has released a new toolkit to help employers deal with workplace drug, alcohol and tobacco misuse issues. Is it worth a look?
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION - 02.07.2018
Warning over 60 days’ sickness was discriminatory
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has held that a disabled employee who received a warning for taking 60 days’ sickness absence suffered unlawful discrimination. Why?
COMPANY PROPERTY - 02.07.2018
Getting property back from departing employees
Your employees may well be issued with several items of company property, such as a laptop. When they leave, it can be difficult to get everything back. How can you protect your position?
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS - 02.07.2018
When should a disciplinary investigation start?
You believe that one of your employees has committed a potential misconduct offence and intend to investigate the matter. When must the disciplinary investigation actually start?
