860,000 Sole Traders & Landlords Urged to Prepare for MTD Rules from April 2026
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a warning that more than 860,000 sole traders and landlords will be brought within the scope of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax from 6 April 2026. The reforms are part of the government’s wider programme to modernise the UK tax system, and will affect how many […]
Finance Act 2026 Receives Royal Assent
The Finance (No. 2) Bill 2025 to 2026 received Royal Assent on 18 March 2026, becoming the Finance Act 2026. The Act gives legal effect to a range of measures announced at the Autumn Budget 2025 and introduces changes affecting tax compliance, business investment and inheritance tax planning. Not all measures are taking immediate effect, […]
Trusts Now Required to Register Before CGT Property Reporting
HMRC guidance now indicates that trusts need to be registered with the Trust Registration Service (TRS) before they can report UK property disposals for capital gains tax (CGT). The position affects access to the CGT on UK property reporting system and applies even where a trust would not usually be required to register. Updated […]
HMRC Consults on Corporation Tax Changes
HMRC has launched a consultation on plans to modernise and standardise the way companies prepare and submit corporation tax returns, as a further step in the UK’s move towards a fully digital, data-driven tax system. The proposals focus on introducing a prescribed format for tax computations and requiring amendments to be submitted online, with the […]
Preparing for 5 April Tax Year End: Practical Steps
The end of the UK tax year on 5 April marks the end of the tax year for determining when income, gains and reliefs are treated as arising. For individuals, business owners and investors, it represents the key deadline for reviewing their position before annual allowances reset and certain planning opportunities are no longer available […]
Capital Allowance Changes in April 2026
Businesses planning investment in equipment or machinery in 2026 face several tax changes taking effect at the start of the new tax year, this April. Adjustments to the capital allowance regime will alter how quickly companies obtain tax relief for plant and machinery expenditure. The government has introduced a new 40% First-Year Allowance (FYA) for […]
Small Employers’ SMP Recovery Increase from April 2026
Small businesses will be able to recover slightly more of the cost of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from April 2026 under new regulations introduced by the government. The Social Security and Statutory Maternity Pay (Evidence of Pregnancy and Compensation of Employers) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/201) increase the Small Employers’ Relief compensation rate from 108.5% […]
New Skilled Worker Visa Salary Calculation Rule
The UK government has introduced new payroll rules for the Skilled Worker visa route from 8 April 2026. From that date, the Home Office can assess salary compliance by examining how sponsored workers are paid across defined pay periods, rather than relying primarily on the annual salary recorded on the Certificate of Sponsorship. Historically, immigration […]
Higher VAT Threshold Continues to Distort Small Business Growth
The UK VAT registration threshold has again come under scrutiny following fresh analysis of HMRC administrative data showing a growing concentration of small businesses operating just below the registration limit. The current threshold requires businesses to register for VAT once their taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 within a rolling 12 month period. Crossing that point brings […]
UK Inheritance Tax Receipts Hit £7.1bn in 2025/26
The latest HMRC data shows inheritance tax receipts of £7.1 billion in the first ten months of the 2025 to 2026 tax year. Annual totals have risen consistently in recent years and continue to reach record levels. Inheritance tax is charged at 40% on the value of an estate above the available nil-rate bands. The […]
Employment Rights Act Changes from 18 Feb 2026
From 18 February 2026, the first set of reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 took effect. The initial changes focus on industrial action and collective dispute procedures. While the statutory framework for ballots and notice remains in place, the reforms adjust how easily industrial action can proceed and extend protections for employees who participate […]
Increased Employer Risks of UK’s Digital Immigration System
Recent changes to UK immigration rules and the continued digitisation of Home Office systems have altered the practical risk landscape for businesses. Permission to work is no longer evidenced primarily through physical documents. It is confirmed through interconnected digital platforms that operate before travel, at boarding and during onboarding. Employers who assume that a granted […]
O’Brien v HMRC: Contractor Loan Scheme Fails
The First-tier Tribunal has again sided with HMRC in a contractor loan scheme case, confirming that amounts paid into an employee benefit trust and returned as “loans” were taxable earnings. In O’Brien v HMRC, the Tribunal held that income tax arose when the taxpayer’s remuneration was redirected into an employee benefit trust (EBT), even though […]
Salary Sacrifice Pensions Contributions: New Rules in 2029
From 6 April 2029, only the first £2,000 of pension contributions per employee per tax year made via salary sacrifice will remain exempt from Class 1 National Insurance. Contributions above that threshold will attract both employee (Primary Class 1) and employer (Secondary Class 1) NICs. Ordinary employer pension contributions that are not made via salary […]
Mandatory Registration of Tax Advisers from May 2026
HMRC has confirmed that from May 2026, tax advisers who interact with HMRC on behalf of clients will be required to register with HMRC and meet defined minimum standards. The change follows updated policy material and draft legislation within the Finance Bill. Professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), have issued supporting FAQs […]
Govt Fire and Rehire Consultation Explained for Employers
The Government has opened a consultation on part of the new fire and rehire rules due to be introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025. The focus is narrow but important for employers: whether certain expenses, benefits and shift changes should be protected from being imposed through dismissal and re-engagement. Although the rules are not […]
Smaller Employers Are Being Caught Out By Digital Right to Work Checks
For many small and growing businesses, right to work checks feel like an administrative task that should be straightforward. The shift to digital immigration status was meant to make compliance easier. In practice, it has introduced new risks that are now showing up in Home Office audits. The rules themselves have not changed. What has […]
HMRC Steps Up Stamp Duty Investigations
HMRC has increased enforcement activity around Stamp Duty Land Tax, with a sharp rise in compliance checks into residential property transactions. More homebuyers are now facing retrospective scrutiny of whether the correct amount of stamp duty was paid, often months or years after completion. The change reflects HMRC’s growing focus on property tax compliance and […]
Employment Rights Act Timeline: What is Changing and When?
The Government has issued an updated implementation timetable for the Employment Rights Act 2025 as part of its ‘Plan to Make Work Pay.’ The timeline replaces the July 2025 roadmap and confirms a phased rollout of reforms across 2026 and 2027. The substance of the reforms has not shifted. What has changed is the order […]
UK Car Tax Changes 2026
A series of changes to vehicle taxation will take effect from April 2026, altering how much many drivers pay in road tax and related charges. Some of these changes remove long-standing exemptions, while others increase existing charges in line with government policy. Although not every proposal reported in the media is settled law, several measures […]