Tax Diary October/November 2025
1 October 2025 – Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 31 December 2024. 19 October 2025 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 October 2025. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 October 2025.) 19 October 2025 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly […]
VAT late filing penalties
New rules mean late VAT filings and payments now trigger points, fines and interest charges. The VAT late filing penalties regime changed for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023. Under the new system, there are now distinct and separate penalties for late filing of VAT returns and for the late payment of […]
Gifts with reservation of benefit
Gifting assets can cut inheritance tax, but traps like “gifts with reservation of benefit” may undo the plan. The majority of gifts made during a person’s lifetime are not subject to tax at the time they are made. These lifetime transfers are known as “potentially exempt transfers” (PETs). A PET becomes fully exempt from Inheritance […]
Holding over gains on gifts
Gift Hold-Over Relief is a form of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) relief that allows you to defer paying CGT when certain assets, such as qualifying shares, are given away or sold for less than their market value, typically to benefit the recipient. Instead of paying tax at the time of the gift, the gain is […]
What counts as working time for minimum wage purposes
Employers must ensure they are paying staff at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or National Living Wage (NLW). The NMW and the NLW are the minimum legal amounts that employers must pay their workers. The latest NMW and NLW rates took effect on 1 April 2025. The current hourly rate for the NLW is […]
Why your tax code might change
The letters in your tax code indicate whether you are entitled to the annual tax-free personal allowance. These codes are updated each year and help employers calculate how much tax should be deducted from your salary. For the current tax year, the basic personal allowance is £12,570. The tax code corresponding to this amount is […]
Are you selling goods or services on a digital platform?
From 2024, platforms like eBay, Vinted and Airbnb must report seller data to HMRC, so check your tax responsibilities. If you sell goods or services on a digital platform it is important to understand your tax responsibilities. This can apply whether your sales are a part-time income source or your main income. Even casual selling online may […]
Balancing access to justice and abuse of process
An extended civil restraint order (ECRO) was issued against a prolific Employment Tribunal (ET) litigant for presenting repeated and baseless claims. A Mr. Khan has been described as a prolific litigant, having issued no fewer than 42 largely unsuccessful tribunal claims since 2017. These various failed claims have typically involved allegations of disability discrimination and […]
Keeping your best people with flexible working
For many small business owners, finding and keeping good staff is one of the biggest headaches. Recruitment is costly, time-consuming and uncertain. That is why focusing on staff retention is one of the smartest moves you can make. People stay where they feel valued. Pay matters, of course, but many small businesses cannot simply compete […]
Cash flow resilience and access to funding
Running a small business often feels like walking a financial tightrope. Cash can be flowing in nicely one month, only to dry up the next. With interest rates higher than they were for years and lenders tightening their checks, access to money has become a bigger challenge. That is why focusing on cash flow resilience […]