Recent government guidance has highlighted a growing risk of fraud linked to Winter Fuel Payments, with criminals attempting to exploit uncertainty around changes to eligibility and repayment arrangements. Pensioners are being encouraged to remain cautious if they receive unexpected communications claiming to be connected with the payment, particularly where personal or financial information is requested. […]
Raising prices is rarely comfortable for business owners, yet it is often necessary to maintain margins as wages, materials, finance costs and energy bills rise. The difficulty is rarely the price itself. It is the customer’s perception of whether the product or service is still worth the cost. A more effective approach than simply announcing […]
For the 2026-27 tax year, individuals with income between £100,000 and £125,140 face an effective marginal income tax rate of 60%. This unusually high rate is not a separate tax band but arises because the personal allowance is gradually withdrawn once income exceeds £100,000. The personal allowance remains £12,570 for 2026-27 and continues to be […]
The UK government has introduced significant employment law reforms that expand access to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and parental leave rights. These measures represent one of the most substantial updates to workplace protections in recent years and are intended to support employees facing illness or family responsibilities, while helping to create a more flexible and […]
Many people start an activity as a hobby, perhaps selling handmade goods online, offering occasional services, or generating small amounts of additional income from spare capacity. Over time, what begins as a leisure pursuit can evolve into something that looks increasingly commercial. This raises an important question, when does a hobby become a business for […]
Recent global instability, particularly tensions affecting oil and energy supply chains, has increased concerns about price gouging, where businesses take advantage of shortages or uncertainty to impose unjustified price increases. In response, the UK government has announced new measures intended to protect consumers and ensure markets continue to operate fairly. Price gouging generally occurs when […]
A Companies House blunder has raised concerns after a flaw in the WebFiling service briefly exposed sensitive company data. The issue, identified on 13 March 2026, meant that a logged-in user could potentially access and amend limited details of another company by carrying out a specific sequence of actions. Companies House has stated that this […]
If you have not yet checked whether you need to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, now is the time to urgently see if you are affected. The Income Tax reporting requirements for some self-employed individuals and landlords will change significantly from 6 April 2026. MTD for Income Tax changes the traditional annual […]
1 April 2026 – Due date for corporation tax due for the year ended 30 June 2025. 19 April 2026 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 April 2026 (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 April 2026). 19 April 2026 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly […]
Mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind (BiKs) and taxable employment expenses will be introduced from 6 April 2027. This represents a major change in reporting and means that for most benefits, the annual P11D form will no longer be required from the start of the 2027-28 tax year. The requirement to report Income Tax and Class 1A […]