Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) is mandatory from 6 April 2026 for self-employed traders and landlords whose combined gross trading and business income in 2024/25 is £50,000 or more. Those within MTD for ITSA must maintain digital records and submit quarterly updates and a final declaration to HMRC electronically using software compatible with MTD for ITSA. As the name suggests, MTD for ITSA relies on digital record-keeping and communication.

HMRC publish fuel-only rates which are only of relevance where an employee has a company car. The rates, which are updated quarterly, can only be used in two situations: · to make tax-free reimbursements to employees who meet the cost of business travel in their company car; and · to repay the cost of fuel provided or paid for by their employer and used for private journeys in a company car. The rate depends on the fuel type and, where relevant, the engine size. From 1 Septem

A director’s loan account is simply a means of keeping track of transactions between the director and the company of which they are a director. Where the company is a personal or family company, the director may borrow from the company or lend money to the company. Similarly, the director may meet expenses of the company, or the company may pay the director’s personal bills. These transactions are recorded in the director’s loan account. Dividend or salary payments may also b

It used to be possible to report errors in a VAT return to HMRC on form VAT652. This is no longer the case; form VAT652 was withdrawn from 5 September 2025. This means that now, where an error has been made in a VAT return, the error must be corrected in one of the following ways: · updating the next VAT return; · making the correction online; or · writing to HMRC to notify them of the correction. Updating the next VAT return An error can be corrected by making an adjustment

Many employers have a social event for employees around the Christmas period. This may take the form of a Christmas party or dinner or another social event, such as wreath-making and cocktails. When planning the event, it is important to consider the tax and National Insurance implications up front. Although there is a specific tax exemption for annual parties and other functions, there are conditions that must be met for the exemption to apply. Ensuring that your Christmas e

In these difficult economic times, tenants may struggle to pay their rent, leaving landlords out of pocket. In the absence of insurance that makes good the cost of unpaid rent, the way in which the landlord is able to secure relief for the bad debt depends on whether the landlord uses the cash basis or the accruals basis to prepare their accounts. Cash basis The cash basis is a simple way of preparing accounts that is based on money in and money out. It is the default basis o

Unfortunately, tenants (and their pets) may cause damage to a rental property. Where this is the case, the landlord may be left to repair the damage and pick up the bill. In this situation, can the landlord obtain tax relief for the costs incurred? Nature of costs The nature of the work will determine how and when tax relief is available. Where repairing the damage merely restores the property to the state that it was in before the damage, the associated costs are revenue in

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025. The Act is not yet in force; the first tranche of provisions come into effect on 27 December 2025 (two months from the date of Royal Assent). Some key provisions, including the abolition of section 21 evictions, an end to fixed-term tenancies, restrictions on the payment of rent in advance and rent increases limited to once a year, take effect from 1 May 2026. The remaining provisions will be brought in pr

At first glance, the UK’s income tax rates seem straightforward, comprising the basic, higher and additional rate bands (currently 20%, 40% and 45% in England, Wales and Northern Ireland). However, calculations show that there exists an often-overlooked quirk in the tax system that can push high earners into an effective marginal income tax rate of 60%. In 2023/24, approximately 634,000 taxpayers fell into the 60% band, with estimates that this will possibly reach over a mill

Christmas is coming and many people use the celebration time to sell items such as handmade Christmas cards and goods on seasonal market stalls. Influencers and content creators may receive Christmas gifts in return for social media promotion and more people will log onto platforms such as eBay and Etsy for their Christmas present buying. However, what to the sellers may seem to be a hobby, may not be so viewed by HMRC. ‘Help for hustles’ campaign HMRC’s guidelines are explic

Should any taxpayer find they are struggling to pay their tax bills by the usual deadlines, there are official ways to spread the payments. How such payments are made depends upon the type of tax owing, the amount outstanding and whether the taxpayer is employed, self-employed or a company. Regardless of the plan undertaken, interest charges will accrue, although penalties are typically not levied. Time to Pay (TTP) scheme HMRC’s most recently published Annual Report and Acco

The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) is a tax deduction scheme requiring contractors to deduct tax from payments made to subcontractors working in the construction industry. Contractors must register for the scheme and verify the tax status of subcontractors that they engage. They are also required to submit monthly returns online to HMRC detailing all payments made to subcontractors in the previous month. Contractors must deduct a percentage of tax from these payments and

HMRC requires businesses to register for VAT if their taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in the last 12 months or is expected to exceed this threshold within the next 30 days. Registration must be within 30 days of the end of the month in which the limit is exceeded (or, if the limit will be exceeded in the next 30 days, by the end of that 30-day period). Failing to register when required could result in penalties, back payments of VAT owed and interest charges. HMRC reviews t

The 2025 Budget on 26 November 2025 is expected to be crucial for the long-term implications for the UK economy – announcements of tax increases are expected. It is also expected to include further detail confirming HMRC's digital roll-out (particularly Making Tax Digital) plus further digital implementation in the form of e-invoicing. E-invoicing has been in use in various forms for a number of years and, internationally, over 80 countries have e-invoicing mandates, with the

The Sunday Times’ property supplement has recently highlighted cases of homeowners who have extended their properties and been caught out by the community infrastructure levy (CIL, dubbed the ‘extension tax’) and been left with large and unexpected bills. We take a look at the nature of the CIL and explain when it applies and when exemptions are available. Nature of the CIL The CIL is a charge that can be levied by local authorities on new development in their area. The aim i

When a landlord buys a new property to let out, they may need to undertake some work prior to the first let, particularly if the property is tired or in need of updating. The extent to which relief will be available for the costs of updating the property will depend on the nature of those costs. Start of the property business If the property in question is the landlord’s first property, they will not have an existing property rental business. The property rental business norm

In light of the erosion of landlords’ rights in the Renters’ Rights Bill, together with a raft of adverse tax changes in recent years, many buy-to-let landlords have come to the decision that it is now time to sell. However, in the current buyer’s market, it may take some time to find a buyer and for the sale to go through. During this period, the landlord may incur costs. The extent of any tax relief and the way in which it is given will depend on the nature of those costs.

The rate at which a company pays corporation tax depends on the level of its taxable profits. Where a company’s profits are below the lower profits limit, corporation tax is charged on all profits at the rate of 19% and where a company’s profits are more than the upper profits limit, they are all taxed at the rate of 25%. However, where the profit falls between these limits, corporation tax is charged at the rate of 25% and reduced by marginal relief. The effect of this is to

The normal filing deadline for the 2024/25 Self Assessment tax return is 31 January 2026. However, if you have some tax to pay under Self Assessment and you also pay tax under PAYE, if you file your return by 30 December 2025, you may be able to pay what you owe through an adjustment to your tax code rather than through the Self Assessment system. This may be the case if, for example, you are employed or receive a pension and also have some income from self-employment or prop

A press release recently published by HMRC revealed that 758,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 23 have a Child Trust Fund which has matured but which they have not claimed. The average Child Trust Fund account is worth £2,242. Nature of a Child Trust Fund A Child Trust Fund is a tax-free savings account that was available for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. The scheme closed in 2011. Payments of up to £9,000 a year can be made into an exis