Inheritance tax and spouses and civil partners Special rules apply for inheritance tax purposes to married couples and civil partners. To ensure valuable tax reliefs are not lost, it is beneficial to consider the combined position, rather than dealing with each individual separately. Married couples and civil partners benefit from...
“[The introduction of independent taxation between spouses was] bound to mean that some couples would transfer assets between themselves so that their total tax will reduce; this was an inevitable and acceptable consequence of taxing husbands and wives separately“. Taking this statement from the Chancellor of...
Tax-free mobile phone Mobile phones are ubiquitous – they are also subject to a tax exemption which enables employees to enjoy a mobile phone provided by their employer without suffering a benefit in kind tax charge. However, as with all exemptions there are conditions to be...
On the face of it, it’s puzzling that there are any tax implications when one simply borrows money from a limited company. A loan, after all, isn’t income and, therefore, shouldn’t be subject to income tax; and it doesn’t consist of the proceeds of disposing...
From 2013-14 onwards, businesses may use a fixed rate per business mile to compute their vehicle expenses under the new simplified expenses rules. They can use this method of relief as an alternative to keeping detailed records of actual expenditure. The fixed rate deduction covers expenditure...
Overpaid tax? How to claim it back? There are various reasons why you may have paid more tax than you needed to for a tax year. For example, if you only worked at the start of the year, you may not have received all of your personal allowance. Alternatively,...
Inheritance tax – making tax-free gifts There are various exemptions, and potential exemptions, which make it possible to make gifts free of inheritance tax. Making tax-free gifts is a useful way to reduce the value of your estate – and ultimately the inheritance tax that may be payable on gifts. What counts...
How do you tax Bitcoin? Are cryptocurrency or cryptoasset gains or profits taxable? Can you obtain tax relief if you make losses on Bitcoin? How do you tax Ethereum profits? Gains on transactions in cryptoassets, of which Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency are potentially taxable in the same way as other investments. What's new? In...
Paying family members Many small businesses, whether incorporated or not, pay family members for working for the business. However, as a recent case shows, it is easy to make mistakes which can prove costly. The case in question, Nicholson v HMRC (TC06293), concerned the payment of wages by a sole trader to...
Many businesses make mistakes when filing VAT returns. This is understandable since the UK VAT system is complicated. However, mistakes in entering the wrong amount can be costly as it can not only result in paying a fine but also trigger a VAT investigation. To help...