With just 24 hours to go before the Budget statement from the Chancellor the news media and politicians are eager to have their say about what we can expect. The problem – which is becoming quite annoying – is that not only are journalists are asking the wrong questions, but that politicians are answering them! No…
Who to believe?
Next Wednesday the Chancellor will deliver his first proper Budget since the start of the pandemic nearly a year ago; since then, we have had what has amounted to a number of discriminatory and uncoordinated announcements aimed to protect some jobs and some businesses. You might think that, with all that time, the Treasury would…
You can now defer your VAT payment until January 2022
All VAT registered businesses had their VAT payments deferred automatically for amounts due to be paid in the period from 20 March to 30 June 2020. No interest or penalties have been charged on that outstanding VAT debt, and businesses have been free to pay the amount due at any time. Now pay up There…
What should I do if my application to defer my 31 January tax due is rejected?
The government realised some time ago that a large number of taxpayers would need to defer tax due this January, so HMRC created an instalment mechanism to allow individual taxpayers to apply for time to pay the tax debts now falling due. However, some taxpayers and advisers using the online service to defer tax due on 31…
There has never been a lower barrier to entry for new businesses
Amongst all the doom and gloom of the past few years fuelled by Brexit, the COVID pandemic and challenges to democracy a fundamental paradigm shift has taken place: There has never been a better time to be a small business owner. Technology means you can create and launch new ideas, products and services quickly. There has…
This is the best time in history to take risks and innovate
There are a lot of good things to say about 2020, although I suspect that when its history is written most of them will have been forgotten. Like the meteor that wiped out dinosaurs, 2020 will be blamed for many ills, whereas in fact issues such as the decline in ‘old’ retail and advances in…
It’s all very well you saying innovate but how do I do it?
Good question; here are some ways. As an entrepreneur you already have multiple new ideas every day; we all do. But you have probably got used to suppressing them: if you followed every new idea and shiny object you’d get nothing done. But what happens to those ideas? Are they just forgotten? Start, instead, to…
Activation code requirement temporarily suspended for online SA filing
On 1 December 2020 HMRC temporarily suspended the requirement for an activation code to be sent in the post before taxpayers can access the self assessment online filing service. The normal process for taxpayers who want to sign up to file a self assessment (SA) tax return online involves HMRC sending an activation code through…
The SEISS claims portal opens again today … but beware of the more onerous conditions
The self-employed income support scheme (SEISS) claims portal reopens today (Monday 30 November), but new rules mean that taxpayers must declare their trade has been impacted by reduced demand before they can claim the third grant. When claiming the first two SEISS grants taxpayers had to confirm that their trade had been adversely affected by the coronavirus…
The furlough scheme is bad for business
When the furlough scheme was introduced it was a sensible short-term measure to protect individuals whose employers had a sudden loss of earnings. But it is deeply discriminatory and worse, it’s bad for business. Those still with an employer receive enhanced benefits. Those without an employer do not. And some just fall through the gaps.…
