McBrides Blog

New anti-fraud payment measure to be rolled out in 2019

4th December 2018

The UK’s leading retail payment authority Pay.UK has announced how a new ‘Confirmation of Payee’ service will work when it begins to be rolled...

Client Spotlight - Talyllyn Railway

16th November 2018

In a quiet Welsh valley in the far west of Gwynedd is a small and potentially insignificant little railway, but one with a unique history and a very special place...

The top mistakes you are making on social media

2nd November 2018

Guest blog by ZC Social Media Social media is all the rage right now. The beautiful thing is that it is used not only for socialising and catching up with friends...

What could the Halloween Budget have in store?

19th October 2018

With a Halloween Budget just around the corner, we have sourced a crystal ball and have tuned in to the whispers in the Westminster corridors. Green taxes: Speculation...

Will the forthcoming Budget tighten IR35 rules?

17th October 2018

Back in May we wrote about how HM Treasury and HMRC had opened a joint consultation on how the tax rules applying to off-payroll working – widely known...

Referees show HMRC a red card

26th September 2018

A recent tax case has once again ‘blown the whistle’ on the difficulty HMRC has in being able to determine whether an individual is employed or self-employed. It...

Managing working lives and mental health

18th September 2018

Guest blog by Alison Parmar, FSB Kent development manager The way we work has changed significantly. There are now more people than ever going it alone and setting...

Do you know a student who could be due a tax refund?

11th September 2018

Many students will have worked at temporary jobs over the summer holidays and although some will continue to work while studying, others will not work again until...

Online marketplaces to assist HMRC on trader VAT compliance

6th September 2018

HMRC has announced it has reached an agreement with a number of online sales platforms, including Amazon and eBay, whereby those platforms will supply HMRC with...

Are you ready for Making Tax Digital?

5th September 2018

With just seven months to go before Making Tax Digital (MTD) comes in for VAT, there are critical steps that businesses should be taking to ensure they are ready...

Childcare voucher scheme closes to new entrants on 4 October

4th September 2018

As the nights draw in earlier and children are going back to school, a timely reminder that childcare voucher schemes will close to new entrants on 4 October 2018. From...

Entrepreneurs’ relief called into question

30th August 2018

The Resolution Foundation think tank today (30 August 2018) said that the benefits of entrepreneurs’ relief (ER) are concentrated among a few very wealthy...

Deadline fast approaching for those with undeclared offshore tax liabilities

30th August 2018

The second Finance Bill in 2017 introduced a ‘Requirement to Correct’ (RTC) for taxpayers with undeclared UK income tax, capital gains tax (CGT) or inheritance...

Client Spotlight – Michael O’Mara Books

26th June 2018

Michael O’Mara Books (MOM Books) has been a McBrides client since the company incorporated in December 1984. At the time the publisher’s only two...

Join our graduate training programme

26th June 2018

Do you know a recent graduate who’s keen to kick-start a career in the accountancy profession, earn as they learn and work with owner-managed businesses? If...

Welcome to our new recruits

26th June 2018

We’ve welcomed two new people to the McBrides team since our last issue of Business Arena – the second and third to join us in two months. Matt Reid...

'eXtra' protection from the taxman

26th June 2018

Small businesses are more likely to be reviewed by the taxman after HMRC admitted that one in ten small businesses is under investigation as it attempts to recoup...

Pimlico Plumbers decision - check employment status for tax purposes

13th June 2018

A court ruling which today decided that a self-employed VAT-registered plumber was entitled to workers' rights having worked for Pimlico Plumbers for six years looks...

Government launches new private sector IR35 consultation

31st May 2018

HM Treasury and HMRC have opened a joint consultation on how the tax rules applying to off-payroll working are being applied. More commonly known as the IR35 rules,...

Safeguarding your personal information – McBrides’ commitment

24th May 2018

A new regulation impacting the way companies hold and process your data is coming into effect this Friday, 25 May and it’s important that you understand what...

Client Spotlight – Stoneham Plc

25th April 2018

Our latest focus on clients looks at a fifth-generation family business. Stoneham plc has grown from a woodturning business, started in the basement of William...

GDPR – are you compliant?

25th April 2018

It’s been a long time coming but precisely one month from now the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) finally comes into force. Organisations will be...

EMI share options – companies beware

11th April 2018

Companies that grant Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) share options, should be aware of an important HMRC bulletin issued on 4 April 2018, which impacts...

Personal tax planning – five tips for minimising your tax liabilities

20th March 2018

Is it too late for me to take steps to minimise my tax liabilities before 5 April? There are fewer reliefs available these days to mitigate your personal tax liabilities,...

The Spring Statement: Spring Forward or Freeze Frame?

12th March 2018

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, will give the Government’s first ‘Spring Statement’ to Parliament this Tuesday at 12:30. Why is this interesting? Well,...

Isn’t it time you took on an apprentice?

8th March 2018

It’s National Apprenticeship Week and there will be many stories in the media about the success of the government programme, but what benefit does the scheme...

Employers must act ahead of April and June auto-enrolment deadlines

22nd February 2018

The clock is now ticking for the June 2018 auto-enrolment deadline when the final 150,000 employers must enrol their employees into workplace pensions. However,...

Just ten days left for the paper tenner

19th February 2018

The paper Charles Darwin £10 note ceases to be legal tender after 1 March 2018 with the polymer Jane Austen £10 note replacing it. After this time,...

Energetic accountants generate £6k for the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice

2nd February 2018

The team at McBrides undertook a series of physical challenges in 2017 to raise funds for the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice (GBCH). The fundraising...

Client Spotlight – The Hofmeister Brewing Company

19th January 2018

First up in our new Client Spotlight feature is The Hofmeister Brewing Company, which is behind the successful resurrection of the popular 1980s Hofmeister lager...

Cybercrime - be prepared

19th January 2018

Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in how they approach businesses and convince staff to transfer money to them. Most attempts are made through identity...

Practical steps for businesses affected by Carillion’s liquidation

15th January 2018

News that Carillion, the UK’s second largest building contractor, has gone into liquidation will be creating uncertainty for suppliers and sub-contractors...

Childcare voucher schemes to close in April 2018

4th January 2018

A timely reminder that childcare voucher schemes will close to new entrants from April this year. All eligible new parents will instead need to use the government’s...

Law firms - are your clients aware of HMRC's New Trust Registration Service 31 January deadline?

19th December 2017

By 31 January 2018, all trusts with UK tax liabilities are required to be registered online with HMRC’s Trust Registration Service (TRS). This is compulsory...

The next generation of local accountants

6th December 2017

McBrides staff partner Tanya Hamilton and manager Hannah Adams were overwhelmed by the interest in becoming an accountant when they recently visited Hope Community...

McBrides honoured at Kent Corporate Finance Alliance Awards 2017

30th November 2017

McBrides is celebrating today having been recognised in the Kent Corporate Finance Alliance (KFCA) Awards Deal of the Year for its work on the private sale of regional...

Employer pension contributions set to increase in April 2018

21st November 2017

Changes to pensions continue and from 6 April 2018, employers will be required to increase the amount of their contributions into their employees’...

Back the Bexley bid!

11th October 2017

Bexley is on the cusp of something big as it prepares a bid to become the London Borough of Culture for 2019 and 2020.   Bexley is one of 32 boroughs...

The auto-enrolment clock is ticking…

27th September 2017

Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK with at least one employee must put certain staff into a pension scheme and contribute towards it. But all...

VAT on online local authority property searches

27th September 2017

We have had several requests for clarity following on from news that north-west law firm Brabners has been ordered to pay £68,000 of VAT not charged to clients...

Speedier cheque clearance on the way

26th September 2017

Despite the move to BACS and online banking, 477 million cheques were written in the UK last year. Clearing a cheque can take up to six working days from deposit...

Making Tax Digital

6th September 2017

The government’s programme of bringing business tax into the digital age was due to begin in earnest with the ‘Making Tax Digital’ scheme. However,...

High earners: act soon to fund a comfortable retirement

6th September 2017

Most of us think retirement planning is something to leave on the ‘to do’ pile. However, some recent tax changes mean you may need to think about dealing...

McBrides & Friends 10k Hospice Hike

11th August 2017

There are just weeks to go now before the team at McBrides set out on their Hospice Hike in aid of the Greenwich & Bexley Community Hospice. The 10km route...

Routes into Accountancy – part two:

7th July 2017

From fixing bikes to company audits by Patrick Duncan I was directed to McBrides after working a long summer fixing bikes in a local shop. I studied A Levels in...

Routes into Accountancy – part one:

7th July 2017

University? Or a Professional Apprenticeship? by Tanya Hamilton, Staff Partner You’ve decided on a career in accountancy, but do you choose university or...

Law firm mergers keep us busy

6th July 2017

Law firm mergers are all the rage at the moment as the industry shrinks in the face of deregulation and increased competition. At McBrides we have been assisting...

All change for apprenticeships: the new funding system for employers

24th March 2017

The new Apprenticeship Levy comes into effect on 6 April and heralds significant changes to the way apprenticeships will be funded for all employees. Click on the...

Philip Hammond makes U-Turn on Budget National Insurance rise for the self-employed

16th March 2017

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has faced a backlash from the Conservative backbenchers accusing him of breaking a general election manifesto commitment not to increase...

The Book-Keepers! Three business books we couldn’t live without

2nd March 2017

As pupils across the world celebrate World Book Day today (Thursday 2nd March) we asked some of the team at McBrides for their favourite business reads. Nick Paterno,...

Thinking of buying a new car? Don’t end up being an ‘April Fool’!

27th February 2017

If you are looking to buy a new car, you might want to consider doing it before 1 April 2017. Road Tax, or Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) as it is officially known, is...

Solicitors be mindful - you are not a bank!

17th January 2017

The SAR Rule (14.5) preventing a firm’s client account being used as a banking facility has made the news over the last couple of months with a spate of recent...