Can you claim the Marriage Allowance? 16th April 2019 The Marriage Allowance was introduced from 6 April 2015 and permits up to 10% of the Personal Allowance of the spouse with the lower income to be transferred to... Late payment risks 15th April 2019 Healthy cash flow is the life blood of any business. Did you know that 50,000 businesses cease trading every year due to late payments from their customers or clients? In... State pension and child benefit trap 2nd April 2019 It is reasonably well known that child benefit is clawed back where the claimant or their spouse / partner has taxable income over £50,000 for the tax year.... HMRC’s Loan Charge legislation – controversial money raiser? 27th February 2019 Introduced in 2017, this legislation is aimed at individuals who participated in so-called ‘Disguised Remuneration Loan Schemes’ that were being promoted... Employer pension contributions increase in April 2019 14th February 2019 Changes to pensions continue from 6 April 2019 with employers required to increase the amount of their contributions into employees’ automatic enrolment pension... Promotions and new faces 11th February 2019 From l to r: Cristina Niculescu, Andy Fuller, Rhys Sheppard, Sarah Miller, Scott Eveleigh, Clara Matthews and Lydia Payne It’s been a busy time of... Client Spotlight - JTA 11th February 2019 When Jon Tibbs first set up his sports communications agency JTA back in 2001, he was feeding his entrepreneurial spirit. Having risen to the top of global PR agency... The life of Brian! 11th February 2019 When Brian Moleshead first started working at McBrides in January 1983, BBC Breakfast was just launching, seatbelts became mandatory for drivers and front seat passengers,... In the event of ‘no deal’ HMRC warns businesses to prepare 6th February 2019 The latest guidance to businesses in the event of the UK leaving the EU with ‘no deal’, includes updates on customs procedures, import & export registration... Reflect, learn and plan for a successful 2019 7th January 2019 Guest Blog by Jackie Brooker, Managing Director of Dakota Blue Consulting The end of a year is not only a great time to reflect and learn from the previous 12 months,... Budget creates unintended tax trap for Entrepreneurs’ Relief hopefuls 18th December 2018 When an individual sells shares in a private company, they will often be able to claim Entrepreneurs’ Relief (ER) in respect of the profit they have realised... 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...
