The National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) are the legal minimum wage rates that must be paid to employees. Employers are liable to be penalised for not complying with the NMW and NLW rules. HMRC is the agency that ensures enforcement of the NMW and NLW.
Continue readingIn order to avoid the danger of discriminating in some way, particularly unconsciously, employers must take care to develop and use recruitment procedures which will avoid the risk. Using sensible procedures will also inevitably improve recruitment decisions and the quality of the people taken on. Professional advice should be sought before any action is taken.
Continue readingTravelling and subsistence expenditure incurred by or on behalf of employees gives rise to many problems. We highlight below the main areas to consider in deciding whether tax relief is available on travel and subsistence.
Continue readingThe National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW) are the legal minimum wage rates that must be paid to employees. Employers are liable to be penalised for not complying with the NMW and NLW rules. HMRC is the agency that ensures enforcement of the NMW and NLW.
Continue readingDue to the introduction of new accounting standards, commonly referred to as ‘New UK GAAP’, the form and content of company accounts has changed. The changes for non-small companies took effect for accounting periods beginning on or after 1st January 2015. In many instances companies will now show a different bottom-line profit or loss and a different total for net assets on the balance sheet.
Continue readingIt is often considered an honour to act as a trustee for a charity and an opportunity to give something back to the community. However, becoming a trustee involves a certain commitment and level of responsibility which should not be underestimated. Whether you are already a trustee for a charity, be it a local project or a household name, or are thinking of becoming involved, there are a number of responsibilities that being a trustee places upon you.
Continue readingThe General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaced the Data Protection Act and applies from 25 May 2018. Whilst there are similarities between the Data Protection Act and the GDPR, there are some new elements and significant enhancements. The GDPR requires all organisations that deal with individuals living in an EU member state to protect the personal information belonging to those individuals and to have verified proof of such protection. Failure to comply with the regulation will result in significant fines.
Continue readingInheritance tax (IHT) was introduced approximately 30 years ago and broadly charges to tax certain lifetime gifts of capital and estates on death. With IHT came the concept of ‘potentially exempt transfers’ (PETs): make a lifetime gift of capital to an individual and, so long as you live for seven years from making the gift, there can be no possible IHT charge on it whatever the value of the gift.
Continue readingAn individual who is resident in the UK but is not domiciled (referred to as ‘non-dom’) may opt to be taxed on what is termed the ‘remittance basis’ in respect of income and capital gains arising outside the UK. What this means is that instead of being taxed on their actual income/gain arising in the year, they are taxed on the amount of that income/gain actually brought into the UK in the tax year.
Continue readingThere have been many changes to employment law and regulations in the last few years. A key area is the freedom or lack of freedom to make an individual redundant. An employee’s employment can be terminated at any time but unless the redundancy is fair an Employment Tribunal may find the employer guilty of unfair dismissal.
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