Communication

Many businesses are totally reliant on the data stored on their PCs, laptops, networks, mobile devices and in the cloud. Some of this data is likely to contain either personal information and/or confidential company information. Here we look at some of the key compliance issues surrounding data protection and the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act). The Data Protection Act will be superseded by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May 2018.

Inheritance tax (IHT) is levied on a person’s estate when they die, and certain gifts made during an individual’s lifetime. Gifts between UK-domiciled spouses during their lifetime or on death are exempt from IHT. In this factsheet spouse includes married couples and registered civil partners. Most gifts made more than seven years before death will escape tax.

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.

In 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.

Travelling 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.

For start-ups and small businesses, cash flow can be a real issue. Whilst larger corporations may be able to cope with delayed payments and long invoice periods, this can affect business functions in smaller organisations. With some small businesses being forced to close due to consistent late payments and cash flow issues, the government has proposed new measures to help ensure that small businesses get paid on time.