Since becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham has made cost-of-living support a key focus. One headline measure announced this month is the planned removal of VAT on household electricity from October 2026, which the Government estimates could reduce average household bills by around £45 a year. Household electricity is currently subject to VAT at 5%. At […]

Prior to Andy Burnham’s appointment as Prime Minister and the appointment of John Healey as Chancellor, HMRC published a raft of consultations and policy announcements on 23 June 2026. The wide-ranging package of consultations and policy announcements was aimed at making the tax system simpler, more digital and, in HMRC’s words, fairer. While many of […]

HMRC has launched a fresh summer campaign reminding people with “side hustles” that extra income may need to be reported for tax purposes. The announcement specifically highlights people earning income from wedding services, online selling, content creation, freelancing and similar activities. The key figure remains the £1,000 trading allowance. If total income from side activities […]

Date What’s Due 1 August Corporation Tax for year to 31/10/2025, unless quarterly instalments apply 7 August Deadline for the 2026/27 first Quarterly Update, required for those already mandated into MTD for Income Tax 19 August PAYE & NIC deductions, and CIS return and tax, for month to 05/08/2026 (due 22 August if you pay […]

Reforms to affect micro entity and small company accounts Companies House will introduce changes to accounts filing due to governmental reforms under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCT Act 2023). The changes will now come into effect from April 2028, rather than April 2027, to give companies more time to prepare. The […]

Many benefits will not be mandated until April 2028 Mandatory payrolling for Benefits In Kind was originally expected to start in April 2027, but following industry pressure, it will now be introduced in two phases. Phase 1 will continue to be rolled out from 6 April 2027, with Phase 2 starting a year later on […]

Emma Sleep taken to court for failing to address CMA concerns A High Court order has confirmed that Emma Sleep, a mattress seller, behaved illegally and broke consumer law by using misleading countdown timers, false ‘high demand’ messages and ‘discount claims’. Concerns were raised about Emma Sleep in 2022 over behaviour that misled shoppers and […]

Guidelines from ACAS on NDAs Employers may worry about the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) following a series of press stories that have highlighted the abuse of the system. The agreement does have a place for businesses, according to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). Companies can ask employees to sign an NDA as […]

See how a business plan can help your business grow You have the idea, the energy, and maybe even your first customers. So why slow down to write a business plan? It can seem like something banks ask for, but not something that really helps you run your business. However, for small and growing businesses, […]

Dates for your diary PAYE Settlement Agreement The deadline for applying for a PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) or making any amendments to an existing PSA is 5 July following the first tax year to which it applies. PSAs are an agreement between an employer and HMRC. For example, for the tax year 2025-26, you will […]