Business news and opinion from Evans Weir | Page 11

If you’re in the process of writing a will or starting to talk to you family about what your estate looks like, then you may be asking yourself how you can reduce the amount your heirs will be paying in IHT.

A court case decided earlier this year has provided a fundamental change to the way that holiday pay is calculated for casual and part time workers. Companies previously paying holiday based on a percentage calculation must now use the calendar method, assessing holiday pay based on the average number of hours worked over the last year.

If your business is, or becomes, insolvent you must act with care to avoid wrongful or fraudulent trading. Here we explore the differences and implications of each.

There was a lot announced in the mini budget that took place on Friday 23rd September 2022 and it has had a significant impact on markets and currencies ever since.
Our summary of the full statement, helps you understand all of the changes, when they will come into effect and how they might apply to your personal or commercial circumstances.

The Insolvency Service has reported that corporate insolvencies are up by more than two-thirds on this time last year as economic pressures continue to rise. Up 67% on the same time last year, the July figures also show that the overall rate of insolvencies is up 27% compared to 2019.

There’s little doubt that business rates need reforming from top to bottom as was highlighted in the Government review completed in 2021. But as well as introducing reform to the calculus, the Government has committed to digitise the system from 2026/27. However, there is now a suggestion that it could tie up with the Government’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) strategy to form part of that broader, holistic view of tax liabilities and payments.

So, now we know who the winner of the Conservative Party Leadership race and new Prime Minister is, what can we expect from them in terms of tax and spending?

Just when we thought that Covid might have been the final nail in the coffin for cash, it would appear that the cost of living crisis has given it somewhat of a reprieve, even a chance for revival. Data from the Post Office suggests that the amount of cash deposits and withdrawals in July 2022, was the highest it’s been in five years.

In a slightly bizarre twist, as the Bank of England was announcing its recent interest rate increase of half-of-one-percent, it was also scrapping a key affordability test that lenders had to conduct to ensure borrowers could afford… an interest rate increase!

If you’re thinking of becoming self-employed, you may be weighing up the choice between incorporating a Limited Company or trading as a sole trader. One of the key things to consider is the amount of personal tax you’ll end up paying, how it is calculated and when you have to pay it. It is subtly different in each case and you also need to be aware of other taxes which apply.

Changes to the rules around IR35 and the legislation being applied rigorously by HMRC is resulting in a number of high profile cases making headlines.