In early January Chancellor announced a new Budget date: 11 March 2020. This could be a significant Budget. Traditionally, the first Budget of a new Parliament is when the Chancellor delivers the medicine of tax increases and/or unpopular reforms. To borrow from Macbeth: ‘If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were … More A Budget Day… at last!

A report out in January shows that around 20% of those on apprenticeship schemes are not being paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW), while apprenticeships themselves have fallen in number. The figures in the Apprenticeship Pay Survey from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) show the strange anomaly that correct levels of … More Minimum wage apprenticeships – not plain sailing

The National Living Wage (NLW) rises by over 6% in April. The 6.2% increase to £8.72 an hour equates to £15,870 a year based on a 35-hour week. The substantial rise is not down to inflation – which ended 2019 at only 1.3% – but due to a policy of George Osborne’s. When he made … More National Living Wage set to outpace new state pension

What do you remember about the 2010s? A decade is a long time and a lot happens, but important details can be lost in the big headline moments. The one that has just ended makes the point. The 2010s started with Gordon Brown as prime minister and, four elections and two referendums later, closed with … More Look back in curiosity: what can we learn from the 2010s?

The Jersey States Assembly agreed to abolish the archaic rule in early February, reversing a situation whereby only one person in a couple is able to deal with their tax affairs, which must be the husband in a heterosexual couple or the older partner in a same sex or civil partnership who is deemed to … More Independent taxation: Jersey women no longer left behind

The clock is ticking on using up your pension annual allowance The allowance effectively sets the maximum pension contributions from all sources (including your employer) on which you may be able to claim income tax relief. In recent times it has been the subject of much controversy because of the way the allowance is tapered … More Last call for 2016/17 on your annual allowance…

The intestacy rules for England and Wales have been amended. The intestacy rules automatically apply to the distribution of estates where there is no will. There are three different sets of rules in the UK: one for England and Wales, a similar set for Northern Ireland and a much more different set for Scotland. The … More Intestacy rule change favours spouses

For taxpayers who have trouble affording their tax bills, HRMC has updated its process for setting up time to pay arrangements. If you have missed the self-assessment filing deadline of 31 January, and are struggling to cover your tax payments, you can now set up a time to pay arrangement online with HMRC. The online … More ‘Time to pay’ arrangements get easier