News & Articles

Monday 8th December 2014
No loss relief for business run as a "hobby"
A recent case before the Tax Tribunal reminds us that in order to set a trading loss sideways against other income, the business must be carried out on a commercial basis with a view to making a profit. The case in question relates to Mrs Thorne, who ran an equestrian business and another ...
Monday 8th December 2014
Managing difficult employees
Effectively managing difficult employees can be a challenging prospect. Whether it is the employee who is consistently late, who complains incessantly or who seems to constantly upset their co-workers, every company must deal with difficult employees. These situations drain management's time ...
Monday 3rd November 2014
Creating great client meetings
You are the heart of your business and your clients are the lifeblood. Most businesses have client interactions that involve meetings. The difference between a good client experience and a great one are often down to “touch points” with the firm, such as client meetings. Your goal ...
Monday 3rd November 2014
New intestacy rules if you don't make a will
Many people die intestate because they think their estate will automatically pass to their spouse free of inheritance tax (IHT). This is not necessarily correct. Moreover, having a Will in place makes it easier to get a grant of probate and avoids the Statutory Intestacy Rules governing how the ...
Thursday 2nd October 2014
RTI penalties delayed again
HM Revenue and Customs have recently announced that the start date for penalties on PAYE schemes that have fewer than 50 employees will now be delayed until 6 March 2015. HMRC have said that the extra time will give smaller employers, who appear to be experiencing the greatest difficulties ...
Thursday 2nd October 2014
5 best practices for using email
Email is part of day to day business life in most businesses. Here are a few tips to help you regain control of your inbox. Speak to people When you receive an email that looks like it’s going to be complicated to reply to, visit/telephone the person who sent it, and ask what they ...
Wednesday 3rd September 2014
Business travel for self employed
Following a recent case in front of the Upper Tier Tax Tribunal involving a doctor with a private practice (Dr Samadian), HMRC are applying the rules for business travel much more strictly. The “wholly and exclusive” principle states that where there is both a business and a ...
Tuesday 5th August 2014
Improved tax breaks for innovative companies
There are currently two very generous tax breaks for companies involved in research and development (R&D) , particularly those that go on to patent their products or inventions. Many such companies may not be claiming all the relief that they are entitled to. Firstly, R&D tax credit ...