Newsroom

What we’re seeing across our clients.

Commentary, briefings and case studies from the Mercian team — what’s hitting our inbox, what HMRC is asking, and what owners are doing about it.

Christmas Parties: HMRC and Tax

A Christmas table setting with a Christmas tree in the background, perfect for festive parties.

You’re organising your event; you’ve booked the DJ and the catering, but will you have to keep some budget back for a nasty tax bill, or can you order more vol au vents? When employers provide benefits to their employees, there are usually tax and National Insurance consequences. But provided your staff party meets all…

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MTD Has Changed VAT Return Filing – Act Now to Avoid Penalties

Hm revenue & customs sign on a building indicating VAT Return Filing procedures and potential penalties for non-compliance.

On 1st November, HMRC closed their old system for quarterly and monthly VAT return submission. Instead, businesses must now file these returns through Making Tax Digital (MTD) compatible software, unless they’re exempt. We can file for you, or, if you haven’t yet chosen a compatible software package, we offer discounted software licences to clients, from…

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Autumn Statement 2022: Key Tax Change Highlights

This morning (Thursday 17th November), Chancellor Hunt unveiled his 2022 Autumn Statement, featuring tax rises and spending cuts worth billions, in order to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and rebuild the UK economy. The changes include freezing allowances and thresholds that will pull millions into paying tax for the first time, hundreds of thousands into higher…

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Making Tax Digital for Income Tax – How to Get MTD Ready

Making Tax Digital (MTD) adverts are all over the TV and radio – and MTD for VAT returns is already in place. But, are you aware of MTD for Income Tax, and how it will affect you? Perhaps you’re unsure because your business is new, or you’ve managed without an Accountant until now? We will…

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300,000+ Landlords Move to Limited Companies to Reduce Tax

Over 300,000 landlords have purchased properties in limited companies to reduce tax and tackle rising interest rates. This number has doubled since the introduction of Section 24 in 2017, and with the environment becoming more uncertain, more than 50,000 companies have been set up in the last year alone – with 2022 set to be…

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Can I Reduce Limited Company Tax with My Spouse?

A bride and groom reduce the distance between them by holding hands in a wedding dress.

Company owners can make big tax savings by transferring shares to their spouse or civil partner. The good news? There’s no Capital Gains Tax on gifts between married couples – however, careful planning is required for the diversion of income to be tax-effective. If you are a cohabiting couple, and not married or civil partnered,…

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Claiming Work from Home Expenses for the Self Employed

Are you a self-employed sole trader, or in partnership, and work from home? If so, you can claim work from home expenses through your Self-Assessment Tax Return. Continue reading to understand your available options, and how much you could claim. What Can the Self-Employed Claim? UK sole traders and partners have two options for claiming…

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Work from Home Expenses for Limited Company Directors

Working from home appeals to many, and the number of people doing so has grown significantly since the pandemic. As a company director, you need to decide if this works for you – read on to find out more about the expenses you can claim, as well as the tax implications. What Can My Limited…

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