fpdteam, Author at Bennetts Accountancy

Omicron funding delivered to local authorities

13th January 2022 by fpdteam

Just before the Christmas break, the Chancellor announced a new support package for some businesses most affected by the Omicron variant.

The biggest single measure was the re-introduction of one-off grants of up to £6,000 for businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors many of whom have seen their seasonal trade hugely impacted by this latest COVID-19 variant. It is thought that some 200,000 businesses will be eligible for these new grants. On 7 January 2022, the government delivered funding to councils across England to provide these one-off grants.

This means that firms in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors, many of whom have seen a decline in footfall and increased cancellations due to the Omicron variant, will be able to apply for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises depending on rateable value:

businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or above: £6,000
businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000: £4,000
businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below: £2,667

The government will also provide for a £102 million top-up for discretionary funding to help local authorities support other businesses outside the hospitality and leisure sectors.

The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive an additional £150m through the Barnett formula to help offer similar measures. This will be allocated with around £80 million going to the Scottish Government, £50 million to the Welsh Government and £25 million to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Source:Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy| 10-01-2022

HMRC fraud squad net £1bn from criminals

13th January 2022 by fpdteam

HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) was launched in April 2016. The FIS is responsible for HMRC’s civil and criminal investigations into the most serious fraud and wrongdoing. It has been estimated that tax evasion and fraud cost the exchequer up to £10bn per annum.

The formation of the FIS brought together HMRC’s criminal and civil investigators. This partnership allows HMRC’s investigators to unlock the most complex financial crimes. Since the service was established more than £1 billion has been recovered from the proceeds of crime and tax offenders.

The FIS has been proactively pursuing the suspected proceeds of crime using enforcement powers, both criminal and civil, to disrupt the movement of cash and assets.

HMRC has reported that since 2016, more than 1,200 seizures of cash and assets have been made while on operational duty, including gold bars worth £750,000 from a passenger at Manchester Airport and £48,000 found in a freezer drawer, hidden among chicken nuggets at a house in Blackpool.

HMRC’s Director of Fraud Investigation Service, said:

‘To reach this £1 billion milestone in 5 years speaks volumes to the dedication, hard work and skill of FIS to recover the proceeds of crime from those who try to cheat the system.’

Criminal cash can be seized by HMRC officers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. In addition, Account Freezing Orders can be used to freeze balances in bank accounts where it is suspected they contain criminal money.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 10-01-2022

Are you registered for Making Tax Digital for VAT?

13th January 2022 by fpdteam

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT is to be extended to cover businesses with a turnover below the VAT threshold from April 2022. The MTD for VAT regime started in April 2019 when businesses with a turnover above the VAT threshold of £85,000 became mandated to keep their records digitally and provide their VAT return information to HMRC using MTD compatible software.

The extension of MTD from April 2022 will apply to all VAT registered businesses with turnover below the VAT threshold of £85,000. This change was first announced in July 2020 and about a third of businesses mandated to sign-up from April 2022 have already voluntarily chosen to use MTD.

If you are affected and have not yet signed up, we would urge you to start the process as soon as possible.

To sign up to MTD for VAT, businesses, or their agent need to:

Visit GOV.UK and choose Making Tax Digital-compatible software. For many businesses, the software they are using should already be compatible with MTD.
Keep digital records starting from 1 April 2022 or the beginning of their VAT period
Sign up and submit their VAT Return through Making Tax Digital

A small number of VAT-registered businesses may be eligible for an exemption from MTD, if it is not reasonable or practicable for them to use digital tools for their tax. If a business has previously been granted an exemption for VAT online filing, this will carry over to MTD VAT requirements.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 10-01-2022

Delay in implementing late payment penalties

13th January 2022 by fpdteam

In tandem with the announcement that no late filing penalties will be issued for 2020-21 Self-Assessment returns submitted by 28 February 2022, HMRC has also confirmed a delay in implementing late payment penalties. This means that taxpayers will not be charged a 5% late payment penalty if they pay their tax or set up a payment plan by midnight on 1 April 2022.

Under the normal rules a 5% late payment penalty would have been charged if tax remained outstanding or a payment plan has not been set up before 3 March 2022. This extension gives taxpayers an extra 4 weeks to sort out their affairs before the 5% late payment penalty is levied.

It is important to note that it is only the 5% penalty that is being waived. Interest will still be applied to any balance that was outstanding from 1 February 2022. The current rate of interest is 2.75%. The only way to stop further interest amassing is to pay any tax due in full.

Further late payment penalties will apply, with no extensions, if tax remains outstanding (and no payment plan has been set up) for more than 6 months after the 31 January filing deadline. From 1 August 2022 you will be charged a penalty of the greater of £300 or 5% of the tax due. If your return remains outstanding one year after the filing deadline, then further penalties will be charged from 1 February 2023.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 10-01-2022

HMRC agree delay in tax return deadline

13th January 2022 by fpdteam

HMRC has announced that late filing penalties will be waived for taxpayers that file their 2020-21 Self-Assessment returns by 28 February 2022. The due date of 31 January 2022 remains and HMRC is still encouraging taxpayers to try and meet this deadline. Taxpayers should try and pay their tax bill by 31 January 2022 as interest will accrue from 1 February 2022 on any outstanding liabilities.

There had been concerns from Self-Assessment taxpayers and their agents for the government to soften its stance on late filing penalties in view of the continuing pandemic. The confirmation that no late filing penalty will be issued, giving one month’s grace has been broadly welcomed.

HMRC expects more than 12.2 million people to complete a Self-Assessment tax return for the 2020-21 and almost 6.5 million returns have already been submitted.

HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said:

'We know the pressures individuals and businesses are again facing this year, due to the impacts of COVID-19. Our decision to waive penalties for one month for Self-Assessment taxpayers will give them extra time to meet their obligations without worrying about receiving a penalty.'

There are also a number of options for taxpayers to defer payments due on 31 January 2022 and pay by instalments over 12 months. This includes using the self-serve Time to Pay facility online for debts up to £30,000 or by making an arrangement with HMRC.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 10-01-2022

Reminder of Statutory Sick Pay pay-back scheme

6th January 2022 by fpdteam

The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme for small and medium-sized businesses and employers, enables them to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to COVID-19. The online service closed for new claims after 30 September 2021.

However, following the new Omicron wave, the online claims service is to be reintroduced from mid-January. The government announced before the Christmas break that firms will be re-eligible for the scheme from 21 December 2021 and will be able to make claims retrospectively once the claims service is relaunched.

The scheme covers up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of COVID-19. Employers are eligible for the scheme if their business is UK based, small or medium-sized and employs fewer than 250 employees. Under the scheme, the Government will cover the cost of SSP for Covid-related absences qualifying employers across the UK.

Employers should maintain records of staff absences and payments of SSP, but employees will not need to provide a GP fit note. If evidence is required by an employer, those with symptoms of coronavirus can get an isolation note from NHS 111 online or a ‘shielding note’ / letter from their doctor or health authority advising them to shield because they’re at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 03-01-2022

Points to consider when valuing goodwill

6th January 2022 by fpdteam

Valuing goodwill is a complex process and there are many different methods which can be used and that vary from industry to industry. Goodwill is a way of placing a monetary value on the business's reputation and customer relationships. Or as HMRC say in their guidance, in accounting terms, purchased goodwill is the balancing figure between the purchase price of a business and the net value of the assets acquired.

HMRC’s approach to valuation of goodwill suggests that there should be no expectation of a synergy-based value on an open market value basis unless synergy in a particular market is common place.

HMRC’s manuals state that when valuing the goodwill of a business the valuer should have regard to the following:

the full sale and purchase documentation relating to the transfer of both tangible and intangible assets
succession arrangements
the valuation approach used – e.g., capitalisation of profits, super profits or a trade specific method
the activities of the business and role of the owners within it
the financial statements/accounts (including the detailed trading and profit and loss account) for the 3 years before valuation
any other relevant financial information
appropriate yield and multiples of comparable companies and sectors
the commercial and economic background at valuation date
how the personal goodwill of the owner has been reflected in the valuation
any other relevant factors.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 03-01-2022

New powers for Insolvency Service

6th January 2022 by fpdteam

The Insolvency Service is a government agency that provides services to those affected by financial distress or failure. The Insolvency Service operates as an executive agency of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The Insolvency Service has been granted new powers to investigate and disqualify company directors who abuse the company dissolution process. This extends investigatory powers to directors of dissolved companies and if misconduct is found, directors can face sanctions including being disqualified as a company director for up to 15 years or, in the most serious of cases, prosecution. The measures have been introduced under a new Act that received Royal Assent on 15 December 2021.

The Act will also mean the Business Secretary is able to apply to the court for an order to require a former director of a dissolved company, who has been disqualified, to pay compensation to creditors who have lost out due to their fraudulent behaviour.

Source:Other| 03-01-2022

Will you need to pay-back Child Benefits?

6th January 2022 by fpdteam

The High Income Child Benefit charge applies to taxpayers whose income exceeds £50,000 in a tax year and who are in receipt of child benefit. The charge claws back the financial benefit of receiving child benefit either by reducing or removing the benefit entirely.

If you or your partner have exceeded the £50,000 threshold for the first time during the last tax year (2020-21) then you must act. Where both partners have an income that exceeds £50,000, the charge applies to the partner with the highest income.

Taxpayers who continue to receive child benefit (and earn over the relevant limits) must pay any tax owed for 2020-21 on or before 31 January 2022. The child benefit charge is charged at the rate of 1% of the full child benefit award for each £100 of income between £50,000 and £60,000. For taxpayers with income above £60,000, the amount of the charge will equal the amount of child benefit received.

If the High Income Child Benefit charge applies to you or your partner it is usually worthwhile to claim Child Benefit for your child, as it can help to protect your State Pension and will make sure your child receives a National Insurance number. However, you still have the choice:

to keep receiving child benefit and pay the tax charge or
elect to stop receiving child benefit and not pay the charge.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs| 03-01-2022

Self-certified sick notes

6th January 2022 by fpdteam

The statutory sick pay rules were temporarily amended on 17 December 2021. The amendment allows employees to self-certify for a period of 28 days, in place of the normal 7 days. This measure has been put in place to help free up capacity in the NHS and allow GPs to spend more time focusing on the coronavirus booster rollout as well as other impacts brought on by the latest Omicron fuelled coronavirus wave.

The arrangements will remain in place for all absences that begin on or before 26 January 2022. The arrangements also apply retrospectively for any continuing periods of absence which started between 10 and 17 December 2021. The self-certification period is set to return to seven days for any absences beginning on or after 27 January 2022. GPs will continue to be required to supply medical evidence known as, fit notes, for periods of absence exceeding 28 days.

The current rate of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is £96.35 per week for up to 28 weeks. To qualify for SSP, an employee must meet the necessary eligibility requirements. Employers cannot pay less than the SSP but may pay more if they have a sick pay scheme.

Source:HM Government| 03-01-2022