Back to school – help with childcare costs
As children have returned to school, HMRC is reminding parents that they may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) to help pay for breakfast and after school clubs.
The TFC scheme can help parents of children aged up to 11 years old (17 for those with certain disabilities). The TFC scheme
How dividends are taxed
The dividend tax allowance was first introduced in 2016 and replaced the old dividend tax credit with an annual £5,000 dividend allowance. Tax was payable on dividends received over this amount. The tax-free dividend allowance was reduced to £2,000 with effect from 6 April 2018 and remains fixed at
Do you qualify for the marriage allowance?
HMRC is using the wedding season to issue a reminder to married couples and those in civil partnerships to sign up for marriage allowance if they are eligible and haven’t yet done so.
The marriage allowance applies to married couples and those in a civil partnership where a spouse or civil partner
Using Advisory Fuel rates
The easiest way to ensure that no car-fuel benefit charge (for private journeys in a company car) is payable, is to use the advisory fuel rates published by HMRC to repay any private fuel costs to your employer. The advisory fuel rates are intended to reflect actual average fuel costs and are
Tax relief on replacement of domestic items
The replacement of domestic items relief has been in place since April 2016. The relief allows landlords the ability to claim tax relief when they replace movable furniture, furnishings, household appliances and kitchenware in a rental property. The allowance is available for the cost of domestic
Business records if self-employed
If you are self-employed as a sole trader or as a partner in a business partnership, then you must keep suitable business records as well as separate personal records of your income.
For tax purposes, the business records must be held for at least 5 years from the 31 January submission deadline
Applying for Marriage Allowance
The marriage allowance can be claimed by married couples and those in a civil partnership where a spouse or civil partner does not pay tax or does not pay tax above the basic rate threshold for Income Tax (i.e., one of the couples must currently earn less than the £12,570 personal allowance for
Joining the MTD ITSA pilot
Some businesses and agents are already keeping digital records and providing updates to HMRC as part of a live pilot to test and develop the Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA). Under the pilot, qualifying landlords and sole traders (or their agents) can use software to
Tax credits renewal deadline reminder
31 July 2022 is the final day for families and individuals that receive tax credits to tell HMRC about any changes to their circumstances or income and to renew their tax credit. As in previous years, there is likely to be a huge last-minute rush and it may be difficult to contact HMRC by phone.
Childcare top-up to cover summer activities
As the school holidays fast approach, many parents face having to organise extra school holiday childcare over the summer months. Working families can use the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme to help if they have children aged up to 11 years old (17 for those with certain disabilities).
The TFC