Why VAT Needs a Fresh Look The UK’s Value Added Tax (VAT) system, first introduced in 1973, has become increasingly complex. With thousands of exceptions and outdated thresholds, businesses often find compliance time-consuming and costly. A VAT reform is long overdue—not just to simplify administration, but also to ensure fairness and efficiency for both small...
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) can be a confusing area, especially when dealing with run-down or damaged properties. A recent Court of Appeal ruling in the case Mudan v HMRC ([2025] EWCA Civ 799) brings important clarity to the residential SDLT rules, especially regarding properties in poor condition at the time of purchase. Background to...
The England and Wales High Court (EWHC) has ordered the tenant of a London property to pay GBP851,000 in rent to his landlord, despite the tenant’s claim that payment would be illegal because the landlord is a designated person under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The EWHC agreed that, while regulations 12 and...
The amount of inheritance tax (IHT) collected by HMRC continues to rise rapidly, reaching £ 6.7 billion in the 2022/23 tax year, some 12 percent higher than the 2021/22 figure. One in every 21 deaths resulted in an IHT charge, equal to the previous high of 2016/17 before the residential nil-rate band was introduced. The...
HMRC has launched an enforcement campaign targeting tax agents who claim repayment of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) because the property needs extensive repairs, is uninhabitable, and therefore not liable to residential SDLT. HMRC’s stance is based on the recent England and Wales Court of Appeal decision in Mudan v HMRC (2025 EWCA Civ 799), which agreed with...
Several probate research firms have urged the government to tighten up security on unclaimed estates before considering republication of the Bona Vacantia list. The list was withdrawn from public view on 7 July 2025, after a BBC investigation suggested it was being exploited by organised criminals to obtain grants of representation over estates containing unoccupied property...
Copyright by CareAccountancy. All rights reserved.
Copyright by CareAccountancy. All rights reserved.
