Eligible couples may be able to increase their tax-free Personal Allowance to £13,830 by claiming Marriage Allowance and backdating their application. Claims can be backdated for up to four years, potentially resulting in a tax rebate of up to £1,260. To qualify, one partner must earn below £12,570, while the other must be a basic...
Changes to inheritance tax relief announced in the October 2024 Budget are causing concern among farming groups. From April, agricultural property relief and business property relief will be capped at £1m per estate, with assets above that level subject to a 20% effective IHT rate. Although the Government has since increased the combined relief threshold...
A record 66,587 buy-to-let companies were formed in 2025 — an 8% rise on the previous year and the highest figure in a decade. In total, there are now 443,272 active buy-to-let companies, five times more than in 2016. The shift reflects frozen income tax thresholds and higher mortgage rates, which have reduced profitability for...
The Government’s proposed visitor levy could add more than £100 to the cost of UK holidays, prompting criticism from business leaders and politicians. Opponents argue the levy would increase costs for families and potentially discourage tourism. Hospitality firms have expressed concern about the impact on competitiveness and consumer demand. The proposal forms part of wider...
Companies taken private from the London Stock Exchange are increasingly using borrowing to fund dividend payments to private equity owners. Over the past five years, $2.7bn in debt-funded dividends have been paid. Industry analysts say debt-for-dividend strategies are becoming more common as investors seek cash returns. However, such arrangements are typically more sustainable in businesses...
Household energy bills are expected to rise over the coming years after Ofgem approved major investment in the UK’s energy infrastructure. The funding will be used to upgrade electricity networks and gas pipelines, supporting future demand and renewable energy projects. While the regulator says the investment should reduce long-term costs by improving efficiency, consumers are...
HMRC has lowered the interest charged on late self assessment tax payments, reducing the rate from 8% to 7.75%. The change reflects the link between late payment interest and the Bank of England base rate. Taxpayers who miss the 31 January deadline still face fixed penalties, followed by daily charges and further percentage-based penalties if...
The Financial Conduct Authority has opened a consultation on a new regulatory framework for crypto-assets, aiming to align them more closely with rules that apply to traditional financial products. The proposals are based on policy plans first published in 2023 and would bring crypto-assets under FCA supervision in a similar way to shares and other...
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has proposed new measures to strengthen protections around client money held by law firms. Under the plans, firms would be required to submit all accountants’ reports directly to the regulator and provide an annual declaration confirming compliance. This approach was previously in place until 2014, after which only reports highlighting concerns...
In FS Capital v Adams (2025 EWCA Civ 53), the England and Wales Court of Appeal ruled that transactions carried out by FS Capital Ltd were void because they constituted a breach of three insolvent Jersey trusts that held substantial loan assets. The transactions cut out the beneficiaries and diverted the assets to a company under...
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Copyright by CareAccountancy. All rights reserved.
