Personal Tax
Company motorbikes - a two-wheeled tax trap?
You’ve taken on a youngster as a general assistant for your business. The role includes making local deliveries for which your firm provides a motorbike. This could trigger unexpected tax and NI charges. What steps can you take to avoid them?
Can flipping properties create unwelcome tax bill?
You’re planning to purchase a cheap property, refurbish it and eventually sell it on for a hefty profit. You’ve been told that as long as you live in the property, the gain is tax free, is this correct?
Mortgage interest: don’t miss out on unused relief!
You own a buy-to-let property and need to report your profits for 2024/25. You have a mortgage, but your calculations show that the tax reducer will exceed the rental profit. Will the excess go to waste?
Shifting private residence relief to maximise tax saving
Last year you bought a second home which has increased in value. Meanwhile your main home has devalued. How can you use a tax election to obtain loss relief for one property while exempting the gain on the other?
The Deputy Prime Minister, SDLT and a tale of woe
You can’t have missed the recent furore surrounding the apparent tax dodging exploits of Angela Rayner. The issues involved might seem remote for most taxpayers, but are there lessons to be learned for all of us?
Can paying interest to your company save tax?
You recently borrowed a substantial sum of money from your company rather than take extra salary or dividends. Your bookkeeper says it might be more tax efficient if your company charged you interest. This sounds counter-intuitive but is it correct?
How long does a capital loss last?
You’ve made a large capital gain from a recent sale. Capital losses can reduce the amount on which you have to pay tax but the losses you have date back decades and weren’t reported to HMRC. Is it too late to claim tax relief for them?
HMRC scrutinising directors’ loans
HMRC has begun a new compliance campaign targeting company directors who owed their companies money. What’s the full story, and how should you respond?
Making a main residence nomination
Where you have more than one home, you can choose which is the main residence for capital gains tax purposes. What factors should you consider when making the choice and when can a nomination be made?
Capital gains tax break for job-related accommodation
You’re in the process of selling a property that you bought as your home but because of your job have never lived in. You’ve been told that you’ll have to pay tax on any gain you make, but might a special relief get you off the hook?
Increase the IHT-free part of your estate by 50%
Your father died leaving his entire estate to your mother who later remarried. You’ll inherit some or all of her estate depending on whether she dies before her husband. What steps can be taken to reduce the inheritance tax (IHT) on the estate?
Avoid the trading allowance trap
In late 2024 you became self-employed. You’re now completing your tax return for 2024/25 and will claim the trading allowance instead of a tax deduction for business expenses. Could this impact your NI record and state pension entitlement?