Marriage might be an unlikely winner from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ controversial first budget. Whilst there have been no changes to inheritance tax allowances, more assets, most notably unspent pension funds on death, will be included in estates for inheritance tax purposes in future. This means that unmarried couples who might not have seen the value …
Cuts to interest rates are a key financial news theme in 2024 and we don’t expect that to change in 2025. Many central banks across the world are looking to reduce interest rates as inflation figures slowly return to normal. It is often heralded as great news for mortgage borrowers, but what about investors? Financial …
For a tax return, particularly for those with complex financial affairs, having comprehensive and accurate data is crucial. Here is a list of the most important information and documents you will need: Personal Information National Insurance Number: Your unique identifier for tax and benefits purposes. Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR): Your personal tax reference number. Personal …
Gifting is the act of giving money (or a ‘chattel’) to someone for nothing in return. It’s common for people to do this occasionally for family members, but there are specific tax rules to remember, especially concerning inheritance tax (IHT). Here are some key points to consider: Annual Exemption: Each tax year, you can gift …
Now we know that Labour will be in government for the next five years, we’ve reviewed their Manifesto promises to see what might be in store from a personal and business finance perspective. How closely they stick to it and what else might be in store will only be revealed in the forthcoming months, but …
Filing your accounts early doesn’t mean you have to pay your tax early. It just means you know how much you will need to pay, and that offers a number of advantages. Here are some compelling reasons why it might be a beneficial move: 1. Improved Financial Planning and Analysis Filing early provides more time …
The 2023/24 tax year is coming to an end on April 5th, so you don’t have long left to use your various allowances – in particular your Capital Gains Tax allowance. This is especially important this year as your Capital Gains Tax allowance is being cut from £6,000 to £3,000 from April 6th. So what …
The end of the tax year is fast approaching, so now is the time to act to make sure you’re not paying more tax than you have to. One of the best ways to do this is to maximise your pension contributions. Contributing to your pension is one of the most tax-efficient ways to save …
Between April and November 2023, HM Revenue & Customs collected £5.2 billion in inheritance tax (IHT) payments. That’s £400 million higher than in the same period last year, according to official figures. The IHT threshold is currently £325,000, or £650,000 for a married couple. So if your estate is worth more than this amount, you …
Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has delivered his Autumn Statement, and we wanted to keep you informed about what has just been announced. We’ll provide more detailed insight over the coming days, but for now, here are the main headlines. Taxes Employee National Insurance to be cut from 12% to 10% from January …
