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Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2026 Tax Update. In this issue we take a look at upcoming changes to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, working from home expenses, benefits in kind, e-invoicing, advisory fuel rates and dates on the Accounting Horizon. MAKING TAX DIGITAL FOR INCOME…
HMRC warns of rising Self Assessment scams ahead of January deadline HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued a warning about scams ahead of the 31 January Self Assessment deadline. According to HMRC, more than 4,800 Self Assessment scams have been reported to them since February 2025. In all, they…
Self-Assessment: A Reminder That You Can Spread Your Tax Payments With the festive season underway and household budgets feeling the pressure, it may be useful to know that if you are worried about paying your tax bill in one lump sum, you may be able to spread the cost. Although…
A legal landmark was reached last week as the Property (Digital Assets etc) Act received Royal Assent. The new law confirms that certain digital assets – including cryptocurrency tokens and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – can now be formally recognised as personal property in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland,…
Inheritance Tax (IHT) can apply to certain lifetime transfers/gifts and also on the value of an individual’s estate at the time of death. The IHT nil rate band is £325,000, with an additional £175,000 ‘residence nil rate band’ available in some cases for leaving the family home to direct descendants.…
Dividend Tax Rates Rising in April 2026:What Does It Mean for Profit Extraction? The recent Budget confirmed that dividend tax rates will increase from April 2026. The ordinary and upper rates of dividend tax will both rise by 2%. For many small and medium-sized companies, dividends are central to how…
What Happens Next? The government has announced plans to introduce a new levy, the High-Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS), for owners of residential properties in England valued at £2 million or more. The surcharge is expected to come into effect in April 2028. A public consultation on the details will…
On 26 November 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented her second Budget to Parliament. After the tax-raising budget of 2024, it had been hoped by the government that widely applicable tax increases would not be required again in 2025. However, with economic pressures continuing to apply, tax increases have been announced…
HMRC Reminds Seasonal Sellers to Check Tax Obligations As the festive season approaches, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is urging anyone who earns money from Christmas crafts, seasonal market stalls, or selling festive items to check whether they need to report their earnings for last year. HMRC’s ‘Help for Hustles’…
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is writing to some taxpayers to tell them what they need to do to get ready for the new Making Tax Digital rules that come into force next April. What is Making Tax Digital? Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is a new way for…