All Tax and legislation articles – Page 47
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Article
David Heaton: What is on your wish list for the Budget on 21 March?
My wish list is about making life simpler for employers. All governments want to make life simpler for business: they cannot offer tax cuts, so they try to make the tax collection process as painless as possible.I would offer the following ideas:Realign the starting threshold for employer and employee national ...
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Article
Office of Tax Simplification publishes recommendations for employee share schemes
The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published a report on employee share schemes, recommending the removal of the approval process for sharesave schemes, share incentive plans (Sips) and company share option plans (Csops).The Review of tax-advantaged employee share schemes also recommends merging the current enterprise management incentive (EMI) and ...
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Article
Rangers Football Club awaits ruling in employee benefits trust tribunal as it enters administration
Rangers Football Club has entered administration as it awaits the verdict in an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax tribunal, which concerns its use of an employee benefit trust (EBT).An EBT is a discretionary trust used for the benefit of employees. The Scottish football club used EBTs to pay players’ ...
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Article
EXCLUSIVE: Freshfields saves tax and NI through salary sacrifice
Law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has saved its staff £2 million in tax and national insurance over the past 12 months through salary sacrifice, and has revamped its flexible benefits.This message was used in a poster campaign around the annual enrolment period for its Benefits Plus plan. Jackie Palmer, senior ...
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Article
Reed Group loses tribunal appeal on salary sacrifice arrangements
Twelve Reed Group organisations have lost an appeal in a case that concerned the tax treatment of travel and subsistence payments to staff.The scheme was set up by way of a salary sacrifice arrangement.The case, in the First Tier Tribunal, concerned payments made between January 2001 and April 2006 to ...
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Article
Police Arbitration Tribunal supports pay overhaul
The Police Arbitration Tribunal has backed major changes in police officers pay, as recommended in Tom Winsor’s Independent Review of Police Officer and Staff Remuneration and Conditions.The recommendations include a suspension on bonuses, two-year freeze on police officers moving up incremental payscales, and curbs on overtime pay.Paul McKeever, chairman of ...
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Analysis
International reward: Tax-efficient benefits across Europe
If you read nothing else, read this …Understanding local regulations and culture is key to knowing which employee benefits can be offered in the most tax-efficient way and be of most value to staff.Multinational organisations often find sharesave schemes work well as a tax-efficient benefit across Europe.Economic uncertainty across Europe ...
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Article
Simplyhealth publishes guide on tax implications of healthcare benefits
Simplyhealth has published a guide for employers about the tax implications of providing healthcare benefits to staff.The guide, Taxation implications for company-paid healthcare, explains tax implications for both employers and employees. It covers insurance premium tax, national insurance contributions, income tax, corporation tax, and value-added tax.Howard Hughes, head of business ...
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Article
Government will not abolish tax relief for late-night taxis
The government has changed its mind on withdrawing the tax relief for late-night taxis.In October 2011, the government tasked the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) with identifying all the tax reliefs, allowances and exemptions, for employers and employees, and review what should be done with them.The OTS recommended that the ...
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Article
High Court rules index switch for pensions is lawful
The High Court has rejected a claim by public sector unions that the government’s decision to switch from the retail prices index (RPI) to the consumer prices index (CPI) for future pension increases was unlawful.The judicial hearing began on 25 October 2011 to challenge the switch, which was announced by ...
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Article
Autumn Statement 2011: Government looks to overhaul red tape on employment issues
The government is to look into overhauling red tape around several employment issues.In the Autumn Statement 2011, Chancellor George Osborne announced that it is to look at whether, and how, a rapid resolution scheme could be introduced as an alternative to the current employment tribunal process to provide quicker, cheaper ...
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Article
Autumn Statement 2011: Income tax personal allowance to rise to £10,000
As announced in the Budget in April 2011, income tax personal allowance will increase to £8,105 in 2012-13.In the Autumn Statement the government announced further real terms increases in subsequent years towards the goal of a £10,000 personal allowance.Read more news from the Autumn Statement 2011
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Analysis
Employee Benefits/Xexec voluntary plans and tax-efficient benefits supplement 2011
Download a PDF of the Employee Benefits/Xexec voluntary plans and tax-efficient benefits supplement 2011 Voluntary benefits: Top of the perksVoluntary benefits: Give workers what they really wantVoluntary benefits: Savings are worth the sacrificeVoluntary benefits: VAT ruling is a taxing matter Read more articles on voluntary benefits
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Case Studies
Tax-efficient step for Foot Anstey
Plymouth-based law firm Foot Anstey launched a new benefits package in November 2010 with the aim of offering staff a wide range of benefits as efficiently as possible.Jo Redgrave, head of HR, says: “It was important to be able to do it in a tax-efficient manner, both in saving costs ...
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Article
KPMG research: UK turns corner on corporate tax competitiveness
The UK has turned a corner on its corporate tax competitiveness, according to research by KPMG.The 2011 UK Tax competitiveness survey, which polled 50 large UK organisations, claimed that the improvement is driven by reforms to the taxation of foreign profits and the government’s commitment to making the UK tax ...
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Article
Government sets out next steps for merging income tax and NI
The government has published a paper setting out its next steps for the merging of income tax and national insurance (NI).The paper summarises the results of the call for evidence, and explains the principles that the government will apply when considering options for reform.As set out in the paper, the ...
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Article
Taxman urges employers not to refer to employees as 'unknowns'
Employers are clearly not as in touch with their workforce as they claim to be as data sent to HM Revenue and Customs shows.In 2009/10, more than 500 PAYE forms incorrectly claimed to employ A N Other, 128 staff were entered as Mr, Ms or Mrs Dummy, and 40 employees ...
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Article
Economists call for 50% tax rate to be dropped
Leading economists have called on the government to ditch the 50% tax rate for high earners.†In a letter, signed by 20 economists, including DeAnne Julius, chairman of Chatham House and former member of the Monetary Policy Committee, and Bob Rowthorn, professor of economics and fellow of King’s College, University of ...
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Article
News analysis: The taxman rides again
Opinions are divided over how new VAT rules for benefits offered via salary sacrifice will affect perks such as bikes for work, says Nicola SullivanDebate is raging over how employers and employees will be affected by the new ruling on applying VAT to benefits offered through salary sacrifice. Last month, ...
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Article
Employers urged to consider the legalities of managing workers' pay after riots
Employers need to consider the legal implications of making changes to workers’ pay and managing their return to work following the riots to avoid disputes.Law firm Eversheds said that employers will have to pay employees absent from work because of the riots, unless there is a specific clause in an ...