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The government announced at Budget 2025 that dividend income, property and savings income, will be subject to new tax rates. These changes will be legislated for through the Finance Bill 2025-26 and will be phased in between April 2026 and April 2027. Dividend income From April 2026, most dividend income will be subject to higher rates of tax. The ordinary and upper dividend tax rates will each increase by two percentage points, rising to 10.75% and 35.75%, respectively. The additional rate will remain unchanged at 39.35%. Property...

The new rules will allow companies to raise more capital under the following schemes although investors will need to factor in reduced VCT Income Tax relief when assessing opportunities. The Venture Capital Trusts (VCT) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) are designed to encourage private investment into trading companies. Both schemes help support business growth while at the same time encouraging individuals to fund these companies. A number of changes to the schemes were announced at Budget 2025 and will apply from 6 April 2026. The...

The June 2025 reforms introduce a £35,000 income limit for keeping the Winter Fuel Payment, with HMRC recovering the payment from those above the threshold. The WFP is a tax-free payment provided by the government to help older people keep warm during winter. The amount of the payment depends on individual circumstances but ranges from £100 to £300. The amount you receive depends on a number of factors including your age and the age of other people living with you. Pensioners whose taxable income exceeds £35,000 will still receive payment but...

Agricultural and business property relief changes that were first announced at Autumn Budget 2024 will come into effect from 6 April 2026. These measures will introduce significant reforms to Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR), which provide Inheritance Tax (IHT) relief on qualifying business and agricultural assets. These measures have faced significant criticism for their potential impact on small farms and rural communities. From April 2026, a new £1 million allowance will apply to the combined value of...

The 2027 reforms will shift more responsibility to personal representatives, who may need to manage withholding arrangements and settle any IHT before pension benefits are released. From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits will be included in IHT, meaning that more pension assets could be taxed when someone dies. This is a major change from the current rules, which largely exclude these funds from IHT. Individuals with significant pension savings should review their estate plans carefully. Under the new rules,...

From 6 April 2026, new tax rules will expand workplace benefits relief. The changes will simplify the treatment of certain low-value workplace benefits-in-kind (BIKs), affecting both employers and employees. The changes extend existing exemptions for eye tests, flu vaccinations and home working equipment to include reimbursements, aligning them with current provisions for direct supply. Under current law, employers can provide these benefits tax-free, but reimbursements were excluded. The upcoming changes will ensure that reimbursed expenses...

Accountants often see the impact that excess stock has on a business long before the business owner realises what is happening. Over-stocking drains cash, fills storage space, increases waste, and restricts flexibility at key moments. Many business owners still treat high stock levels as a sign of strength, yet in practice it is one of the most common and avoidable pressures on working capital. By helping clients understand how to optimise their stock, accountants can add real value and improve day-to-day decision making. A good starting point...

Many businesses regard their overheads as fixed, predictable, and largely outside their control. In reality, an overhead audit often uncovers costs that have risen quietly, services that are no longer used, and processes that have gone unchallenged for far too long. Carrying out a structured review of overheads can make a surprising difference to cash flow, operational efficiency, and long-term resilience. The first step is gathering recurring costs in one place. Software subscriptions, insurance, utility bills, telecoms, outsourced services,...

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has raised its savings guarantee for bank deposits, increasing the deposit protection limit from £85,000 to £120,000 per person. This change came into effect on 1 December 2025 and marks a significant increase in how your bank deposits are protected in the UK. This new deposit protection limit ensures that qualifying UK bank and building society depositors are covered if their bank fails. The FSCS compensation limit is reviewed periodically by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)....

HMRC has published a new Making Tax Digital newsletter. This newsletter is mainly intended for taxpayers and agents who are currently testing the Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) system. MTD for IT will become mandatory in phases from April 2026. For nearly two years, HMRC has been stress-testing its MTD for IT systems to ensure they can support increasing numbers of volunteer taxpayers. So far, HMRC has confirmed that testing has successfully deal with: The sign-up process works for individuals and agents, including those...