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Treasury coffers swell from IHT bills – even before imminent reforms set in


Reforms to Inheritance Tax were arguably among the most contentious measures that Rachel Reeves announced during her Autumn Budget.

We’ve seen farmers staging significant protests in London regarding changes to how agricultural properties are taxed when it comes to IHT.

But it seems that IHT receipts are rising swiftly even before any of the proposed changes can take effect.

Compared to the same half-yearly period last year, the Treasury took in £0.6bn extra in April to November 2024. That’s according to new figures released by
HMRC.

With these…

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Stamp Duty tax receipt trends revealed in new reports

Among the changes we saw at Budget 2024 related to Stamp Duty – the tax you pay when you buy a new
property.

And a raft of new statistics has been released in the last couple of weeks, suggesting a significant trend downwards in terms of the amount of money the
Treasury is receiving from this form of tax in the last couple of years. But on the flip side, other figures show signs of an increase in the later part of
2024.

The higher rates…

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Tax compliance rules for charities to change

Plans to change tax compliance rules for charities are moving forward, as the new Government picks up proposals for
reform to prevent misuse.

The previous Government had created proposals to prevent donors from obtaining a financial benefit from their contributions and stop wrongful use of charitable investment
rules.

The changes also included introducing sanctions for charities failing to meet their filing and payment obligations.

After a widespread consultation receiving responses from charities, law firms, businesses and other bodies, the new Government has announced it will move ahead with the plans,
though…

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Christmas company parties – cause for cheer

With Christmas soon arriving, you may be planning a festive party for your employees or on behalf of the company you work for.

It sometimes surprises people to hear that your business can benefit from a tax-free allowance for throwing a yuletide bash.

You can spend up to £150 each year per employee for holding a Christmas party and you do not have to pay tax or national insurance on this.

The party must be open to all employees. For those of you with a business operating at multiple sites, HMRC…

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Changes to Alternative financing tax rules

Tax rules for individuals and companies using alternative finance are to change. The Government released plans for reform on the day of
the Autumn Budget, with the aim of simplifying the tax treatment of alternative finance and, in particular, refinancing arrangements.

The objective of the policy is to “ensure a level playing field across conventional and alternative of finance,” the Government said.

In the policy paper, officials noted that these changes will ensure “where an existing asset is used as a means to raise finance using alternative finance, the tax…

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Capital Gains: Investors’ Relief limit cut among changes revealed

One of the headline areas of tax reform in the Autumn Budget surrounded Capital Gains Tax. With rates altered by the Chancellor,
it was one of the areas which attracted the most focus.

Since Rachel Reeves’ speech, the full details of the Budget have been released. As is always the case after a Chancellor’s Budget speech, many more details are subsequently published.
In this case, more changes around CGT have emerged.

This included rules on Investors’ Relief (IR), which has had, up until now, a lifetime limit of £10 million of…

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Millionaire business owners: increase CGT to raise £14bn

As Budget day inches ever closer, one of the leading topics at the heart of speculation continues
to dominate the headlines. Namely, Capital Gains Tax (CGT).

With many tax rises ruled out by Labour (Income Tax, NI, VAT) since the General Election campaign began, and since confirmed by the new Chancellor, there
have been few areas left that could be tinkered with whilst raising the kind of cash that the Treasury purportedly needs to raise.

We’ve heard the £22bn so-called blackhole in the public finances referenced by Ministers many times…

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Many possible changes could be arriving for IHT

Gifting rules look like they could be a target as one of several options to reform Inheritance Tax (IHT)
and raise extra revenue for the Treasury.

As speculation builds around potential changes to IHT in the upcoming Budget, many tax commentators are expecting significant shifts in some key areas.

Gifting rules, particularly the “seven-year rule,” which allows individuals to gift assets tax-free if they pass away 7 years or more after the gift is made, is
reportedly one area that could be in the sights of the Chancellor. It means…

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Changes to high earners for Self-Assessment

Anyone who earned between £100,000 and £150,000 in the 2022-23 tax year should have received a letter from HMRC
regarding changes to the requirements to fill out a Self-Assessment Tax Return for 2023-24.

Those with income within this range and who are purely paid through PAYE have been required to submit a tax return up until now. But the threshold is rising to £150,000
for 2023-24, as HMRC officials are highlighting to taxpayers in recent weeks.

So, now those with income between £100,000 and £150,000 will not have to complete…

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New rules for businesses on employee hours data delayed

New rules for businesses surrounding submitting data about employees’ hours through the tax system are to be
delayed by a whole year, HMRC has announced.

Two sets of new draft regulations laid out the way businesses will have to change the information they provide to the tax man through both Income Tax Self-Assessment
(ITSA) and PAYE (Pay As You Earn) real-time returns.

The new requirements were set to take effect in April 2025. But employers will have an extra year now to prepare for the changes, with the date…

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