Insights

If your company is involved in research and development (R&D), the Government’s R&D tax credit incentive could provide a valuable source of tax relief. What exactly is R&D, why is the tax relief so beneficial and what costs qualify for this under-utilised tax relief?

If you’re an entrepreneur, you could consider New Year’s resolutions for your business. Here are a few suggestions to think about.

It’s safe to say that most business owners would like more time for themselves and more money from their business. It’s becoming apparent that most businesses can achieve this through the use of digital solutions software and the automation it provides.

Let’s face it, selling a business is often the most important deal a business owner will ever be involved with, so it’s vital to get the right support to achieve a successful outcome.

We're proud to be named as national runner up for the British Chambers of Commerce Workplace Wellbeing Award. The 15^th Annual Chamber Business Awards took place on 28 November 2018 at a gala dinner at Tobacco Dock in London.

Larking Gowen was one of nine ‘Early Bird Herd’ firms challenged to raise £3,500 by January 2019, as part of next year’s Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice. We can announce today that we’ve smashed that target, raising over £4,700, and well before the deadline.

HMRC’s annual report shows that real cash collected from investigations has fallen from £10.34 billion in 2016/17 to £10.33 billion in 2017/18.

Staff at Larking Gowen have raised almost £2000 for charity, at their Big Night Out 2018.  The money has been donated to East Anglian Air Ambulance, whose air crews, rapid response vehicles, and paramedics were called out 2,725 times last year.

Larking Gowen Corporate Finance remain top of the league and have been ranked joint first in the latest report from Experian Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). The team have advised on twelve deals for the East of England making them one of two firms ranked as the most active financial advisors in the East of England.

Larking Gowen has joined businesses across the region to support ‘Inspiring Women’ – an initiative by the East Anglian Daily Times to honour 100 inspirational Suffolk women, as part of celebrations marking 100 years of votes for women.

New rules on pricing transparency for solicitors have been published, and come into effect on 6 December 2018. The rules have been put in place following recommendations from the Competition and Markets Authority. Firms that fail to meet the requirements could face disciplinary action.

Larking Gowen LLP is delighted with the announcement that Norfolk ProHelp has secured significant funding, as well as new sponsorship. Norfolk ProHelp provides free professional and strategic advice to charities and community interest groups throughout Norfolk.  Julie Grimmer, Partner at Larking Gowen LLP, acts as voluntary Chair for the organisation.

New data shows that HMRC’s tax take has been bolstered by more successful investigations into individuals and SMEs. The investigation units that focus on those small businesses and individuals collected £16 extra in taxes for every £1 spent on their investigatory staff in 2016/17, up on the £15 collected the year before.

A recent accountancy survey highlighted that 60% of college and university students can’t explain terms like: ISA, bonds, shorting, hedge funds, index tracker fund and derivatives.

Rotarian John Button of the Ipswich East Rotary Club (pictured on the right in photo above) has received the award of Event Organiser of the Year from Community Action Suffolk. Community Action Suffolk champions community action in Suffolk by supporting the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in its work

When it comes to personal tax, there are always issues that get us accountants excited (well relatively!). Three current hot topics are: Claiming for tax deduction of clothing, Making Tax Digital (MTD) and VAT campaign  reduce the VAT rate in the hospitality and tourism industries.

The trust registration service (TRS) last year caused all sorts of issues. So, we’re disappointed that the scope of the existing Trust Register is to be extended in 2020 by yet another EU directive.

In my recent blog, Solicitors and SAR audits – common problems, I discussed some common problems I’d noticed in this year’s SAR audits. Here, I’ll discuss how to tackle other key issues.

Given the current political situation and the furore caused by the removal of the Business Asset Taper Relief (BATR) in 2008, it may be a surprise if Capital Gains Tax Entrepreneurs’ Relief (ER)  is abolished next week. However, don’t rule out some tinkering with the existing rules.

We previously reported that from 1 April 2019, VAT registered businesses with a turnover above the VAT registration threshold (currently £85,000) will be required to keep digital records, and submit their VAT returns via the Making Tax Digital for Businesses (MTDfB) system.

Changes have been introduced to the annual allowance for pension contributions. This change has had significant impact on medical practitioners who are contributing to the NHS scheme.

I hadn’t given it much thought until last year but, up until about 2011, the Default Retirement Age (DRA) was 65 for men and 60 for women. The ending of the DRA, and the requirement for age equality, has had a significant impact on older workers. The exception is for those lucky enough to be able to retire early due to having a significant pension pot!

Like many businesses, you’ve been filing your VAT returns online and have kept your records in line with HMRC requirements. However, HMRC are changing those requirements and introducing Making Tax Digital (MTD).

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) collected £832 million in extra tax through investigations into inheritance tax, charitable donations and trusts last year. This shows how HMRC are approaching non-compliance from all possible angles and, as a result, almost all taxpayers are at risk of investigation from the taxman.

The scenario is a common one: Mr Smith owns some rental properties. During a tax year he wanted to buy a new home for himself. He raised the funds by remortgaging one of his rental properties. The interest charged on the new loan was claimed as a deduction against his rental income.

As another season of Solicitors Accounts Rules (SAR) audits draws to a close, I’ve observed some trends and key problem areas that keep cropping up. In this blog and my next, I’ll discuss how to avoid or overcome these common problems.

East Anglian based chartered accountants, Larking Gowen, is proud to be announced regional winner of the Workplace Wellbeing Award in the British Chamber of Commerce ‘Chamber Business Awards 2018’, it has been announced today.

HMRC recently held a consultation requesting views on the proposed introduction of a reverse charge mechanism to combat VAT fraud in the construction sector.  Following its conclusion and analysis of feedback, HMRC have published draft legislation in the form of a Statutory Instrument, which will become section 55A of the VAT Act 1994 with effect 1 October 2019.

Eight runners from MHA Larking Gowen entered the Great East Half Marathon, which took place in Ipswich on Sunday.

The dedicated team ran the gruelling course raising money for Elmer’s Big Parade Suffolk in aid of St Elizabeth Hospice, which supports people with a progressive or terminal illness.

It may seem obvious but selling shares in a company will generate either a gain or a loss, which means you need to think about Capital Gains Tax. Calculating the capital gain on shares sales is very straightforward.