Lots of new guides, updates and re-writes, as usual these are detailed below so scroll down.

For subscribers: I am going "back to basics". This week I want to flag up our Travel guide for the self-employed. This re-write is essential reading; we have summarised some recent and, slightly conflicting decisions from the Tax tribunal for you.

We have also re-written parts of Working from home, this is to clarify what approaches might be taken in trying to determine a sensible calculation for useage.

I could not resist a bit of "tabloid tax" in the form of the latest WikiLeaks scoop too. This might see the publication of the names of offshore account holders.

Best wishes

Nichola

Nichola Ross Martin FCA
Tax Director

www.rossmartin.co.uk
Your online Virtual Tax Partner: practical support for accountants, tax advisers and their clients


News and FREEview

WikiLeaks to unlock Swiss banking secrets
Bank details of politicians, corporations and multimillionaires, or not?

Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
NEW: summary of the rules including a recent ruling on connection.

Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes: changes
New rules came into effect on 1 January 2011.

Tax penalties: DOTAS
These penalties are separate from the new tax penalty and compliance regime.

Employer-Financed Retirement Benefits Scheme (EFRBS)
UPDATED: for Finance Bill 2011 proposals.

New guidance: dealing with clients & HMRC
The main tax bodies have issued updated guidance: this might be aimed at their members but it contains some valuable advice for one and all.

Guides and updates

For PAID subscribers (because you are so special :)

Top tips on tax? Don't miss out, one tax guide a day keeps the taxman at bay.

Travel (self-employed)
NEW: a complete re-write, essential reading if you advise the self-employed.

Working from home (self-employed)
UPDATED: we have partially rewritten our classic tax guide to clarify some aspects of measurement of useage.

Selling the business: deferred consideration and earn outs
UPDATED: the 2010 changes to Entrepreneurs' Relief moved the goalposts. This is a handy quick guide and overview of the different tax consequences for the seller.

Can I charge my company rent for use of my home?
UPDATED: yes you can, but read this first.

CGT: Main Private Residence Relief
UPDATED: this is so topical that we have added a "quality of occupation" checklist.

DOTAS: are you an introducer?
NEW..and why does it matter?

Furnished Holiday Letting
UPDATED: new loss rules from 2011/12 and new measures from 2012/13


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More Guides and Updates

Materiality and tax penalties
NEW: a tricky topic.

NIC holiday for new employers
A new note: guidance on what is a new business.

iXBRL: a guide for advisers
NEW: we have been reviewing software, what are you using?

Finance Act 2011: tax planner
CPD powerbooster: our rolling planner summarises what is new in tax and what is expected in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and it links to our detailed guidance on each topic.

Joint property elections
Including a note on transfer of legal title and beneficial ownership.

Tax penalties: failure to make a return (late filing)
UPDATED: what applies and when - links to old and new penalties for SA, CT and CIS.

Tax penalties: self-assessment late filing
NEW: a quick guide to the penalties that apply for 2009/10 returns.

Entertaining: the double tax trap
NEW: a quick guide for directors

Entertaining: employee expenses
NEW: a quick guide for employers

Gifts & trivial benefits
UPDATED: all change we have some new trivial benefits and of course changes in the VAT rules.

CIS: penalties
UPDATED: this is an invaluable guide to the old rules v. new rules, transitional arrangements, workings and much more.

Staff parties and annual functions
Planning the Christmas party? Read on.

2011/12 tax rates and allowances
New rates and allowances published

Practical Tax Toolkits (part freeview)

Our Practical Tax Toolkits include tax planning tips and advice, essential reading for advisers:

Toolkits for the self-employed
This includes our Tax Healthcheck

Toolkits for companies
From compliance to associated companies to profit extraction.

Samples (freeview)

Property profits & losses: toolkit
NEW: this is our re-write of HMRC's toolkit, unsurprisingly we go into rather more detail on what you can claim!

Directors' loan accounts: toolkit
UPDATED: our popular version of HMRC's toolkit with a new section on NICs, for advisers.


Some more of our favourites

Interest Relief: Loan to Buy an Interest in a Close Company
NEW: part of our directors' series. Pay close attention to a company's activities in these changeable times.

What are earnings for NICs purposes?
NEW: part of our employers' series. Essential know-how for anyone wondering how they can avoid NICs.


Close Companies: Transactions in securities
A summary of the changes and guidance with particular emphasis on ESC C16.

Tax on leaving payments
At a glance guide to this difficult topic...More

Company cars
UPDATED for tax cases on shared ownership & provision of car to a spouse, new section on car schemes and NICs refunds on motoring allowances.

Property profits and losses
What expenses to claim, capital allowances and links to our new practical tax toolkit...More

Is it a trade or a business?
Practical back to basics for advisers, great for tea time reading...More

Pool cars
A quick guide for employers. There is no taxable benefit to an employee when a company car qualifies as a pool car.

Can I back-claim capital allowances on residential property?
An explanation of the ins and outs of our complicated capital allowances regime...More

Surplus cash CGT & IHT Relief and ESC C16
A company has large cash surplus: how does this affect Entrepreneurs' Relief, Business Property Relief, and what about Transactions in Securities?...More

Unlawful, illegal or ultra vires dividends
A look at the tax treatment for directors and shareholders...More

Goodwill and the intangibles regime
An explanation of rules for connected party trades straddling 1 April 2002. Can you apportion goodwill?

Pensions: tax planning guides
New rules from 2011 restrict tax relief on inputs.

An adviser's guide to Settlements
Tax anti-avoidance rules: crammed full of examples, planning points and pitfalls, together with a summary of the leading tax cases.

Adviser's Tax Penalty Planner
New late filing penalties for CIS, SA and CT are all due to start this time next year. Have you discussed them with your clients and changed your letters of engagement?

 

Share based incentives (part freeview)

EMI: checklist
This does what it says on the wrapper.

Designing an EMI share option scheme
Need some help? Please ask for details.

Share scheme basics for small companies FREEVIEW
While company values are low a share scheme can be a very tax efficient method of rewarding staff. We explain the basics of an unapproved share scheme.

Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) FREEVIEW
A share option scheme is ideal for smaller companies.


 

Buying and selling businesses

Capital Gains Tax: Entrepreneurs' Relief
UPDATED: for Finance (No 2) Act, a succinct guide for OMB advisers with planning points, pitfalls, worked examples.

Capital gains reliefs: disposal of business assets
What relief to use where and how to incorporate a business.

Selling the business: where do I start?
A guide for you to discuss with your clients.

How to value a business
An adviser's guide that explores the different methods used for valuing private companies with worked examples.

Purchase of own shares – out of capital
Our unique guide explains the fiddly bits.

Tax planning for 2010/11
This is a rolling update for advisers

The Advisers' Guide to the PAYE Fiasco

Our one-off special contains:

  • A Summary of guidance to give to clients who are affected by PAYE by under or over payments
  • PAYE deadlines
  • ESC A19
  • Overpayment relief
  • NIC deadlines
  • Links to LITRG

Virtual Tax Partner

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