SME Tax News

HMRC have updated their Tax Agent Handbook in anticipation of the introduction of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) when logging into Agent Accounts.  

HMRC have released new guidance on what happens if an unregistered or suspended tax adviser interacts with HMRC. Further guidance has also been released on what advisers can do if they disagree with HMRC's decision about their registration. 

In HMRC v MR Currell Limited [2026] EWCA Civ 445, the Court of Appeal (CoA) agreed with an Upper Tribunal (UT) decision which ruled that a loan to an Employee Benefit Trust was not taxable as earnings.

In Gerrit Wals v HMRC [2026] TC09855, the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) found that late filing penalties could not apply to voluntary Self Assessment tax returns, for which HMRC had not issued a notice to file. 

In Mr Nwaneri v HMRC [2026] TC09844, the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) found that Mr Nwaneri was not entitled to deduct travel and subsistence expenses claimed in his Self Assessment returns and that inaccuracies in those returns were deliberate, such that HMRC's amendments and penalty assessments were upheld. 

In Jonathan Wood v HMRC [2026] TC09849, the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) found that payments made to various Brexit leave campaigns were intended to confer a gratuitous benefit and were therefore 'transfers of value' for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes. 

HMRC have published the research paper, 'Research to understand customers’ views on tax adviser authorisation'. It found that most customers reported using authorised tax advisers for three or more services, highlighting the complexity of the tax system. Surprisingly, only about half of the respondents could list the benefits of using multiple agents, but more could list drawbacks.