News

HMRC may not have as many friends as it claims to have ‘customers’, but is it value for money? In the United States, there has been considerable media attention on DOGE, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, spearheaded by Elon … Continue reading →

The government has confirmed that there will be no revisions to automatic enrolment in workplace pensions for 2025/26. For a government facing an investment shortfall following a £40 billion tax increase, the figure of around £3,000 billion represented by pension … Continue reading →

The start of the new tax year warrants as much planning as the end of the old tax year. While the end of the tax year on 5 April is a major focus of tax planning, it doesn’t end there. … Continue reading →

How to fund social care has once more moved into the political spotlight. It is the turn of the year. The health secretary of the relatively new Labour government announces a commission to review the financing for long-term care of … Continue reading →

The Chancellor has announced the timing of her next formal report to Parliament. Cast your mind back six Chancellors ago to Philip Hammond (aka Spreadsheet Phil). In autumn 2016, Hammond announced a change to the timings of Budget announcements, with … Continue reading →

One of the nation’s largest investment managers has examined investors’ attitudes in the UK relative to other major developed G7 nations with interesting results. Personal wealth distribution Housing Pension Cash Bonds Shares and funds Life assurance Other UK 50% 19% … Continue reading →

The end of January was not only the deadline for personal tax returns but also marked a new tax era for online sellers. In the first month of 2025, online trading platforms such as eBay, Airbnb and Vinted had to … Continue reading →

The Budget brought inheritance tax (IHT) into the news headlines, but its impact is not well understood. Mark and Hannah have an estate valued at £1.25 million, including their jointly owned home worth £400,000. Like many couples, their wills leave … Continue reading →

A recent survey has raised questions about retirement readiness. One of the world’s largest investment managers, BlackRock, recently published its latest review of the UK’s retirement landscape. The work was based on a survey of 1,000 savers in defined contribution … Continue reading →

National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has been busy reducing its interest rates in recent months. NS&I has roots going back to 1861, when Gladstone, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, launched the Post Office Savings Bank. NS&I’s latest quarterly results show … Continue reading →

As 2025 gets under way, it is once again the time of year to start considering your tax year-end planning The early months of the year are the time to undertake year-end tax planning. Unsurprisingly, the traditional drivers have been … Continue reading →

The latest Budget move to count pensions as part of your estate for inheritance tax (IHT) is a major change, with potentially significant consequences. At present, most pension benefits payable on death, whether lump sums or other income, are outside … Continue reading →

The long freeze on student tuition fees in England has come to an end. Do you know what the RPIX is? You might guess it’s related to inflation given that RPI is the Retail Prices Index. But what does the … Continue reading →

The impact of the Budget’s increases in national insurance contributions (NICs) are not limited to employers. There were three main changes to employer’s NICs announced in the Budget, all of which will take effect from April 2025: The secondary threshold … Continue reading →