Newsletter 62

Headlines from our latest newsletter.  Please click on any of the links below for more information :

THE AUTUMN STATEMENT
On 5 December George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons.

CHANGES TO VAT ONLINE SERVICES
HMRC have announced various changes to their online services including the introduction of the VAT online registration service which was promised earlier this year.

HMRC CLOSE IN ON ‘TAX CHEATS’
HMRC have launched an advertising campaign warning ‘tax cheats’ to declare all their income before it is too late.

HMRC ANNOUNCE LATEST TARGETS
HMRC have launched new taskforces to tackle ‘tax cheats’

UPDATED APPROACH TO BUSINESS RECORDS CHECKS
HMRC have announced an updated approach to business records checks.

VAT REGISTRATION THRESHOLD NO LONGER DUE TO THOSE NOT ESTABLISHED IN THE UK
A decision in the European Court of Justice has confirmed that only businesses established in a Member State can benefit from its domestic VAT registration threshold.

PARTIES FOR EMPLOYEES
With the season for office parties fast approaching we thought it would be a good idea to remind you of the tax implications.

SIMPLER HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched an online 'Health and Safety Toolbox' aimed at smaller, low-risk businesses.

MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE LEAVE AVAILABLE TO PARENTS
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced that parents will be able to share up to 12 months leave after the birth of a child from 2015.

PAYROLL RTI SYSTEM ‘UNREALISTIC'
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has warned that the RTI reporting system will be ‘at best unrealistic and at worst impossible’ for small employers.

IMPROVING GENDER DIVERSITY IN BOARDROOMS
The CBI commented on proposals from the European Commission, aimed at achieving a better gender balance in the boardrooms of some European companies.The proposals apply to companies listed on stock exchanges in EU's Member States.

PROPOSAL TO REMOVE RED TAPE ON BUILDING EXTENSIONS The government has announced proposals to make it quicker and cheaper to make improvements to homes and business premises.