We should all get behind this wealth tax Opinion A wealth tax is once again rising up the agenda as Andy Burnham prepares to enter Downing Street. The tax is remarkably popular. YouGov polling last year found 75 per cent of Brits would be in favour of the introduction of a wealth tax, with only 13 per cent opposed. There are three clear reasons [...]
Tom Kerridge: No good restaurant has ever been run by accountants Hospitality No good restaurant or pub has ever been run by accountants, celebrity chef Tom Kerridge told City AM as he pushes for a VAT cut for hospitality firms. The TV personality and restaurateur has spearheaded lobbying efforts for the government to slash VAT for hospitality companies, a move which he says would offer the struggling [...]
UK ‘no longer a serious place’ says Hedge fund boss after losing £200m tax battle Tax Hedge fund Bluecrest Capital Management, founded by the UK’s wealthiest financier, said the UK is no longer “a serious contender” as a place to do business after it lost a £200m battle with the tax man, in a ruling that could now leave the wider hedge fund and professional services industries facing a hefty bill. The [...]
Streeting tax policies could cost the Treasury nearly £8bn June 29, 2026 Adopting Wes Streeting’s plans to hike capital gains tax could cost the Treasury billions of pounds and lead to a reduction in retail investment, new analysis suggests. Last month, Streeting, who is reportedly in the running to succeed Rachel Reeves as Chancellor should Andy Burnham enter No 10, proposed that capital gains tax (CGT) should [...]
Top Burnham adviser calls for capital gains and inheritance tax hikes June 28, 2026 Andy Burnham’s top adviser has called for capital gains and inheritance tax to be hiked and the fiscal rules to be loosened so the government can borrow billions. Ex-transport secretary Louise Haigh, who led Burnham’s Makerfield campaign and is set to take a senior position in his Cabinet, is also pushing to dismantle the Treasury. [...]
King Charles to publish tax bill for ‘transparency’ June 21, 2026 The King is to become the first head of state to reveal their personal tax bill to help enhance transparency around royal finances. Charles will publish his financial details as his royal household seeks to increase “clarity and accessibility” around the monarchy’s finances by producing a new report on the subject. The decision by the King, [...]
LLPs remain under watchful eye – especially from the taxman June 18, 2026 Despite dodging Budget day taxes, the UK’s limited liability partnership (LLP) model is still facing intense scrutiny, this time from HMRC, which just had a good result from the top court this week, writes Maria Ward-Brennan. The LLP model, used by professional services such as law firms and accountancy firms, came into force 25 years [...]
HMRC secures £190m VAT appeal win against Bolt June 17, 2026 HMRC has won an appeal against ride hailing platform Bolt over how it calculates and pays its VAT, overturning previous decisions that had ruled in favour of Bolt. This follows an appeal hearing last month brought by the tax authority, which had questioned whether Bolt could use the tour operators’ margin scheme (TOMS). Under this [...]
Private equity-backed Ryan breaks with billable hour tradition as AI reshapes sector June 9, 2026 Private equity-backed tax specialist Ryan says its value-based pricing is built for the age of AI, unlike competitors that depend on traditional hourly billing. Most of the professional services sector operates under the billable-hour system, in which the specific amount of time spent working on client tasks can be invoiced. But the rise in AI [...]
£4.5bn black market cigarette tax loss should be ‘a major wake-up call’ for Labour June 4, 2026 Over half of cigarettes smoked in the UK are black market and are contributing £4.5bn to the country’s tax losses – a record high – according to new analysis from KPMG and tobacco giant Philip Morris. The findings show that 1.5bn more black-market, tax-free cigarettes were consumed by UK smokers last year compared to 2024, [...]