How to break up big tech? Regulating technology companies is more easily said than done February 20, 2020 Over the last few years, the public perception of technology companies has shifted quite dramatically. Large tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon are no longer the darlings of the world. They are attracting the same kind of ire that financiers attracted a decade ago. At the political level, this translates into a broad [...]
The clock is ticking: Why it’s time to address IR35 February 5, 2020 There has been a lot of noise around IR35, the updated government intermediaries legislation. Generally, it seems to be leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths. And that’s the trouble with some taxation changes: their interpretation and intent can be tarnished with a negative brush. Instead of fuelling the current conversation, is it time to [...]
Watch out for IR35, the tax rule that could ruin your business January 31, 2020 If you haven’t yet heard of IR35, the controversial tax rule, it’s time to start learning. The rule, designed to limit tax avoidance through “disguised employment”, already means that off-payroll workers who would otherwise be deemed directly employed are taxed at the same rate as employees. But from April the law changes: it will be [...]
Thanks to improving tech, tax collectors are no longer the bad guys January 31, 2020 “If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street. If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat. If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat. If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.” Thus warbled four rockstars from Merseyside. As rebellious as it was melodic, Taxman would become the first track on [...]
The taxman cometh: 6 tips to help you complete self-assessment tax return January 29, 2020 This Friday marks the end of a process that many have found divisive, emotionally draining, expensive, and time-consuming. No, I’m not talking about Brexit. Friday 31 January is the deadline for completing your self-assessment tax return — the bane of existence for freelancers, the self-employed, and anyone who earns extra income outside their basic salary. [...]
For businesses relying on EU tax directives, what happens after Brexit? January 23, 2020 | City Talk Businesses are currently eager to know what shape any post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU will take and what tariffs or other barriers might apply to goods and services. However, when considering financing operations and investment abroad, businesses also need to look at the EU tax directives that facilitate cross-border financing flows. A repeated question [...]
OECD tells UK to ‘hold fire’ on new tech giants tax January 22, 2020 The UK has been told by the OECD to “hold fire” on a new tax on big technology companies planned for April. The secretary general of the organisation, which is tasked with brokering a global compromise on the issue of tech giants not paying enough tax, said there would be the risk of “a cacophony” [...]
Chancellor’s Budget on 11 March – to tax or not to tax January 17, 2020 | City Talk Having inadvertently set a record by having a year without a Budget, the first time this has happened since the introduction of income tax, the Chancellor’s choice of Wednesday 11 March, rather than “February” as stated in the election campaign, gives the busy Treasury a little more time to work up the ideas that were [...]
EY TaxChat: making Self Assessment quick, easy and cost effective January 17, 2020 | City Talk According to HMRC, 11.5m UK taxpayers were required to complete a Self Assessment return in 2019. EY research¹ shows that many worry about getting something wrong if they do it themselves (33 per cent) and find the process complicated and time consuming (15 per cent). A further 12 per cent also said they can’t afford [...]
A tourist tax like Edinburgh’s could be the answer to London’s funding squeeze December 12, 2019 London is one of the most-visited cities on the planet. These visitors bring investment, diversity and vibrancy — and their numbers are rising. By 2025, London is projected to attract over 40m overnight visitors a year, up from 31m in 2016. But while the tourism industry is a boon to the national economy and employment, [...]