Buying newlyweds a crypto present is still the best gift January 8, 2021 In the recent past (I couldn’t tell you when exactly because the last ten months have destroyed my conception of time and my place on this planet), a good mate of mine got married. He is male and is called Adam and his wife is female, but not called Eve. He’s not your usual investor, [...]
Will Europe’s smaller companies deliver big returns? January 7, 2021 European equities have been largely unloved by investors for some time, having lagged their global peers over the past decade: the MSCI Europe ex UK Index has grown by circa 6% pa whilst the MSCI World Index is up circa 11% pa. European smaller companies have fared markedly better than their large cap counterparts however, [...]
Individuals rush to sell assets as capital gains tax bill rockets to £10.1bn December 23, 2020 The UK’s capital gains tax (CGT) bill has hit £10.1bn, up more than fourfold from £2.5bn a decade earlier, prompting people to sell their assets. Despite the increase of nearly £7.5bn in a decade, more CGT could be demanded from the taxpayer. The Office for Tax Simplification recently recommended the Chancellor increase CGT rates in [...]
UK companies are cheap: the smaller the cheaper December 11, 2020 UK stocks have lagged their global peers, but is the stage set for a change of fortune? Many investors in UK stocks have looked on enviously at the super-sized returns that global stocks, and US stocks in particular, have been able to deliver over recent years. That all changed this month. As of 18 November, [...]
Jacob Rees-Mogg tells Rishi Sunak that raising taxes will cost Tories next election December 7, 2020 Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned Rishi Sunak that he will cost the Tories the next election if he raises taxes next year in what could be the start of a cabinet row. The Leader of the House of Commons said on his Moggcast podcast last night that raising taxes would damage the UK’s economic recovery and [...]
Exclusive: Government offshoring customs jobs to prep UK firms for Brexit December 3, 2020 A government grant programme is paying for overseas workers to help British logistics firms prepare for Brexit. A loophole in the HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) £50m grant programme means taxpayer funds can be given to train overseas workers as long as their company has a UK base. The Customs Grants Scheme, which is being [...]
France pushes EU to go for no-deal Brexit if UK does not make late concessions December 2, 2020 France is reportedly pushing the EU to go for a no-deal Brexit, before restarting trade talks next year, if the UK does not make significant concessions in the coming days. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is in London today for in-person negotiations with UK Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost and his team. Barnier also held [...]
Exclusive: Capital gains tax on French properties to soar for UK residents post-Brexit December 2, 2020 UK residents with a second home in France will have to pay substantially more capital gains tax on property sales starting from next year when Britain leaves the Brexit transition period. French tax authorities confirmed today that UK residents will no longer benefit from the EU exemption from a social levies tax and will need [...]
The best medicine for the Covid economy? Tax reform December 1, 2020 In last week’s Spending Review, the scale of the economic challenge facing Britain was made unequivocally clear: the worst drop in GDP for centuries, unprecedented peacetime borrowing, and lasting scarring effects on productivity and the labour market. The chancellor is keen to stress that these problems will require a concerted response in the years ahead. [...]
Think short-term for lockdown but not for investing November 25, 2020 The UK’s second lockdown means everyone’s winter plans have been torn up and thrown away. Even seemingly modest weekend activities – going to a museum, meeting a friend for lunch – are now off the table. As many of us learnt during the first lockdown, the trick is to focus on what is possible in [...]