The Guardian falls into taxing spot on Google January 25, 2016 Of all the hand-wringing and outrage over Google’s £130m tax payment, some of the most vociferous has come from everyone’s favourite loss-making publication the Guardian. An opinion piece from firebrand Labour MP Margaret Hodge appeared on the paper’s website calling the gesture from Google “pitiful”, while resident cartoonist Martin Rowson published a doodle depicting George [...]
Bargain property prices and a laid-back lifestyle are luring Brits to St Lucia January 25, 2016 Famous for its lush beauty, St Lucia is luring investors looking for fabulous beaches and a laid-back lifestyle. Property prices here took a tumble after the 2008 crash and, according to the Global Property Guide, are almost unchanged in the past three to five years. It also states that St Lucia property is 40 to [...]
With Sarah Palin backing him and the polls tightening, will Donald Trump win the Republican nomination? January 21, 2016 Ed Bowsher, senior analyst and joint output editor at Share Radio, says Yes. Donald Trump will probably win the Republican nomination. He’s leading nearly all opinion polls, with 37 per cent support among Republican voters, according to HuffPost Pollster. Granted, the mainstream Republican party will eventually coalesce behind one relatively moderate candidate, most likely Marco Rubio. [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Green Party candidate Sian Berry defends plans to demolish London City Airport January 20, 2016 Sian Berry wants to multiply the number of Londoners walking, cycling and using public transportation – and she has no shortage of suggestions for how to make that happen. The Green Party candidate for mayor of London backs Crossrail, expanding Overground services, building more segregated cycle lanes and extending the so-called Mini-Holland town centre schemes [...]
From stamp duty to capital gains: The buy-to-let market has been hit by 14 tax changes in four years December 30, 2015 Thought buying a home was complicated? Spare a thought for landlords, who, it turns out, have been hit by 14 changes to the way they're taxed in the past four years, according to KPMG. Yep: from that 15 per cent hike to stamp duty for properties held within a corporate envelope, way back in the mists [...]
How much tax do you have to pay on a partridge in a pear tree this Christmas? December 22, 2015 It's the question you all wanted to know the answer to. If you were going to give your true love a partridge in a pear tree, and the rest, what are the tax liabilities? How much would the taxman make, and are the gold rings deductible? Well, with the help of the Institute of Chartered [...]
Where to invest in buy-to-let properties for the best rental and capital yields: Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff and north west versus London December 15, 2015 Buy-to-let investors worried there may be a bust coming can breathe a sigh of relief, for the moment at least – new figures show little sign of new measures such as a hike in stamp duty and mortgage interest tax relief putting a dampener on things. "If a buy to let bust really was just [...]
Why the war on buy-to-let will make the UK housing crisis worse December 10, 2015 Landlords sighed with relief at the Conservative victory in the General Election in May. Faced with the threat of rent controls from the Labour Party, they had looked forward to a government that accepted the importance of the rental market, and supported its development while properly targeting the crooks renting out sub-standard accommodation. But [...]
London Assembly committee calls on Treasury to hand stamp duty over to Mayor December 10, 2015 The London Assembly's Regeneration Committee has a strong message for the next Mayor: lobby for stamp duty devolution to secure sustainable funding for the city's transportation. With London's population expected to grow to 10 million by 2030, the Committee says that increased transport is key to accommodate the growth. More funding would go toward developing [...]
Australia’s investing millions to create a tech boom as mining declines December 7, 2015 Australia will invest millions in an attempt to create a new tech boom, as mining in the country declines. An AUS$1.1 billion (£534m) package of measures designed to encourage entrepreneurship and new business includes reduced capital gains tax for startups, income tax rebates for retail investors and immigration changes to hire talent. "The mining boom, [...]