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A quick guide to recent additions to the HM Revenue & Customs website.Week ending 6 JulyWhat’s new?Notice that the HMRC SDLT CD-Rom is to be discontinued once current stocks have been exhausted;Negligible Value list updated to June 2007;Notice that a problem which prevented employers with PAYE references beginning with a zero from using the online agent authorisation facility to authorise their agent has been fixed;Updated Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) ... Continue Reading

The Financial Times has today reported that unpaid taxes could be seized directly from people’s bank accounts without a court order, under proposals drawn up by HMRC to deal with late payments by hundreds of thousands of businesses and individuals every year.HMRC currently pursue more than 200,000 taxpayers through the courts every year. They believe that the existing system is expensive and allows defaulters enough time to put their assets out of reach before an order is made. New ... Continue Reading

The Court of Appeal has dismissed HMRC's appeal against the decision of the High Court in a case concerning agency workers' entitlement to statutory sick pay (SSP).In Commissioners for HMRC V Thorn Baker Limited and others ("Thorn Baker"), the decision of the High Court (given on 14 July 2006) that SSP is not payable to agency workers whose contract with the agency is for a specified period of three months or less, still stands. However, in response to the Court of Appeal decision, ... Continue Reading

HMRC have advised that a letter is currently in circulation, which claims to be from them, and asks for personal information from taxpayers employed outside the UK.The letter is accompanied by a bogus copy of form P86 (Arrival in the United Kingdon), and asks for personal bank account details.These documents have not been issued by HMRC.The letter, form, and fax number that the taxpayer is being asked to send the information to, are all fake, and people are being warned not complete any information.An ... Continue Reading

HMRC have issued a statement which is aimed at helping individuals decide whether to pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance Contributions.The Pensions Bill received its second reading in the House of Lords on 14 May 2007. When the Bill becomes law it will reduce the number of qualifying years needed to qualify for a full basic State Pension from 39 for women and 44 for men to 30 years for those reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010. There is no change to the number of qualifying years ... Continue Reading

Julie Butler, FCA, highlights a potential VAT problem for farmers. VAT 'hit team' Are you prepared for the VAT 'hit team'?It is considered by many that a decade ago the preparation of the farm VAT Return was a relatively easy affair.  The income was virtually all agricultural and therefore zero rated and most of the VAT on expenses could be reclaimed.The new century has seen a lot of change – more cottages available for let, barns converted to residential and commercial ... Continue Reading

Matthew Hutton MA, CTA (fellow), AIIT, TEP, Editor of Monthly Tax Review, highlights some topical capital gains tax issues affecting trusts. Matthew HuttonContextThe following were among some interesting points made at the 7th Annual LexisNexis Tolley Tax Planning with Trusts Conference 2007 in London on 16 May 2007.CGT: Trustee residenceProfessional attention is being focused on new s 69(2D) REPLACE ed into TCGA 1992 by FA 2006, with effect from 2007/08.  A trustee who is not UK resident is ... Continue Reading

HMRC officers investigating a suspected multi-million pound VAT fraud have made 10 arrests during a series of nationwide raids.Following an 18-month investigation into a complicated missing trader VAT fraud ("carousel fraud"), a total of 20 premises were searched in the co-ordinated dawn raids. The investigation involved a large scale, complex missing trader intra community (MTIC) VAT fraud involving a sophisticated network of individuals, companies and bank accounts. Those arrested are ... Continue Reading

HMRC have confirmed that new advisory fuel rates for company cars will apply from 1 August 2007.The revised rates are as follows:Engine size  Petrol Diesel LPG 1400cc or less 10p 10p 6p 1401cc to 2000cc 13p 10p 8p Over 2000cc 18p 13p 10pCustoms will also accept the figures in the table for VAT purposes although though employers will need to retain receipts in line with current legislation.LinkHMRC: Fuel Advisory Rate ... Continue Reading

It appears that "essential upgrades" which closed the HMRC online agents services earlier this week, have temporarily “culled” client lists.This morning a TaxationWeb visitor reported that he had lost all but three clients from his list. Subsequent discussions with HMRC's Electronic Business Unit revealed to our visitor that this is not an isolated issue - in the operator's opinion, it has affected all agents. Indeed, throughout the morning, more and more agents have ... Continue Reading