HLAS

In Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) v HMRC, the First-tier Tribunal (FTT) concluded that football referees engaged by PGMOL were not employees for tax purposes. The decision followed a long procedural history, including appeals up to the Supreme Court, and focused on the correct application of employment status principles. PGMOL provides referees for professional football matches. HMRC argued that match officials should be treated as employees, meaning that PAYE and National Insurance contributions should have been applied to match fees. The case had already been considered by multiple courts. The Supreme Court confirmed that when a referee accepted a [...]

NEW R&D TARGETED ADVANCE ASSURANCE SCHEME HMRC have introduced a targeted advance assurance service for Research and Development (R&D) tax relief claims. The service, which is a pilot, aims to provide Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) with clarity on complex or high-risk areas before a claim is made. The new targeted scheme is open to any SME wishing to obtain HMRC’s assurance in any of the following areas: Whether the project meets the definition of R&D for tax purposes. Whether overseas expenditure qualifies for relief. Whether the company can claim R&D relief where work is contracted by one company to [...]

For taxpayers required to submit a self assessment tax return, new boxes on the 2025/26 employment page form will require the following information for each directorship held by an individual: If the company was a close company; The company’s name and registration number; Dividends the taxpayer received from the close company during the tax year; and The highest percentage shareholding that the taxpayer held during the tax year. A penalty of £60 may apply for failing to provide the required information. It is therefore important that you notify us of each directorship that you held during the year. In light [...]

On 21 May 2026, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, announced ‘Great British Summer Savings’, a package of measures aimed at cutting costs for families, particularly those with children. The following two measures are of particular importance to businesses: TAX-FREE MILEAGE RATES A 10p per mile increase in tax‑free mileage rates will apply in the 2026/27 tax year, backdated to April 2026. The increase relates to the amount per business mile driven that attracts tax relief and affects both employees and the self-employed. HMRC’s mileage rates guidance has been updated as follows: For the self-employed: Vehicle Flat rate per mile for [...]

€3 fixed customs duty will apply Starting 1 July 2026, a fixed customs duty of €3 will be applied to small parcels valued at less than €150 exported to the EU. The rate will be applied to all goods exported to the EU by non-EU businesses that are registered in the EU’s Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) for VAT purposes. Whether the rate will also be applied to goods sold by traders that are not registered in the IOSS remains under review. The new fixed customs duty is a temporary measure that will stay in place until a permanent solution to [...]

Passkeys may provide stronger protection than traditional 2SV The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) announced at CYBERUK 2026 in Glasgow that it will begin recommending the use of passkeys wherever a service supports them, and two-step verification (2SV) where it does not. A passkey is a way to sign in that does not use a password. Instead, your account is linked to a device you own, such as a phone or computer. When you log in, the service asks your device to confirm it is you, and you approve this by unlocking the device with a fingerprint, face scan or [...]

Farmers and other red diesel users to also benefit The government have announced some fuel duty and road tax changes which are designed to assist with the increased costs caused by the Middle East conflict. A 5p fuel duty cut has been in place since March 2022. The relief was due to end between September this year and March 2027. It has now been confirmed that the cut will be extended until the end of the year. Hauliers are being given a 12-month road tax holiday. The normal annual charge of £600 for a typical heavy lorry and £912 for [...]

ICO publishes final guidance The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published final guidance on the new ‘charitable purposes soft opt-in’ provision introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. The provision means that charities can send direct marketing by electronic mail, including emails, texts and direct messages on social media, to people who have expressed an interest in or offered to support to an organisation’s charitable purpose, without needing to obtain consent first, providing strict requirements have been met. The new guidance sets out how charities can use the provision and the safeguards they need to put in place. [...]

Originally proposed in last autumn’s Budget, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have introduced a targeted advance assurance service for Research and Development (R&D) tax relief claims. The service, which is a pilot, aims to provide businesses with clarity on complex or high-risk areas before they make a claim. HMRC are now offering two types of advance assurance for R&D claims. The new service will run alongside the existing full claim advance assurance service. Full claim advance assurance has not been popular and only applies to companies that are claiming R&D tax relief for the first time. However, targeted advance assurance [...]

No extension to statutory due dates when they fall on weekends or bank holidays Incorrect advice provided by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other websites is contributing to a growing trend of late VAT return filing and payment. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are reminding VAT-registered businesses that there is no extension to the statutory due dates when they fall on weekends or bank holidays. HMRC’s systems do allow for VAT returns to be submitted at weekends or on bank holidays. However, if a business cannot do that, then the return must be submitted by the last working day before the [...]