HLAS

During the COVID pandemic the government relaxed the conditions to enable those working from home to be paid £6 a week tax free by their employer, or, where that was not paid by the employer, they could claim relief for £6 a week against their employment income for a tax refund from HMRC. Those relaxed rules applied for 2020/21 and 2021/22. Many employers and employees may not be aware that from 6 April 2022 the rules reverted to the strict statutory position. Employees can claim tax relief if they have to work from home under a homeworking agreement, for example [...]

The Royal Mail have added barcodes to their regular stamps. After 31 July 2023, regular stamps without a barcode will no longer be valid. You can either use up these stamps before this deadline or swap them for the new barcoded ones. The stamps that are changing are the stamps that will be very familiar to you. They feature the profile of Her Late Majesty The Queen on a plain coloured background. Your non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through the Stamp Swap Out scheme. See: Know where your old stamps are? | Royal Mail Group [...]

With all of the changes to personal pensions in the Spring Budget, maximising the State Pension entitlement should not be overlooked. The full rate of new State Pension increased to £203.85 per week (£10,600 pa) from 6 April 2023; a 10.1% increase over the 2022/23 rate, as a result of the “triple lock” being restored. At least 10 qualifying years are required to get a UK State Pension, with full State Pension entitlement at 35 qualifying years. Individuals should log into their Government Gateway account to check their contribution record as they may be entitled to credit for missing years, [...]

A new online Midlife MOT has been launched to help older workers with financial planning, health guidance, and to assess what their skills mean for their careers and futures. The free Midlife MOT website encourages people to review their skills and help to break down barriers to the labour market. It brings together trusted services, help such as a jobseeker toolkit, and charity resources. It will allow people to identify job opportunities across the UK as well as better preparing them for later life and their retirement. The website signposts to key organisations and charities, including the NHS, Mind, MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice, [...]

Listed below are some HMRC webinars that will give the self-employed an understanding of key taxes that affect them and also help employers with payroll. The webinars are free and last around an hour. Webinars for the self-employed: Capital Allowances for the self-employed Tue 18 Jul at 9:45am Record keeping for the self-employed Tue 18 Jul at 11:45am How to apply the VAT reverse charge for construction services Tue 18 Jul at 1:45pm Residential property income for individuals - an introduction Fri 21 Jul at 11:45am Residential property income for individuals - expenses, and deductions Fri 21 Jul at 1:45pm [...]

The Insolvency Service has launched a new online information hub to support company directors. The hub hosts guidance and information on a range of business themes commonly faced by companies and aims to help company directors to push their business forward by being more aware of potential pitfalls. It is specifically designed for directors of micro, small, and medium-size limited companies, although it will also be useful to others. Directors of limited companies, unlike sole traders, must comply with certain statutory obligations. These can range from hairdressers and builders with their own companies to directors of mid-sized companies in the IT [...]

It's up to employers how they recruit for their organisation. There are no set processes that are required by law. But employers must follow a fair process and certain laws that apply throughout the whole recruitment process, including discrimination and data protection. Employers should also follow good practice and any policies their organisation might have on recruitment and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Recruiting new employees is administratively cumbersome and economic conditions mean there are fewer applicants, so now is the time to be a little “different”! For example, some employers are now offering “Wellbeing leave” in addition to the usual [...]

According to the Institute of Customer Service’s (ICS) most recent UK Customer Satisfaction Index more companies have declined in service than improved. In 2021 and 2022, customer satisfaction with complaint handling showed a steady improvement but this has now stalled and other areas of customer satisfaction that are predictive of business performance, such as measures of a company’s emotional connection with its customers, their customer ethos, and ethics, have also declined. ICS chief executive Joanna Causon comments, ”We are seeing a greater polarisation in customer satisfaction performance, with some companies pulling away from the pack and others alas falling considerably [...]

The Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) is the professional membership body representing and supporting the interests of everyone involved in importing, exporting, and international trade. The IOE&IT has launched a £5 million Export Support Programme to help UK businesses. The programme will provide exporters with a bespoke package of training and consultancy to reflect their circumstances and needs. The support package has been put together by industry experts, considering the most common and difficult obstacles faced by SMEs wanting to export. See: IOE&IT Export Support Package | Get Started In Trade

The UK advertising rules (known as the ‘CAP Code’ and ‘BCAP Code’), apply to businesses based in the UK and everyone who markets or advertises their business in ‘UK media’, from a sole trader right through to a global conglomerate. These rules help ensure consumers are treated fairly, and that businesses benefit from a level playing field. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has created a new resource especially for small businesses. The resource is made up of a collection of materials to help businesses understand advertisement  rules and how best to follow them. Topics include how to avoid misleading consumers, [...]