After deferring your state pension for a few years you have decided that it’s now time to take it. You have the option of a higher pension or a lump sum. The latter offers the chance of some tax planning but what’s involved? Kevin Ferguson advises. Deferred state pension As you may know, the government...

The new five rate Scottish tax system has thrown up some problems since it was introduced, this time it’s a twist in the way that Marriage Allowance works. Some people will lose, whilst others will gain, but how can you work out which group you’re in? Brona MacDougall takes a closer look. As you will...

As you might have seen in the news recently, The Supreme Court has upheld earlier decisions confirming an individual’s claim that he was a ‘worker’ and not self-employed. But what are the tax and NI consequences of this ruling? Joanne Gibson discusses the Pimlico Plumbers case and its decision on employment status. The long-running and...

Inheritance Tax could potentially cost your loved one’s hundreds of thousands of pounds, yet it is possible to dramatically reduce this or even to pay none at all. Brona MacDougall our Senior Tax Manager provides you with some superb advice for effective IHT planning. Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax on the estate of someone...

The new Scottish tax rates left taxpayers pretty confused over how they would work with tax relief for pension contributions. What are HMRC saying about this? Kevin Crowford takes a closer look. When the new Scottish five-tier tax rates were announced there was no mention of how this would fit in with the UK three-tier...

You are looking to incorporate your business and you’ve heard that any resulting tax charges can be legitimately mitigated. However, there is tax to pay as Kevin Crowford shows in his latest blog. Undoubtedly one of the main reasons for transferring a sole trader business to a company in which you own shares is tax...

As an employer, you’ll be aware of the increasing number of obligations when employing and looking after your staff.  But this also has an impact on employing casual workers too, Kevin Ferguson looks at the Tax do’s and don’ts of employing casual workers. You will probably know from experience that these days employers must not...

With more changes than you can shake a stick at, this is article includes a summary of the new Scottish Tax rates and bands which come into effect on 6 April. The Scottish Government Budget announced new Scottish Income Tax rates and bands for the 2018 to 2019 tax year. These were confirmed on 20...

Taking control of our personal finances is a resolution that is definitely worth keeping this year. Kenny Logan provides you with 10 top tips on how to make more of your money, all it will cost you is a bit of time and effort. If you resolved to get fit, learn a new skill, quit...

If you are the Director of a company, you will know that the taxation of dividends and benefits in kind has changed quite significantly in recent times. So, if you are considering taking more income from your company, which option should you choose for maximum tax efficiency? But before we do that, let’s look at...