Re-mortgaging is not so straightforward for the self-employed, Kenny Logan takes a closer look.     The rising trend for self-employment now equates to more than 10 per cent of the employed population in the UK. Given the fact that there are now 4.6 million self-employed people in the country, you might think that lenders would...

As you will be aware, the proposed increase in National Insurance paid by the self-employed has now been shelved. Whilst this U-Turn is to be welcomed, the announced reduction in the tax-free dividend allowance will affect those who run their own companies, Julie Robertson takes a closer look. The Chancellor had announced in the Budget...

It can’t have escaped your notice that business owners who pay themselves dividends on top of a small salary are being hit hard by the Budget. If you are in receipt of dividend income in excess of £2,000 the reduction in dividend tax allowance will mean that you will be facing higher tax bills. The...

The questions surrounding the issue of how best to extract profits from a company in a tax-efficient manner remain as popular as ever, in fact something we advise on often. Despite the introduction of the dividend allowance, and the personal savings allowance, extraction by remuneration (salaries) and by way of dividend remain the two most...

Whenever the Brexit vote result in the UK leaving the EU, it has already caused the pound to slide against other currencies. But if you decide to sell foreign assets to take advantage of this, how will your tax position be affected? Alan Simpson takes a closer look. Foreign assets advantage The recent devaluation of the pound...

If you have limited space (and privacy) in your home for an office or workspace, then you might be one a growing group of people who are considering creating an outbuilding in the garden. Bob Johnstone takes a look at the pros and cons of building an office in your garden and what sort of tax...

‘Making Tax Digital’ is the next big thing to affect taxpayers and while it’s some way off yet HMRC is slowly making changes in preparation for it, Kevin Crowford takes a closer look. For Companies The latest moves, which HMRC announced in September 2016 include the withdrawal of tax return confirmations for companies. No more paper From...

The tax relief that landlords of residential properties get is going to be restricted to the basic rate of Income Tax from April 2017, Kenny Logan investigates. These changes will undoubtedly affect you if you let residential properties as an individual, or in a partnership or a trust and will affect how you receive relief...

Kevin Ferguson looks at whether it is possible to reclaim VAT on the purchase of a car. The issue of VAT on cars is something that we get asked about on a regular basis, in particular ‘VAT Qualifying Cars’. The phrase ‘VAT Qualifying Car’ is more relevant to the motor trade than to the public...

Something that we get asked a lot about is whether it is better to lease or buy a vehicle and indeed whether it is better to do this personally or through a business? Kenny Logan is in the driving seat on this one. With new vehicle prices continually rising and the value of used vehicles...