You are making an overseas trip for business and have decided to take your husband and two children, so they can holiday while you are working. The question is, can you put the expense through the company and if so, are there any tax considerations?  Kirsten Hancock looks at the implications. The answer to the...

HMRC’s computer system has identified 4,000 traders in the hot food and catering sector that may be under-recording sales. What might this mean for your business, and could the review be extended to other sectors?  Kenny Logan from our Edinburgh office takes a closer look. It is common for HMRC to identify specific trade sectors...

Can music business be split into two and deregister? Q. My business trades as a limited company, selling musical instruments and giving piano lessons. All lessons are given by me, as I am the sole director and shareholder. The annual fees from lessons are £50,000 but the annual sales of instruments has fallen to £70,000....

You hold the main interest in a family-owned trading partnership and are planning to retire, selling your interest to your adult children. But you have been advised that this could lead to an inheritance tax (IHT) charge?  Partner Kenny Adamson advises. Unincorporated traders Business property relief (BPR) is an extremely valuable tax planning tool. BPR...

Your business sells vouchers to customers that can be redeemed against goods or services that you sell in the future. But how should you account for VAT on these vouchers?  Naomi Swan provides the answer. What is a voucher? Many vouchers issued by your business will be electronic rather than in paper format. This is...

JRW Hogg & Thorburn have just announced the appointment of a new Partner in the firm. Christiaan Hansen, who is based at the firm’s Hawick office, is a tax specialist with particular interest in Inheritance Tax planning and business restructuring, as well as assisting on Trust and Estate related tax matters. Originally from Cape Town...

PRESS RELEASE In a significant expansion, two of the leading accountancy firms in the Borders have announced that they have merged. Taking effect on 6th April 2024, this exciting merger sees Hogg & Thorburn and JRW joining forces as part of a newly expanded firm, to be known as JRW Hogg & Thorburn. This latest...

You have recently switched to electronic invoicing. However, some customers are insisting on paper invoices. Must you comply with these requests?  Elaine Wight answers this question below. While the design and layout of your business invoices is up to you, there are government regulations that require you to include certain information about your business and...

In a move to prevent or at least reduce tax avoidance, changes to the construction industry scheme (CIS) rules takes effect from April 2024. As a contractor or subcontractor in the industry, what do you need to know?  Naomi Swan provides an update in this article. The main aim of the construction industry scheme (CIS)...

Your business is growing and you are considering whether the company should lease or buy new premises. What factors do you need to take into account before making a decision?  Associate Kenny Logan from our Edinburgh office discusses the options in this article. Leasing There are several reasons why it could make more sense for...