The Tax Gap

There is a famous saying about lies and statistics which is often quoted when anyone doesn’t want to believe the statistics they are being presented with. Indeed, it is true that how you present statistics is as important as the statistics themselves. A recent science experiment on the television presented participants with two plates of…

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Relief as additional Enterprise zones announced

The recent Government announcement on the creation of a further eleven Enterprise Zones has been seen as welcome news for businesses, councils and investors alike. At the time of the announcement in the March 2011 Budget that eleven zones were to be created, the Chancellor invited bids for a further ten zones. In all thirty…

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What price larger homes

The head of communications at the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has recently admitted that at the moment the trend for building new homes has moved towards larger properties. Commentating on the current state of the house build market Steve Turner went on to say that “Builders will obviously build what they can sell. People that…

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The Bribery Act 2010

Following a delay caused by the need for additional consultation and clarification, the Bribery Act 2010 has received Royal Assent and will come into force on 1 July 2011. This Act aims to modernise the law in relation to bribery both within the UK and abroad. The Ministry of Justice has issued a Quick Start…

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The CIOT comments on SDLT Budget proposals

Within the 2011 Budget, the chancellor, George Osborne, proposed various measures intended to tighten up on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) avoidance. These proposals form part of the Finance (No 3) Bill which is currently winding its way through Parliament. Due to the complexity of the Bill, whilst some of its clauses were debated by…

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Budget countdown for higher earners

With less than a week to go before the Budget the rumour mill is in full spate. With every passing remark being scrutinised in depth by the financial press it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between controlled leak and mere speculation. One area hitting the headlines recently has been that of Venture Capital Trusts (VCT).…

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A taxing time

The Japanese earthquake and tsunami has shocked everyone around the world and our thoughts are with the Japanese people as they start the task of reconstruction. As the full scale of the disaster unfolds the financial markets are still trying to assess what the eventual fall out will be. At the time of writing, whilst…

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Time is running out for year end tax planning

Time is fast running out for those looking to complete their tax planning for the 2010/2011 tax year. With only just over three weeks in which to review, plan, complete applications and transfer funds the clock is ticking for those wanting to maximise ISA allowances let alone take advantage of pension and other tax planning…

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Helping the country whilst mitigating tax

Top rate tax payers have only a short time left to take advantage of a Government backed tax mitigation scheme warns Newshams Tax Solicitors. The current scheme which gives tax relief for investments in Enterprise Zone development and which has been running since the early 1980s is due to expire at the end of the…

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An enterprising way to mitigate tax

Rightly or wrongly the perception of many people is that the Government’s main preoccupation is to find ways of increasing tax. With the inevitable consequence of the recent recession it is true that tax allowances and rates are changing and regular studies report on how this will affect one sector of society or another. It…

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