Blogs

Want your own home office? Don’t forget these planning considerations

The coronavirus pandemic has caused a seismic shift in the way we live and work in just a few short months. Many businesses have realised that they can successfully work from home, while some are even thinking of shutting their offices permanently and asking their staff to work remotely full time. ....

Changes to rent collection methods

While the government says that most landlords and tenants are working well together to find mutually suitable solutions during the coronavirus lockdown, landlords have continued to exercise rent collection methods with a view to ensuring that rent continues to be paid. To help High Street busine....

Landlords, watch out for these legislative changes in 2020

Landlords, like most businesses and individuals across the country, have seen their income affected to various degrees by the current coronavirus pandemic. Many are experiencing cash flow problems as tenants struggle to make rental payments. However, landlords are also facing other changes this ....

Why remortgage?

Remortgaging, or switching to a new mortgage deal with either your current lender or a new provider, can be perceived as a time-consuming and daunting process by some. However, investing some time in shopping around for the best mortgage deal has the potential to pay off to the tune of thousands of....

What is Inheritance Tax and how can it be reduced?

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is a tax levied on the value of a deceased person’s estate. Any part of an estate that exceeds the £325,000 tax threshold (or Nil-Rate Band – NRB) is liable to IHT at 40%. Only a small percentage (4% to 5% of estates) are large enough to incur IHT, but as specialist pr....

How to make a Will while social distancing

According to financial advisory organisation deVere Group, Will enquiries surged by 76% in the first few weeks of coronavirus lockdown[1]. Meanwhile, the Office of Public Guardian, which deals with the registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs), is also struggling with high demand. As the co....

Coronavirus could see increase in Settlement Agreements

The coronavirus pandemic has brought entire industries to their knees and had a huge impact on the ability of businesses to pay their staff. Despite government assistance via the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, there has been a surge in redundancies, which could in turn lead to a rise in claims f....

COVID-19: Keeping employees safe and healthy

Even under the most ordinary of circumstances, employers must do everything that is “reasonably practicable”[1]to protect their employees’ health, safety and welfare while they are at work. In these unprecedented times, however, employers will have to take extra steps to ensure, as far as pos....

Get ready for 2020 Good Work Plan Legislation

Anxious to demonstrate that they are not using Brexit as an opportunity to roll back on workers' rights, the Government plans to introduce a raft of new employment laws as part of: 'the largest upgrade in a generation to workplace rights'. The legislation will implement the proposals set out in the....

Inheritance Tax – complex, old-fashioned and unfit for purpose?

In autumn 2018, the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) published a report following a request from then Chancellor Philip Hammond for a comprehensive review of the IHT system. One of two reports, the first dealt with the administrative side of IHT, while their second report, presented to Parliament....

Dismissal and redundancies during the COVID-19 outbreak

During these difficult times, many businesses are struggling financially, and some are unable to continue paying their employees’ salaries. To avoid mass job losses, the government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), also known as ‘furlough leave’, through which employ....

‘Furlough’ leave – what employers should know

During these difficult times, many businesses are struggling financially. As the crisis has continued, some are no longer in a position to pay their staff. To avoid mass job losses, the government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). Open to all UK businesses (save for public....