ULEZ Is Tax Deductiable

 

Self-employed drivers will be able to claim tax relief on the daily Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) charge.

Workers with non-compliant vehicles can claim if their journey was "exclusively for the purposes of the trade".

Ulez was expanded to include all of London's boroughs on Tuesday.

"This is a shot in the arm for sole traders, whose businesses will be hit by the Ulez charge from today," said Craig Beaumont of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Those who are self-employed are able to claim tax relief on their travel expenses, including low emission zone charges, through their self assessment tax return.

This type of tax relief does not apply to commutes or non-business travel costs.

In a statement HMRC said: 

"Self Assessment customers are entitled to tax relief on travel expenses, including low emission zone charges, if they have been incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the trade.

"When a self-employed individual claims an allowable expense, the amount is deducted fully from their taxable profits."

I suspect that there will be a rise in the number of self employed people driving in London, and I doubt that HMRC has the will or manpower to investigate this anomaly!

Tax does have to be taxing.

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PCS Rejects HMRC's Pay Offer

 

HMRC has offered its staff pay rises between 4-6% for 2023/24, but those at Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer/Higher Executive Officer grades will get a smaller consolidated pay increase if they are already close or at the top of their pay range. 

PCS has rejected the offer, and is demanding 10%.

HMRC said it will push ahead with the pay award, which is expected to reach pay packets in October and will be backdated to June.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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Mind The Gap!

 

ICAEW’s Tax Faculty wants to get your thoughts on the top priorities for the development of HMRC’s digital services.

HMRC is seeking to promote a channel shift, away from phone and post to digital services. Most agents would prefer to interact digitally with HMRC, but agents do not have access to all the services available to taxpayers. ICAEW and others have pointed out that HMRC’s services are not comprehensive and do not always work well.  

HMRC’s research with agents suggests that the top priorities should be: 

• having a single sign on portal; 
• greater access to client data; and
• having a secure email link to communicate with HMRC. 

Have your say

The Tax Faculty has shared the above information (go to their website to see the details) on the gaps and problems with HMRC and is keen to get your input.  

Do you think the correct gaps and problems been identified? What is missing?  

Standing back from specific cases and the problems with HMRC’s telephone and post services, where do you think HMRC should prioritise its resources when developing digital services that could alleviate those service performance problems in the longer term? 

Please share you feedback with Caroline Miskin.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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• Attend any meeting with HMRC
• Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal
• Having the security of knowing that fees will be met in full will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to defend your position robustly

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HMRC is Broken - Again!

Well done lads!

Tax does have to be taxing.

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• Deal with any correspondence from HMRC
• Attend any meeting with HMRC
• Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal
• Having the security of knowing that fees will be met in full will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to defend your position robustly

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HMRC is Drowning!

 

HMRC, is in chaos. Staff numbers have been declining for years, while the demands on the agency have increased. This has led to a situation where taxpayers are struggling to get through to HMRC on the phone, and letters are taking weeks or even months to be answered.

In a recent letter to the Chancellor, leading industry figures warned that HMRC is "drowning" and that taxpayers are "too". They called for an immediate injection of resources to help the tax office get back on track.

In a recent report, the Committee of Public Accounts found that HMRC's response times had "deteriorated significantly" in recent years. In 2021-22, only 39.5% of mail was responded to within 15 days, compared to 70.3% in 2019-20. The average speed of answering calls was also up, from 6:39 minutes in 2019-20 to 12:22 minutes in 2021-22.

The report also found that HMRC's systems were "not fit for purpose". This is leading to problems such as taxpayers being sent incorrect letters, and payments being delayed.

So what's gone wrong at HMRC?

There are a number of factors, but one of the main ones is understaffing. The number of staff at HMRC has fallen by around 20% in the past five years. This is due to a combination of factors, including budget cuts and the retirement of older staff.

Another factor is the increasing complexity of the tax system. The government has introduced a number of new taxes in recent years, which has put a strain on HMRC's resources.

The pandemic has also played a role in the chaos at HMRC. The agency had to deal with a surge in demand for services during the pandemic, while at the same time many staff were working from home.

None if this will be resolved:

- HMRC management is tin eared to the problems of taxpayers

- the government will never get a grip on this until a cabinet position for HMRC is created

- the wide open maul that is MTD will suck in and waste what little resources are left.

Tax does have to be taxing.

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Having a Solar Protect Tax Investigation Insurance policy at your disposal means that should you be one of the many 1000's of businesses or individuals that are selected by HMRC each year to look into your tax affairs your own accountant (your tax return agent) can get on and defend you robustly.

You have the peace of mind knowing that your accountant's (your tax return agent) fees will be paid by the insurance without any Excess for you to find.

Tax Investigation Insurance is an insurance policy that will fully reimburse your accountant's (your tax return agent) fees up to £100,000 if you are subject to enquiry by or dispute with HMRC.

A Solar Protect policy will enable your accountant (your tax return agent) to:

• Deal with any correspondence from HMRC
• Attend any meeting with HMRC
• Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal or Upper Tribunal
• Having the security of knowing that fees will be met in full will enable your Accountant (your tax return agent) to defend your position robustly

Please click here for details.

HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"