Online support that helps charities tackle fraud Posted at: Archive for November 7, 2018 Posted in: News Cyber fraud is sadly on the increase and it’s an issue charitable trustees simply can’t afford to ignore. In fact, the government estimates that 70% of all fraud is now committed online. These scams can be complex and difficult to detect. They normally involve hacking into your system or...
10 questions that help trustees prevent fraud Posted at: Archive for November 1, 2018 Posted in: News Fraud is a serious problem and isn’t just an issue for commercial organisations. In fact, evidence suggests that charities are being targeted more than ever, because they are perceived by fraudsters to be more vulnerable. They are often cash-rich and have a high number of transactions with low staffing...
Are spouses’ wages fully deductible? Posted at: Archive for October 9, 2018 Posted in: News HMRC have recently won a tax tribunal case where they were seeking to challenge the deduction for a wife’s wages in arriving at the profits of her husband’s business. The judge agreed with HMRC that the amount allowed as a deduction should be limited based on the hours spent...
Your shares are worthless? Things may not be as bad as you thought. Posted at: Archive for October 4, 2018 Posted in: News It’s a nightmare scenario. You’ve invested in a company and then discover that it has collapsed and that its shares have become worthless. Imagine, for example, owning a slice of Carillion – which went from being one of the UK’s largest construction businesses to a company revealed to have...
The help on hand from your accountant Posted at: Archive for September 26, 2018 Posted in: News Your accountant can help you in a number of different ways, argues Paul Burton. Here, he lists five of the most important contributions they can make. What exactly is your accountant there for? Providing a sounding board for your business plans? Offering you peace of mind? I think it’s...
Whatever the size of your business, it’s time to think strategically Posted at: Archive for September 17, 2018 Posted in: News You’re running a small business and ‘strategy’ is just for the big players, right? Well, maybe it’s time to think again argues Chris Harland. It really doesn’t matter what size your business is. We all have short-term objectives and longer-term goals, which means that every company can benefit from...
Buying in services? The right to audit can prove invaluable. Posted at: Archive for September 14, 2018 Posted in: News One of the trickiest issues for any business is to make sure that you’re getting value for money when buying in a service. Of course, you hope that your tendering and negotiation process is up to scratch and that you’ve defined your requirements very carefully at the outset....
Your dream build needn’t be a financial nightmare Posted at: Archive for August 30, 2018 Posted in: News There are probably relatively few of us brave enough to construct a home from scratch. After all, it takes a real sense of vision, commitment and dedication. Perhaps a slightly larger group of us might consider converting an existing building. In either scenario, however, costs are always an issue...
Keeping an eye on your business via the cloud Posted at: Archive for August 24, 2018 Posted in: News One of the great advantages of cloud accounting is that your professional adviser is there with you in real time, writes Emma Woods. While it’s true that the key driver for using cloud accounting systems has been the government’s Making Tax Digital programme, we’d usually advise all our clients...
A grand idea for would-be business people Posted at: Archive for August 17, 2018 Posted in: News Are you a budding entrepreneur who’s selling products over the web from your back bedroom? Or perhaps you’re renting out one of your rooms via Airbnb? From the start of the 2017/18 tax year, it’s been possible to claim annual tax-free allowances – one related to trading and the...