Marks & Spencer’s new strawberry and cream sandwich has captured attention on social media — but now it’s caught the eye of tax experts, too. Marketed as a sweet take on the viral Japanese strawberry sando, M&S’s half-sandwich — part of its meal deal range — is prompting questions over whether it should be classified […]
The number of inheritance tax (IHT) investigations launched by HM Revenue & Customs has soared by more than a third over the past year, as the government intensifies efforts to crack down on underpayment and boost Treasury revenues. New figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request by accountancy firm Price Bailey reveal that HMRC […]
Millions of savers could see their retirement pots put at risk under sweeping new pension reforms unveiled by the government, leading experts and campaigners have warned. A series of proposed changes, confirmed on Thursday as part of the new Pension Schemes Bill, would loosen rules on how surplus funds can be extracted from defined benefit […]
Pensions tax relief may be in the firing line in the upcoming Autumn Budget, with growing concern among financial experts that HMRC is targeting popular salary sacrifice schemes as a way to raise revenue. According to Blick Rothenberg, a leading audit and tax advisory firm, a new HMRC report points to the Treasury’s increasing focus […]
Sweeping tax reforms proposed by President Donald Trump in his so-called “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” could significantly increase the costs associated with global mobility for US-based employers and internationally mobile employees, according to audit and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. Among the headline changes is a proposed incremental tax hike on income earned by residents of […]
The UK has taken a major step towards mainstream adoption of digital assets with the launch of GFO-X, London’s first regulated and centrally cleared cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform. Backed by FTSE 100 asset manager M&G and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), GFO-X will offer institutional investors access to bitcoin index futures and options. […]
A new wave of interest in “Dutch-style” pension schemes is sweeping through UK employers, with more than 200 companies expressing a desire to join a pioneering multi-employer collective defined contribution (CDC) scheme that could significantly boost workers’ retirement incomes. The pensions administrator TPT announced on May 8 that it is pressing ahead with launching the […]
Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts have hit a record high of £8.2 billion in the 2024-25 tax year, as rising asset values and long-frozen thresholds continue to draw more families into the tax net—even before major upcoming changes that will extend liability to pensions and farmland. New figures from HM Revenue & Customs show a significant […]
Since Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and other countries, provincial governments have started to curb their relationships with U.S. businesses. Last month, Alberta refrained from using Bank of America Corp. when it sold a euro-denominated bond deal, a break from its practice for such sales over the past six years.
The UK’s £8 billion-a-year R&D tax credit scheme is facing a major shake-up as the government moves to tackle widespread fraud and error while improving accessibility for genuine claimants. Proposals outlined in a consultation published alongside the Spring Statement suggest that businesses may soon be required to obtain formal pre-approval — or “advance assurance” — […]