IT & Digital Transformation

In this short video, I will outline three key advantages that your business can gain from appointing an IT Director. 

A technical note has been released, ahead of legislation due to be published later this year in relation to additional tax relief available for R&D intensive SME companies.

The UK government implemented the Patent Box tax structure in 2013. The regime offers a lower rate of corporation tax on earnings from patented discoveries in order to encourage businesses to invest in research and development (R&D). In this article, we will explore what the Patent Box regime is, how it works, and what kind of projects it could be used for.

Kind-hearted staff at Ballards LLP broke out the paper and sellotape to wrap gifts as part of the Lowesmoor lifeline’s latest bid to help those most in need.

Business owners, are you aware of the inheritance tax exposure on your business assets?

If the answer is no, then you’ll want to watch this video, as I may have a great solution.

In today’s world, businesses are facing increased pressure to make informed decisions that drive growth and success. To do this, they need access to accurate and timely data, and the ability to analyse it effectively. Digital technology has revolutionised the way businesses operate, and can be a powerful tool for making better business decisions.

In this article, we look at the UK residential property transactions for the UK housing market transactions for the year to 31 January 2023 with comparatives for the same period to January 2022.

You will be aware of the recent increases in the Bank of England base rates which currently stands at 4%, up from an all-time low of 0.1% only just over a year ago. What you may not have realised yet is what effect this has on a non-corporate landlord’s tax position.

With the advent of higher interest rates, the restriction to claiming higher rate tax relief on mortgage interest is becoming increasingly important.

The Basis Period Reform, find out how this may affect you and your available options.

In this article, we look at the UK residential property transactions for the UK housing market transactions for the years 31 December 2021 and 2022 as reported by HMRC through Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reporting.

It may be clear to you that you are undertaking innovative and qualifying activities for R&D purposes, however, it needs to be presented to HMRC in a clear and understandable way to evidence that it meets the criteria for relief.

For VAT periods starting on or after 1 January 2023, HMRC has abolished the old surcharges and changed the way penalties are applied to late returns. Here is everything you need to know.

Did you know 16% of those who filed tax returns for the 2020–2021 tax year were 65 years of age and older?

Having complete business records in place allows you to answer any queries HM Revenue and Customs may have. But how long do you have to retain these records? The answer depends…

You want to invest, but you don’t know how much to invest, what to invest in or when to invest. In times like this, we turn to a business case.

In this article we look at the UK residential property transactions for the UK housing market transactions for the years 30 November 2021 and 2022 as reported by HMRC through Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reporting.

This is a question I’m often asked; in this video, I give my answer in relation to selling residential property and paying tax on the sale. 

Businesses with spare cash are increasingly helping out their employees with short-term loans, especially due to the cost of living increases. If you are thinking of doing so, here are the things you need to know.

Ballards will be working with Worcester Food Bank to provide emergency food parcels to people in the city.

The first step on a Digital Transformation journey is the most important. But ask yourself – How do I know which direction to take if I don’t know where to start? 

Have you heard of a Current State Assessment?

As an area that we specialise in, we paid particular attention to the R&D updates in the Autumn Statement.

Learn more about the key announcements impacting R&D Tax Relief Claims.

Having complete records in place allows you to answer any queries HM Revenue and Customs may have. But how long do you have to retain these records? The answer depends…

Businesses with spare cash are increasingly helping out their employees with short-term loans, especially due to the cost of living increases. If you are thinking of doing so, here are the things you need to know.

In this video, we share the 5 ways in which my clients are saving time and money using Cloud Accounting Software.

In this article we look at the UK residential property transactions for the UK housing market transactions for the years 31 October 2021 and 2022 as reported by HMRC through Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reporting.

When I start managing a new project, one of the first things I ask myself and the project team to consider is: “What could go wrong, and if it does how serious is it going to be ?”

There are various methodologies for managing risks, here are 5 steps which you may find useful when delivering large, complicated transformation projects.

Budgets are tightening, consumers are struggling, and you might be asking yourself if you can afford to be Green. Then throw into the mix, the dizzying array of choices or approaches and seemingly contradictory advice; doing the right thing can feel impossible. This article discusses a few ways in which you might encourage some industrially green shoots.

Are you an individual subject to income tax on the profits of your trade, profession, vocation, or property business? Making Tax Digital is coming in 2024, are you ready?

We want to share an experience where a company failed to implement modern technology, this in turn had implications on their business, reputation, and most likely potential profit.

As gas and electricity prices rise, an increasing number of people are turning to solar panels to try to cut costs. The question then arises – how can I do this most tax-efficiently?

In this article we look at the UK residential property transactions for the UK housing market transactions for the years 30 September 2021 and 2022 as reported by HMRC through Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reporting.

Bringing to you another misconception of R&D Tax Relief – the idea that a project must be successful to qualify. This is not the case…

When buying a car, you wouldn’t simply walk into a showroom and pay the price on the windscreen of the car without negotiating – so why would you do this when buying software or IT services ? Unfortunately, far too many times I hear of businesses doing exactly that.

In this article we look at the UK residential property transactions for the years to 31 August 2021 and 2022 as reported by HMRC through Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) reporting.

Are you buying a van or a car? And why does it matter? When it comes to buying vehicles for use in the business, there is a big difference tax-wise between cars and commercial vehicles. Here’s why it matters..

The Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, today (23/09/22) announced a package of tax cuts worth £45 billion, here is what the Mini Budget headlines included…

With a focus on R&D Tax Relief specifically, our in-house R&D specialists are well equipped to build a robust and high-quality claim, keeping their main agents up to date on progress and liaising with them for the adjustments required.

Having someone in the organisation who can diagnose your immediate issues is no doubt useful, they might even have a wider interest in IT. They can build your business applications, create your access database, or carry out whatever IT support you need at a given point in time. While this might seem perfect, this article highlights a few examples of why it might not be.

Tax partner, Martin Adams, looks back at the residential property transactions over the past 17 years and the events that have affected the UK residential property market.

Two recent first-tier tribunal tax cases, which were very similar in terms of the facts, show the importance of taking expert advice on structuring the consideration mechanisms for business sales.

The Trust Registration Service (TRS) is a register of the beneficial ownership of trusts. As first set up in 2017, trustees were required to register on TRS only if the trust was liable to pay certain taxes. However, new rules introduced on 6 October 2020 extended the scope of the trust register to UK and some non-UK trusts, with some specific exclusions, regardless of whether or not the trust is liable to pay any tax.

Many businesses are looking to make the most out of redundant buildings by turning them into commercial lets. One aspect of this which is often overlooked is VAT and the misunderstood Option to Tax.

When a business takes the decision to divest a part of itself, there are a number of complicating factors that stand in the way of success, for both the seller and the acquirer. These have only been exacerbated recently by the long tail of COVID, by the war in Ukraine, by supply chain issues, by the tightening labour market, and by rapid inflation. However, the money is still there for good deals, both in the full coffers of PE houses, and from debt funders looking to deploy cash.

Separation and integration projects have differing objectives for sellers and buyers, but both need now more than ever to deliver for their respective stakeholders. The money in the market needs to be invested, and is available for the right transaction.

Are you looking to set up a Furnished Holiday Let business (FHL)? Here are five things to watch out for.

When a property is inherited, the estate may be subject to inheritance tax on the excess over the nil rate band. If the property was the deceased’s main home, and passes to direct descendants, the estate may qualify for an additional relief, termed a residence nil rate band. A previous insight has covered this topic in detail. This can lead to an additional nil rate band of up to £350,000, which would otherwise be taxed at 40%, giving rise to overall tax relief of up to £140,000. If this has not been achieved by the will, it is possible that this could instead be achieved through use of a deed of variation.

I recently attended the Retail Technology Show at London Olympia.  This was my first in-person expo since before Covid, and it was a refreshing experience to catch-up with technology suppliers and retail ex-colleagues in person.

The show was extremely well organised, with an interesting variation of retail technology providers in attendance, ranging from start up tech firms to large multi-nationals – all showcasing both their current and future technology and software offerings.

Both businesses and employees are facing pressure on their finances arising from the recent tax hikes and the high levels of inflation that we are all experiencing. Now is therefore a good time to consider employee incentives that have minimal upfront cash outflow whilst providing potentially significant long-term rewards. This will help motivate and retain key members of your workforce.

For companies these can take the form of share incentives where an employee is provided with either shares, or ‘options’ to acquire shares at a future date, normally on the occurrence of certain events or performance targets being achieved.

In the current second-hand car market, it is common for people to be offered payment on return of their vehicle at the end of a PCP lease agreement. One would imagine that if the leaseholder refused this offer and sold privately, they may be able to make a greater profit. Alternatively, if a car has been purchased second-hand previously, it may be possible to sell this and even make an overall profit.

So, the question is, is this taxable?

There has been a lot in the press made of the squeeze on household spending and the Chancellor was under much pressure to help with this when he approached the dispatch box on 23rd March to make the Spring Statement. His increase of the primary threshold for National Insurance is meant to be his key answer to that issue, but it is worth noting that from a business perspective this increasing threshold is not being mirrored to the secondary threshold for National Insurance and hence the 1.25% increase to Employers’ National Insurance is going ahead in full.

When a shareholder sells their shares, they are normally subject to capital gains tax on the disposal. There is however a way to undertake a company disposal and not pay any tax at all. The way to do this is to sell to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). EOTs were introduced in 2014 to encourage greater employee ownership of companies inspired by the John Lewis business model.
Since their introduction, popularity of this business model has been gaining momentum with more and more companies choosing to adopt this structure.