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As a trusted companion in Barnsley’s financial landscape since the 1970s, we’re all about breaking down complex finance talk into something you can understand and use.

With the Spring Budget 2024 announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on 6th March, there’s a lot to unpack.

This budget is particularly noteworthy as it’s likely the last one before the next election. As you would expect from a pre-election budget, it focused heavily on the tax relief measures, including additional cuts to National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and a new savings bond.

Limited by financial constraints, the Chancellor couldn’t offer as many tax breaks as some backbench Conservatives would have liked.

Despite this, he achieved a few key political goals, including adopting a Labour policy to end the non-domicile tax rule that allowed some UK residents pay less tax on foreign income.

In this post, we’ll give you a clear understanding of what’s new and how it might affect your family or business, ensuring you’re well-equipped to navigate the changes.

Thinking of moving to Scotland from another country in the UK? There are plenty of benefits to working or retiring in Scotland, not least the incredible landscapes and friendly people – but you should keep the tax differences in mind, too.
The Scottish Parliament has been deciding its own income tax bands and rates since 2017, which are separate from those applied in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
As a result, most Scottish taxpayers pay more income tax than other taxpayers in the UK. With new tax changes coming in Scotland from 6th April 2024, it’s important to consider the tax cost before relocating to Scotland.

The stark financial crisis surrounding Birmingham City Council is a timely reminder of why it’s so crucial to get equal pay right the first time.
Many equal pay claims were made against Birmingham City Council starting from the early 2000s, but the public body tried to minimise its responsibilities – until 2012, when the UK Supreme Court ruled in favour of workers receiving financial compensation.

Until now, the Companies House registry has passively received the information that UK companies filed – but new reforms will implement a more active role for Companies House as a regulator to better maintain the register’s integrity.

Since the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA) was passed into law in October 2023, the changes in the Act will begin to take effect in 2024.

There are several new measures that aim to clamp down on financial crime and improve the reliability of corporate data, which should help to make it easier to do business in the UK and support economic growth.

So, if you have a registered company, limited liability partnership (LLP), or limited partnership (LP) in the UK, these measures will affect you from 4th March 2024.

The start of this year saw a media storm around rumours that HMRC would be cracking down on online sellers in 2024, spreading concern amongst people who sell personal items and secondhand goods on sites like eBay, Depop, and Vinted.

However, the stories about a new ‘side hustle’ tax were completely false, fuelling unnecessary panic for the public and unfounded outrage against HMRC.

Here’s what is actually happening with income tax for sellers on digital platforms.

While most people welcome increased income, it can be a double-edged sword, resulting in more than just a higher income tax bill. With tax bands frozen for several years, higher rate taxpayers should be looking at which reliefs are still available to them.

The new tax year in April will bring reduced allowances and frozen thresholds, so it’s essential to check whether a pay rise will affect the reliefs you’re entitled to as well as the rate of income tax you’ll pay, so you can keep your personal finances in order.