There are several types of reliefs from Inheritance Tax (IHT), one of which is IHT Business Relief. This can be a significant tax benefit for those with business interests, potentially offering either 50% or 100% relief from IHT on the value of business assets if certain criteria are met.

• 100% Business Relief can be claimed for a business, an interest in a business, or on shares in an unlisted company.

• 50% Business Relief is available for:

• Shares with more than 50% of the voting rights in a listed company.
• Land, buildings, or machinery owned by the deceased and used in a business they were involved with or controlled by.
• Land, buildings, or machinery used in a business and held in a trust benefiting from it.

This relief only applies if the deceased owned the business or asset for at least two years prior to their death.

However, there are limitations, for example, if the company primarily deals in securities, stocks, shares, land, buildings, or investments. In some situations, partial Business Relief might be possible.

Given its complexity, it is crucial to assess whether IHT Business Relief applies based on your specific circumstances.

You can access the Check Your State Pension forecast service on GOV.UK via this link: https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension. This digital service is provided jointly by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The service enables most individuals under State Pension age to view their pension forecast and identify any gaps in their National Insurance Contributions (NICs). This feature is particularly useful for those who want to make voluntary NIC contributions to boost their entitlement to benefits such as the State or New State Pension.

Typically, HMRC permits voluntary contributions for the past 6 tax years, with a deadline of 5 April each year. However, there is currently a special opportunity to address NIC gaps from April 2006 to April 2017 due to transitional arrangements related to the new State Pension. The deadline for making these contributions has been extended several times and is now set for 5 April 2025.

Regularly reviewing your State Pension status is important for optimising your benefits. Additionally, you should consider other savings or pensions you may need for a secure and comfortable retirement.

If you have tenants in your home there can be Capital Gains Tax (CGT) consequences. Generally, there is no Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on a property used as the main family residence, thanks to a relief known as Private Residence Relief (PRR).

However, where part of the home has been let out the entitlement to relief may be affected. Homeowners that let out part of their house may not benefit from the full PRR but can benefit from letting relief. Letting relief is only available to homeowners who live in their property and rent out a portion of it.

The maximum amount of letting relief due is the lesser of:

• £40,000
• the amount of PRR due
• the same amount as the chargeable gain they made while letting out part of their home

Worked example:

• You rent out a large bedroom to a tenant that comprises 10% of your home.
• You sell the property, making a gain of £75,000.
• You're entitled to PRR of £67,500 on the part used as your home (90% of the total £75,000 gain).
• The remaining gain on the part of your home that's been let is £7,500.

The maximum letting relief due is £7,500 as this is the lower of:

• £40,000
• £67,500 (the PRR due)
• £7,500 (the gain on the part of the property that's been let)

There's no Capital Gains Tax to pay – the gain of £75,000 is covered by the £67,500 PRR and the £7,500 letting relief.

You are not considered to be letting out your home if you have a lodger who shares living space with you or your children or parents live with you and pay you rent or housekeeping.

The VAT Annual Accounting Scheme is available to most businesses with an annual turnover of up to £1.35 million. Key benefits of the scheme include the obligation to file just one VAT return per year, which can greatly reduce administrative time and costs compared to preparing and submitting quarterly VAT returns.

Designed for small businesses, the scheme can be used alongside the VAT Flat Rate Scheme or with standard VAT accounting. It also allows for regular interim payments throughout the year, which can assist businesses in managing their cash flow.

In order to qualify to join the scheme, the business must be up to date with VAT payments, solvent and new to the scheme. In addition, the business cannot be a division of a company or a part of a group of companies.

Under the scheme, businesses make interim VAT payments based on their last years VAT figures or on an estimated total annual liability for newly VAT registered businesses. These interim payments are followed by a final balancing payment submitted with the annual VAT return, which can be prepared at the same time as the annual accounts.

The final payment for the annual return is due within two months after the end of the 12-month VAT accounting period.

Businesses that are in the scheme can continue using it until their taxable supplies exceed £1.6m or they no longer meet the eligibility criteria.

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 1 August and in a very close 5-4 vote decided to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points to 5%. The 4 remaining members voted to keep the rate at 5.25%.

This was the first interest rate cut announced by the Bank of England since March 2020 and sees the interest rate fall from a 16 year high. The rolling twelve-month CPI inflation was at the MPC’s 2% target in both May and June, and this helped prompt the decision to reduce rates.

Whilst the figures demonstrated that inflationary pressure has eased there remains fears of higher inflation returning. The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey was also keen to dampen expectations and point out that there is unlikely to be a succession of interest rate cuts in the near-term.

Delivering opening remarks at a press conference following the announcement, Bailey commented:

‘We need to make sure that inflation stays low. We need to put the period of high inflation firmly behind us. And we need to be careful not to cut rates too much or too quickly – all the while monitoring the evidence on how inflationary pressures are evolving.

The best and most sustainable contribution monetary policy can make to growth and prosperity is to ensure low and stable inflation – and an economy where people can plan for the future with confidence and in which money holds its value.

We have truly come a long way in returning inflation to target.’