09.09.11 Aspire backs FMB campaign to cut VAT on Home Improvements

Archived News Articles

April

Further to the announcement by the Office of Tax Simplification that there will be a full review of the rules surrounding employee expenses and benefits, the Director of the Association of Labour Providers – David Camp has announced that the ALP has been invited to discuss the issues surrounding travel and subsistence schemes as part of the review.  ... Find out more
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have successfully challenged an offshore provider  ... Find out more
The OTS review of employee benefits and expenses is now underway ... Find out more
HMRC’s guidance on the General Anti-Abuse Rule (GAAR) has been approved by the advisory panel and has come into effect from 15 April 2013. ... Find out more
We are aware of growing rumour in the industry that a leading umbrella service provider has been forced to re-think its business model following what appears to be a challenge by HM Revenue and Customs.  ... Find out more
Last week, we were able to confirm that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had finally expressed its view on whether deductible travel and subsistence expenses  ... Find out more
The government has today accepted the independent Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations for this year’s adult and youth National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates. ... Find out more
We have received a letter from HM Revenue and Customs in connection with a “Pay Day by Pay Day” arrangement ... Find out more
This week we learned that 18% more tax investigations have been conducted into the UK’s beleaguered construction industry with a total tax yield in 2011/12 of £78.9m (up from £66.9m the previous year).  ... Find out more
The new key rates and thresholds which are effective from 6th April 2013. ... Find out more
Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law……Although not technically accurate; this well-known adage appears to have been given relevance by a couple of recent cases heard by the First-Tier Tribunal - Anthony Bosher v HMRC (2012) UKFTT 631 (TC) and JP Whitter (Waterwell Engineers) Ltd v HMRC (2012) UKFTT 639 (TC).  ... Find out more

March

The closing of a tax loophole costing the Exchequer around £100M in National Insurance will be announced in the Budget.  ... Find out more
I attended the recent Association of Labour Providers (ALP) Roadshow at which Mr Paul Broadbent, the new CEO of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), addressed the delegates. I found him straight talking, engaging and someone who projects a high level of commitment and enthusiasm in a hugely difficult but vital role in protecting vulnerable workers. ... Find out more
The Government have confirmed that changes to ‘Parental Leave’ will be brought in on 8th March 2013 to bring UK Legislation in line with the EU Directive. ... Find out more

February

There has been an update to company car advisory fuel rates. The rates apply to all journeys on or after 1st March 2013 until further notice. ... Find out more
Faced with a consultation over redundancies and the transfer of staff, Unison asked Barnet Council to provide detail regarding the use of agency staff.  ... Find out more
The results from Recruiter’s recent online survey demonstrate that the main motive for recruitment professionals to operate a Travel and Subsistence (T&S) Scheme is to benefit temporary workers.  ... Find out more
On 28th January 2013, the GLA issued a new consultation document which sets out proposals for changes ... Find out more
The decision of the First Tier Tribunal in the case of Dr. Samadian v HMRC, which was issued on 28th January 2013, may have far reaching implications for the self-employed who are based at home but claim travel costs in respect of journeys to ‘habitual’ workplaces. ... Find out more
The Government’s final consultation has been launched regarding ‘Early Consultation’ in the tribunal process which closes on 15th February 2013.  ... Find out more

January

The Government has released a consultation on reforming the regulatory framework for Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses. ... Find out more
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published draft regulations and an order setting out the National Insurance contributions rates, thresholds and limits for the 2013-14 tax year.  ... Find out more
Today the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have opened a consultation for the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE). ... Find out more
Many firms are still unaware of the forthcoming real-time information (RTI) system. ... Find out more
The recent judgement on the above Employment Tribunal hearing makes for interesting reading and appears to support my view that the date of a new assignment is what is important when considering the use of a “Swedish Derogation” contract. ... Find out more
A challenge by workers on the use of Swedish derogation contracts has been successfully defended.  ... Find out more
7th January 2013 sees the introduction of the High Income Child Benefit Charge – yet another bolt-on to our creaking benefits system which, in the opinion of Karen Weston (Senior Manager at Aspire Business Partnership LLP), seems destined to create a myriad of confusion.  ... Find out more

December

Earlier this year, David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary said that it was “morally wrong” for people to negotiate discounts with plumbers and traders by paying them cash.  ... Find out more
The long-awaited regulations which will govern the administration of Universal Credit were published yesterday. The regulations will come into force on 29th April 2013. ... Find out more
Today the Government has published draft Finance Bill 2013 clauses, explanatory notes, Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) and other tax updates including responses to consultations. As announced in the Autumn Statement, The draft Finance Bill 2013 includes legislation to target abusive tax avoidance schemes.  ... Find out more
Yesterday Mr Iain Duncan Smith MP announced that The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) intends to lay and publish draft affirmative regulations in relation to the introduction of Universal Credits.  ... Find out more
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when Starbucks, in an open letter to its customers, offered to make a donation to the charitable organisation known as UK PLC. ... Find out more
In his Autumn Statement, the chancellor announced that the personal allowances for Income Tax would increase by £1,335 on this year’s allowance - its biggest increase yet!  ... Find out more
There has been an update to company cars advisory fuel rates. The rates below apply to all journeys on or after 1 December 2012 until further notice. ... Find out more
The much anticipated Autumn Statement turned out to be a bit of a damp squib for those committed to eradicating travel and subsistence schemes. ... Find out more
In his Autumn Statement on Wednesday, Chancellor George Osborne is likely to make a commitment to challenge Umbrella and salary sacrifice arrangements which are seen as tax avoidance in the current economic climate. ... Find out more

November

Salary Sacrifice Travel Schemes, Umbrella Companies and, in particular “Pay Day” tax relief models have all been the subject of press speculation recently, but very few commentators have bothered to consider the positive affects a well-run travel scheme can have on workers who are paid at or around the National Minimum Wage (NMW). ... Find out more
The chartered institute of Personnel and Development have recently announced their latest research relating to Workplace Pension Schemes. ... Find out more
Over the past week, several industry commentators have jumped aboard the “tax avoidance” bandwagon, a stance which threatens to undermine confidence in the umbrella company sector. ... Find out more
Alan Nolan, Senior Partner at Aspire Business Partnership considers the application of the recent judgment in the case of FS Commercial v Gangmasters Licensing Authority  ... Find out more
Statement from Aspire Business Partnership LLP relating to the appeal ruling between FS Commercial Ltd and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority on 15 November 2012 ... Find out more
It’s been just over a year since the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) went live and with clarification still needed on key points, has it really been a success? ... Find out more
The Government is proposing a new system of flexible parental leave which allows parents to choose how they share the care of their child in the first year after birth.  ... Find out more
Ed Balls, Shadow Chancellor, used his blog on Friday 9th November to put more pressure on the Government to postpone a rise in fuel duty planned for January 2013.  ... Find out more
Recent discussion by Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Michael Gauke, has identified that there is likely to be further changes to the Child Benefit system following the changes in January 2013 which will see higher rate tax payers hit by tax charges in respect of Child Benefit. ... Find out more
HMRC has started to write to higher rate tax payers who live in a household where Child Benefit is claimed. ... Find out more
Salary sacrifice schemes are an important factor in retaining and motivating employees, but the negative news surrounding the schemes is overshadowing the real benefits it can bring.  ... Find out more
HMRC has started to write to higher rate tax payers who live in a household where Child Benefit is claimed.  ... Find out more
Whilst we are all used to a steady stream of legislative change, recently, the weight of new information has begun to feel more like a deluge! ... Find out more
On 5th November 2012 the GLA made the announcement that Ian Livsey’s period of appointment as Chief Executive of the GLA completed on 31 October 2012.  ... Find out more
Cheshire Employer and Skills Development Limited (formerly Total People Limited) v The Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. ... Find out more

October

The phrase “the truth sometimes hurts” could have been invented for the 5 Live Investigates radio broadcast on Sunday night. ... Find out more
Aspire's Alan Nolan appeared on Radio 5 Live taking part in a discussion on the tax arrangements of recruitment firms. Travel and expenses at the crux of the debate. ... Find out more
Cheshire Employer and Skills Development Limited (formerly Total People Limited) v The Commissioners for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. ... Find out more

September

Recently Norman Lamb, Minister for Employment Relations, has named Mrs Rita Patel, owner of beauty salon Treena Professional Hair and Beauty of Leicester, for failing to pay workers the national minimum wage. ... Find out more
HMRC has clarified its position in connection with the use of Benchmark Scale Rates (BSR) in the context of “Pay Day by Pay Day” tax relief arrangements.  ... Find out more

August

The Sunday Telegraph is continuing its stories on “tax avoidance” schemes and this week’s article reports that the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), will put pressure on supermarkets not to use recruiters that operate ‘damaging tax avoidance’ schemes.  ... Find out more

July

The Low Pay Commission has launched a public consultation on the accommodation offset. ... Find out more
Yesterday (July 22nd), the Daily Telegraph published an article suggesting that Britain's recruitment industry is "riddled with a multi-million - pound avoidance scheme that allows staffing agencies to undercut rivals, exploit millions of workers and cheat the taxpayer out of vast sums of money". Unfortunately, the newspaper famed for exposing financial wrongdoing by Members of Parliament, seems to have got it wrong this time. ... Find out more
From the 30th July 2012 the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) will be changing their address. ... Find out more
The European Court of Justice has recently confirmed that workers are entitled to retake holidays lost during periods of illness. This has come to the fore following a recent case brought by unions in Spain representing Department store employees, to protect their right to reclaim leave if it is spoilt by ill health. Now workers, who fall ill whilst on annual leave, will be entitled to claw back extra annual leave in compensation. ... Find out more

June

David Cameron gave a speech on Welfare Reform debate today whilst visiting Dartford in Kent. Whilst the speech gave no firm intent it raised the possibility of future debate ... Find out more
Under new government proposals, striking workers will lose the right to claim benefits. Under current rules workers may receive additional benefits when strike action has reduced their household income. ... Find out more
This week BIS have released a document, entitled “Policy on HM Revenue & Customs enforcement, prosecutions and naming employers who flout national minimum wage law”,  ... Find out more
HMRC have released a consultation document on the “General Anti-Abuse Rule”.  ... Find out more
HM Revenue and Customs have released a consultation document titled “Securing Compliance with Real Time Information – Late Filing and Late Payment Penalties”.  ... Find out more
HM Revenue and Customs have released a consultation document titled “The Taxation of Controlling Persons”. ... Find out more

May

Summer 2012 coincides with two major sporting events, the Olympics and the European Football Championships. CIPD have just launched new guidelines which highlights a range of options that employers can consider to minimise disruption ... Find out more
Quashie worked as a dancer at ‘Stringfellows’ lap dancing club and was dismissed following allegations of drug taking. Quashie brought a claim for unfair dismissal which was rejected by an employment tribunal on the grounds of insufficient ‘Mutuality of Obligation’ for her to be considered an employee. A recent EAT has now reversed the decision and considers her to be an employee. ... Find out more
The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill was presented to Parliament this week by Vince Cable, Business Secretary. ... Find out more
Jim Paice MP yesterday announced the outcome of the review of the GLA which was conducted as part of the Red Tape Challenge. ... Find out more
The Department for Business Innovation & Skills has responded to the Beecroft report which was submitted to BIS in October 2011. ... Find out more
HMRC have released their guidance on the infamous IR35 legislation  ... Find out more
Aspire Newsletter issue 2 ... Find out more

April

A director of Isis Management Consultancy Limited (trading as Kensington Mayfair) has been fined and required to pay arrears of wages to seven of their agency workers following prosecution by the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) inspectorate. ... Find out more
A recent survey conducted by Eversheds law firm has found around 17 per cent of employers have opted to use Swedish derogation, while other methods used include taking on a succession of short-term placements or using the services of self-employed people. ... Find out more
Friends Life has successfully lobbied to change the salary sacrifice guidance in relation to the auto-enrolment.  ... Find out more
The latest letter from Uganda where Pearl of Africa have been carrying out their good work  ... Find out more
Changes to Unfair Dismissal and Employment Tribunals come into force from the 6th April 2012 ... Find out more

March

The CITB Levy has been approved by Parliament for a further 3 year period. A new Levy order was approved on 19th March which will require employers in the construction industry to continue to pay the levy until 2014. The main changes affected by the new order are as follows;  ... Find out more
There has been an update to company cars advisory fuel rates. ... Find out more
George Osborne announced his 2012 budget in the House of Commons today. See below for some of the key points: ... Find out more
The Government has today accepted the independent Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations for this year’s National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates. ... Find out more
On the 21st February 2012 the parliament once again debated how the GLA and its practices can be incorporated into a broader enforcement brief and whether or not the GLA should extend its remit into the construction industry.  ... Find out more

February

"The Bird Tweets" Aspire Business Partnership Newsletter ... Find out more
At the recently held World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 Reding announced the final 116 page version of the draft of the General Data Protection Regulation which aims to update the current EU data protection regime. ... Find out more
After a night of uncertainty for the Spurs boss, day two of the jury's deliberation began at Southwark Crown Court this morning.  ... Find out more
The news that Reed had lost its appeal against tax liabilities of £158m served as a much needed wakeup call to any employment business which uses a salary sacrifice arrangement to increase the take-home pay of the worker and reduce payroll costs. ... Find out more

January

The operation of a travel scheme under a salary sacrifice arrangement was the focal point of attention in the recent case of Reed v HM Revenue and Customs. ... Find out more
A second reading in the House of Commons will take place on the 20th January where it will be debated whether to amend section 3 of the Gangmasters Licensing Act 2004, extending the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) remit into the Construction Industry. ... Find out more

December

There has been an update to company cars advisory fuel rates. The rates below apply to all journeys on or after 1 December 2011 until further notice ... Find out more
Vince Cable has announced plans to change the way businesses experience frontline enforcement. ... Find out more
The graduate careers website ‘Graduate Fog’ has launched a campaign to name and shame businesses that recruit interns to carry out ‘proper work’ but do not pay them the national minimum wage (NMW). ... Find out more
In Fraser v St George’s NHS Trust the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) decided that whilst a worker does accrue holiday whilst on sick leave they must give notice to their employer of their intention to take their holiday ... Find out more

November

This afternoon Chancellor George Osborne updated MPs on the state of the economy and the government's future plans in his Autumn Statement. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) also published its latest growth and borrowing forecasts. ... Find out more
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced yesterday that businesses employing less than 50 workers will not have to auto-enrol employees into pension savings schemes until May 2015 ... Find out more
In a speech made at the Engineering Employers Federation this week, Secretary of State Vince cable announced measures to ease the administrative burden on recruiters and hirers ... Find out more
The department for Business Innovation and skills released a publication on employers attitudes and behaviour towards compliance with the National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation. ... Find out more
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is concerned the political row about tax avoidance could jeopardise HMRC’s progress in clearing past disputes ... Find out more
The Financial Times has reported that the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is calling for an early review of the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) warning there are already signs that the new regulations are costing jobs. ... Find out more
The levy system run by CITB – ConstructionSkills was given approval by a two thirds majority with 69% of employers giving it the “thumbs up” in terms of effectiveness. ... Find out more
HMRC have released a consultation document on the draft amendments to the legislation surrounding the Introduction of Real Time Information (RTI). ... Find out more
In the current climate of austerity measures, football once again bucks the trend with the story that Wayne Rooney has engaged an architect to design him a garden shed. ... Find out more
Aspire Business Partnership launch free AWR calculator ... Find out more
Christmas Eve 2011 will be a milestone for recruitment agencies and umbrella companies as the 12 week qualifying period ends on this date. ... Find out more
The Telegraph reported on 31st October that supermarket chain, Morrisons have decided to use the option of the "Swedish Derogation" model when it engages temporary workers ... Find out more
HMRC has issued a document summarising the responses to the second consultation on the Real Time Information system (RTI) that was issued at the end of last year. ... Find out more
The Pension Reform is nearly upon us and employers need to be thinking about the affects the Reform will have on their business. ... Find out more

October

It now seems clear that Umbrella Land is under attack from an army of Inspectors from the Labour Provider Unit who are based in a network of offices across the UK and form part of HMRC’s Specialist Investigations Compliance Team. ... Find out more
The Government has previously been non-committal on the future of the GLA. However, a statement of findings from the compliance and enforcement review due to be published by the end of the year suggests ... Find out more
According to the Government "good regulation is a good thing" as it protects consumers, employees and the environment, helps build a more fair society and can even save lives. ... Find out more

September

Directgov and Business Link have published guidance to provide transparency for businesses who offer work experience, placements and internships. ... Find out more
Aspire backs FMB campaign to cut VAT on Home Improvements. ... Find out more
It appears BIS have advised REC that the implementation of the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) will go ahead as expected. ... Find out more
As of Monday 12 September, reporting RIDDOR to HSE will be moving to an online system. ... Find out more
The statistics for tribunals between April 2010 and March 2011 have been published, revealing an 8% decrease in the total number of claims versus the previous year. ... Find out more
The Pensions Act 2008 laid the foundations for a fundemental reform of workplace pensions, requiring every employer to automatically enrol their workers into a qualifying pension scheme. ... Find out more
Aspire has received a letter from the Basement for their recent charitable donation. ... Find out more
The Daily Telegraph has reported that David Cameron's office secretly commissioned independent legal advice on whether the Agency Worker Regulations could be amended to reduce their negative impact upon UK companies. ... Find out more

August

HM Revenue & Customs has published an order to bring new late filing penalty regimes into effect for Construction Industry Scheme returns. ... Find out more
The new Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) was yesterday amended by a new Statutory Instrument (SI), which was laid before Parliament on 3rd August. The ... Find out more
Aspire are delighted to be working with AKT Productions on two short films about salary sacrifice. The films, commissioned by a leading employment business, explain the salary sacrifice concept in a humorous and informative way. ... Find out more
Recruiter magazine has published an article about Aspire Business Partnership's response to HM Revenue and Customs' statement about 'pay day by pay day' models. ... Find out more

July

Ed Davey, the Minsiter for Employment Relations, says "there will be a formal review of the regulations and its impact in 2013." ... Find out more
HM Treasury has issued a call for evidence in relation to the proposed integration of the Income Tax and the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) systems. ... Find out more
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued a statement on 11 July 2011 relating to what it described as a “pay day by pay day tax relief model”. ... Find out more

June

We have today issued the following letter to Employment Relations Manager Ed Davey in support of our contention that both HMRC and the GLA have misinterpreted the current legislation in an attempt to block low-paid workers from claiming tax relief on a “Pay As You Go” basis. ... Find out more
Aspire send out briefing sheet on Low Paid Workers – Tax Relief Payroll Calculation ... Find out more
The Central Office of Information (COI) announced yesterday that the Government has written to the Low Pay Commission (LPC) setting out its remit for their 2012 report. ... Find out more
The decision from the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) for Reed Employment Limited and The Commissioners For Her Majesty Revenue and Customs indicates that employment businesses may have been wrongly charging VAT on their services. ... Find out more
On 27th May, BIS issued a revised version of the recent AWR guidance. Aspire have also issued there interpretation of the changes ... Find out more

April

Latest letter from Uganda informing us of the good work being carried out there ....... ... Find out more
Draft guidance upon the Agency Workers Regulations has been released by BIS. ... Find out more
In a judgement handed down on 16th March 2011, the Employment Appeal Tribunal found that a self-employed taxi driver was not an employee due to a lack of “mutuality of obligations”. ... Find out more

March

George Osbourne announces the 2011 Budget! ... Find out more
The requirement for nationals of the A8 accession states to join the Worker Registration Scheme ceases on 30th April 2011. This fact was established in a parliamentary written answer on 5 July 2010. ... Find out more
In the recent employment appeal tribunal between The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and Beacon Roofing Limited (Beacon), the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) confirmed that payments in respect of labour-only subcontractors supplied through a CIS intermediary are subject to the CITB Levy. ... Find out more

February

Employment businesses are increasingly examining the use of umbrella companies within all industry sectors in order to maintain both profit margins and take-home pay for the workers. ... Find out more

January

The GLA has recently issued guidance relating to how GLA licensing affects businesses that operate “travel schemes” (also known as “travel and subsistence schemes”, dispensation schemes” or “mobile worker schemes”. The guidance has been targeted at both labour providers and umbrella companies.  ... Find out more
This is the 'Aspire Press Release' in relation to The Cordant group judgement and the effect this will have on Travel Schemes ... Find out more

December

National Minimum Wage - Cordant Group in Legal Challenge ... Find out more

November

Aspire launch ‘No Problem’ DVD – an account of compliance issues in the recruitment sector which should not be missed ... Find out more

October

The Agency Workers Regulations – how will regulatory change affect your company and what can you do to prepare? ... Find out more
Amendment to the conduct of employment agencies and employment business regulations ... Find out more
Reputational Risk provides impetus for improved procurement policy ... Find out more

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Latest Briefing Sheets

February

Updates to Rates and Allowances ... Find out more

January

Reed lose landmark tribunal decision on Travel Sch ... Find out more

December

The 12 week qualifying Period is upon us! ... Find out more

November

Aspire Business Partnership launch AWR calculator ... Find out more

September

Company car advisory fuel rates - 1 September 2011 ... Find out more



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