News
20.12.2023 - UK inflation falls sharply to 3.9%
UK inflation has fallen to its lowest level for more than two years, driven largely by a drop in fuel prices.
Prices rose by 3.9% in the year to November, down from 4.6% in October.
Slowing price rises for food, including staples such as pasta, milk and butter, as well as for household goods were also behind the fall.
But while inflation, which is the rate prices rise at, is now well down from its peak in 2022, it is still almost double the Bank of England's 2% target.
Falling inflation also does not mean most goods and services are cheaper, but rather prices are rising less quickly.
Grant Fit...
20.12.2023 - EU rules set to transform VAT fraud detection in e-commerce come into effect from 1 January 2024
From 1 January 2024, payment service providers (PSPs) offering payment services in the EU will be required to monitor the payees of cross-border payments. PSPs will be required to provide to the tax administrations in member states information of any business that receives more than 25 cross-border payments per quarter.
The information provided will be stored in a centralised EU database, the central electronic system of payment information (CESOP), where it can be cross-checked against other European databases. The information in CESOP will be made available to anti-fraud experts in EU membe...
19.12.2023 - Scottish Budget: Higher earners to pay more income tax
Higher earners in Scotland are to pay more income tax.
A new 45% band will be introduced for people earning between £75,000 and £125,140 - meaning they will pay more tax than they currently do.
The top rate of tax, paid by those earning more than £125,000, will also rise from 47% to 48%.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison confirmed the move as she unveiled the government's budget for next year.
The changes mean Scotland will have six income tax bands while the rest of the UK has three, with higher earners in Scotland paying more than other parts of the country.
They are designed to help plug a £1...
18.12.2023 - Legal action planned over UK’s new income threshold rules for spouse visa
Multinational families threatened with division or exile by tough new income thresholds for living together in the UK are planning legal action to overturn the “cruel and inhumane” policy.
Thousands of families with one British partner and one born abroad will be hit by the government’s announcement that from next spring, only people earning £38,700 will be allowed to bring family members to join them – up from £18,600 at the moment. Many may be forced either to live separately or to leave Britain to be together.
Reunite Families, a support and campaign organisation for people affected by immi...
08.12.2023 - Home Office unaware of the extent to which ‘mystery’ stamp has been used to grant entry to UK in error
An Albanian national was mistakenly allowed to enter the UK by an immigration officer who used a stamp described by the Home Office Presenting Officer as “a stamp which is regularly encountered, but the use of which is shrouded in mystery”. As a result, he did not meet the requirements of Appendix EU. That is the conclusion reached by the Upper Tribunal in Allaraj (EEA EFMs, admission, IO’s stamps) [2023] UKUT 00277.
Background
On 5 December 2020 the appellant travelled from the Czech Republic with his Czech national partner. His passport was stamped by an immigration officer in France stating...
07.12.2023 - Changes to the application submission procedure under the Ukraine schemes for nationals of Ukraine
The Home Office have made a change to the application process under these schemes from 7 December 2023.
Now all applicants to the Ukraine schemes are now required to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to submit visa applications and before travelling to the UK. At the VAC, applicants will have their photograph and fingerprints taken.
Applicants who are under 5 years old are not required to provide their fingerprints but must still provide a live scan facial image as a biometric.
Applicants, whose applications are approved, will receive a notification, and before travelling to the UK will b...
A new statement of changes has been laid today. Most of the changes relate to the EU Settlement Scheme and travel document requirements for school groups visiting the UK from France.
The main provisions and the date they will come into effect are set out below.
New Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse – 31 January 2024
This will replace existing provisions in the rules and provide one set of rules for those applying for settlement on the grounds of domestic abuse. Changes are also being made, which include the inclusion of those who have been subject to transnational marriage abandonment.
Depen...
05.12.2023 - Autumn Statement 2023: the tax changes that didn’t make the headlines
ICAEW’s Tax Faculty scans the Autumn Statement documents for other tax-related announcements. Various tax measures can be found in the Overview of tax legislation and rates, the Autumn Statement, and updated Tax information and impact notes.
Enterprise investment scheme (EIS) and venture capital trusts (VCTs) extended
The government has announced that EIS and VCT relief will be extended for a further ten years, beyond their existing sunset clause expiry date of 5 April 2025. This is subject to UK and international subsidy obligations being met.
Clarity over deductibility of training costs
HM...
04.12.2023 - Government plans attack families as minimum income requirement to rise to £38,700
The Home Secretary made a statement on 04 December 2023 to the House of Commons about the government’s plans to reduce net migration, mainly by separating families.
It’s yet another five point plan and is due to come into force in Spring 2024:
- People on health and care visas will no longer be able to bring family dependants and care firms must be regulated by the Care Quality Commission in order to sponsor workers.
- The skilled worker salary threshold will be increased by a third to £38,700, the care sector will be exempt.
- Ending the 20% salary discount for roles on the Shortage Oc...
23.11.2023 - UK net migration in 2022 revised up to record 745,000
Net migration into the UK was a record 745,000 last year, figures show - far higher than originally thought.
Office for National Statistics data published on Thursday show that experts have revised up previous estimates.
In May, it said net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving - for 2022 had been 606,000, 139,000 lower than the true figure.
PM Rishi Sunak's spokesman said migration was putting "unsustainable pressure on communities and councils" and it was clamping down on dependents of students arriving in the UK. "We believe there...
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