Articles & Insights



18th March 2024

Charity trustee roundtable: Supporting chairs and trustees through challenging times

At our recent charity trustee roundtable, we were joined by Joe Saxton, Chair of the Association of Chairs, who led the discussion. The key points…

11th March 2024

Property Tax Webinar

Our recent Property Tax Webinar from our Tax Partner team covered property tax and VAT issues relating to whether you’re a homeowner, real estate investor,…

8th March 2024

What International Women’s Day means to the women at HW Fisher

International Women’s Day (IWD) is a celebration honoured worldwide of the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It’s a day to raise awareness…

7th March 2024

Spring Statement 2024: Key Takeaways

In this week’s Spring Statement, likely the last major fiscal event before the impending general election, all eyes were on the potential introduction of voter-friendly…

4th March 2024

How to optimise your company’s tax position through group relief

Understanding group relief can be helpful in optimising your company’s tax position. The long-standing Corporation Tax relief allows companies within the same group to surrender…

28th February 2024

Late to file? Navigating the self-assessment tax return penalties

According to HMRC, a record 11.5 million people submitted their tax return in time for the 31 January deadline. However, it is estimated that 1.1…

23rd February 2024

The Spring Statement: Our Wishlist

With less than two weeks to go until the Chancellor delivers the Spring Statement, the team at HW Fisher share their thoughts on what the…

19th February 2024

The Register of Overseas Entities: one year on

The 31st of January 2024 marked one year since overseas entities owning UK property were mandated to register with Companies House. By creating the register,…

19th February 2024

The return of VAT free shopping for tourists?

In a much-needed intervention for struggling retailers, the Office of Budget Responsibility recently announced that it will undertake a cost versus benefit review of tax-free…

14th February 2024

Thinking about proposing this Valentine’s Day? Four marriage tax breaks you will love

Today is Valentine’s Day and for many around the world, it is a special time to show their love and affection for others. Some might…

12th February 2024

What accountants should be thinking about in 2024

This article was first published on Accountancy Today.  The accountancy profession is evolving rapidly, with several changes that demand the attention and strategic response from…

9th February 2024

Brexit – 4 years on

It’s been four years since the UK officially left the European Union (EU), yet the much spoken of demise of UK PLC has not materialised.…

5th February 2024

National Apprenticeship Week – A day in the life of Leyla Murtagh

To celebrate this year’s National Apprenticeship Week, we caught up with Leyla Murtagh, an AAT Apprentice in the Not-for-Profit team at HW Fisher, on what…

29th January 2024

Self-assessment tips for Airbnb and short-term let hosts

Since 1 January 2024, platforms like Airbnb specialising in short-term rentals have been required to send data on their clients’ earnings to HM Revenue and…

25th January 2024

Higher Education Chair of Audit Committee Roundtable: HEPI’s View of the Sector

At our recent Chair of Audit Committee Roundtable, we were joined by Nick Hillman, Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), who led us…

25th January 2024

Tax refunds – could you be eligible?

Is there a better feeling than finding out that you have paid too much tax? Stevie Heafford, Tax Partner at HW Fisher explains who could…

25th January 2024

Gifts out of surplus income – Three rules to remember

Making gifts throughout your lifetime is an effective way to ensure that you are leaving as much behind to your loved ones as possible whilst…

8th January 2024

Tips for self-employed individuals when preparing their tax return

A self-assessment tax return can look daunting; however, with the right information and a little insider know-how, it can become a lot simpler. In this…

4th January 2024

The self-assessment deadline is fast approaching – Five common mistakes to watch out for

According to data published by HMRC this week, nearly 5.7 million customers still need to file their self-assessment tax returns for the tax year ending…

20th December 2023

2023 at HW Fisher: Celebrating milestones and embracing change

2023 was a landmark year for HW Fisher, celebrating 90 years in business and five years post-management buyout. This year, we honoured our history and…

20th December 2023

A Q&A with HW Fisher’s Tanya Craft

Tanya Craft commenced her journey at HW Fisher in 2011 as an Accountant through the ACA programme. Over thirteen years, she ascended to a director…

14th December 2023

Charity Trustee Roundtable: Skills vs Experience – Building the right board

At our recent Charity Trustee Roundtable, we were joined by Kai Adams, Managing Partner of Green Park who led us through a discussion around board…

12th December 2023

Who will benefit from the Chancellor’s NI cuts?

This article was first published on FT Adviser. During the Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced the first ever cuts to National Insurance payments. In his…

11th December 2023

The future of self-assessment – will digital platform reporting take over?

Over 20 years ago, the UK government introduced self-assessment for individual taxpayers. The concept was that individuals would prepare their own tax returns and HMRC…

11th December 2023

Inheritance for the baby boomer generation – when to use a deed of variation

It is understood that the baby boomer generation, those born between 1946 and 1964,  have over 50% of Britain’s wealth and many are on the…

5th December 2023

Specialist webinar on tax issues affecting the Not for Profit sector

  We recently held a webinar discussing VAT, tax and employment tax issues affecting the Not for Profit sector and what finance teams should be…

29th November 2023

Moving to the UK? 5 key tax and visa considerations

Immigration and taxes are key to understanding whether a move to the UK is feasible and these rules can also change from time to time.…

29th November 2023

Tax and visa considerations to be aware of if you’re moving to the UK

Immigration and taxes are key to understanding whether a move to the UK is viable, or indeed even possible. Immigration and tax rules change from…

22nd November 2023

The Autumn Statement 2023: tax changes to be aware of

Today the Chancellor announced the Autumn Statement and there are some milestone tax changes to be aware of.  Overall, there is some good news for…

21st November 2023

Five changes to watch out for in this week’s Autumn Statement

As the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer prepares to announce tax cuts in his Autumn Statement this week, our tax experts outline five changes to…

3rd November 2023

VAT registration goes fully digital

From 13th November, businesses and agents must register for VAT online as part of HMRC’s Making Tax Digital strategy. In this article, Mike Block, VAT…

Girl reading book

1st November 2023

National Authors Day – Your top ten tax questions answered

Today is National Authors Day, an opportunity to celebrate talented writers across the country that have helped to shape our lives with the stories that…

The risk of aligning Capital Gains Tax with Income Tax

30th October 2023

Not all profits are the same – The risk of aligning Capital Gains Tax to Income Tax

In the 2021-22 financial year, UK taxpayers paid a record £16.7bn in Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to HMRC, a tax on the profit when you…

24th October 2023

Avoid the October 31st scaries by filing your self-assessment online!

The deadline for individuals choosing to complete their self-assessment via post means you have until the 31st October (aka Halloween) for HMRC to receive all…

23rd October 2023

Our 90-year anniversary – Celebrating our past, present and future

2023 marks the 90th year since HW Fisher’s foundation. I am so proud of where we are today with the knowledge that our future is…

Pay the correct stamp duty land tax

16th October 2023

Buying a property – make sure you pay the correct Stamp Duty Land Tax

It has been a year since the increases in the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) thresholds for residential property took effect. As a result of…

16th October 2023

Learn the value of school fees planning

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated that the average cost of private school fees across the UK in 2022/2023 was £15,200. This marks an increase…

4th October 2023

Common tax residency pitfalls to avoid

Since April 2013 tax residency in the UK has been determined by a number of tests collectively known as the Statutory Residence Test (‘SRT’). Prior…

28th September 2023

One week left to register for self-assessment tax return

The deadline for individuals to register themselves for Self-Assessment is October 5th. With only a week to go, Trusha Shah, Tax Manager at HW Fisher…

26th September 2023

How to value your business – a guide to valuation techniques

When it comes to buying or selling a business, you want to know how much it is worth.  There are three primary approaches used when…

21st September 2023

HMRC reveals Inheritance Tax receipts are on the rise

Today HMRC announced that it has collected £3.2 billion in Inheritance Tax (IHT) between April and August 2023, which represents a £0.3 billion year on…

13th September 2023

Tax implications that non-resident sportspeople need to know

As a sportsperson, travelling the world and competing from different global locations is an exciting endeavour. If you’re a non-UK resident sportsperson, you should be…

12th September 2023

Why might I need a business valuation?

You might wonder why you would ever need to value your business, but the circumstances arise more often than you might think. Exit strategy/selling your…

7th September 2023

Higher Education Chair of Audit Committee roundtable – the view from the regulator

At our recent Higher Education Chair of Audit Committee Roundtable, we were fortunate to be joined by Nolan Smith from the Office for Students (OfS)…

6th September 2023

Buying a business – Why seek advice early?

Buying a business is a big decision, whether it’s a first-time acquisition or part of an existing growth strategy. However, the journey from finding a…

30th August 2023

Normalised working capital and completion mechanisms

When someone offers to buy a business, they will usually value it based on an enterprise value, which assumes the acquisition will be on a…

25th August 2023

Retiring abroad? Don’t trip up on your taxes

Leaving the UK to retire abroad? Perhaps sunny Marbella is on your bucket list or somewhere a little further afield? Whatever you decide, it is…

22nd August 2023

Inheritance Tax receipts up £1bn on previous tax year – Your top 10 IHT planning questions answered

Data published by HMRC today reveals that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts for April 2023 to July 2023 totalled £270.2 billion, representing a £17.3 billion increase…

14th August 2023

Sell Side Health Check

If you are looking to sell your business, or to exit an existing investment, have you ever considered undertaking a financial health check? In our…

11th August 2023

Should You Pay Yourself a Salary or Dividends?

If you are a director of a limited company, you usually have the option of paying yourself a salary or dividends. Until recently generally there…

7th August 2023

Capital Allowances – Exploring new incentives

From April 2023 until the end of March 2026, companies can claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying investments through the full expensing relief. Andrew Tall,…

7th August 2023

Is your ‘Know Your Donor’ policy up to date?

The UK’s response to the Russia-Ukraine War has seen a significant increase in additions to the UK’s Sanctions List.  Tamara Howe, Director of Financial Crime…

7th August 2023

Introducing the new R&D Additional Information Form

From the 8 August 2023, all businesses claiming R&D tax relief or expenditure credit will be required to submit an additional information form through HMRC’s…

25th July 2023

Why next week’s changes to Alcohol Duty could dampen spirits

With effect from 1 August 2023, significant changes to UK alcohol duty will be introduced in an effort to standardise the tax by removing the…

24th July 2023

One week to go until the second ‘payments on account’ deadline – What self-employed taxpayers need to know

The second ‘payments on account’ deadline is on July 31st. With only one week to go, Stevie Heafford, Tax Partner outlines what ‘payments on account’…

21st July 2023

Debra Allcock Tyler – insights from a formidable force in the charity sector

Debra Allcock Tyler, a formidable force in the charity sector, joined us at our recent Charity Trustee Roundtable. Read on for a summary of her…

17th July 2023

Time to Buy or Sell?

Over the past three years, the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in significant disturbances to the world economy, with the aftershocks resulting in supply chain issues, inflation,…

14th July 2023

Corporation Tax incentives – reasons to invest in the UK

Despite the recent increase, the UK’s Corporation Tax rates remain competitive when compared to other jurisdictions. As a result, this is helping the UK to…

13th July 2023

Why the UK leads the investment table for overseas companies

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the UK surpassed £2 trillion in foreign investment for the first time in…

4th July 2023

Need to register for HMRC’s Trust Registration Service? Join the club

HMRC’s Trust Registration Service (TRS) is an online register of the beneficial ownership of assets held in trusts. Since the 6th October 2020, all expressly…

30th June 2023

Wimbledon has started! Serve up your spare room to make some tax free cash during this year’s tournament

The cost of living pinch in the UK is in full swing. There is no sign of inflation coming down and interest rates have hit…

26th June 2023

HMRC extends the deadline for voluntary National Insurance contributions

HMRC has announced that taxpayers now have until 5 April 2025 to fill gaps in their National Insurance record that may increase their State Pension.…

14th June 2023

Divorce – how to ease the tax burden

In March, HMRC announced a change to the transfer of assets rule which will impact spouses and civil partners who are in the process of…

13th June 2023

Simplifications for trusts and estates

Article written by Marc Brinklow, Trust Manager The Chancellor has brought in a number of changes for trusts and estates with the aim of simplifying…

31st May 2023

Byte the Book and The Economics of Publishing – our top 5 takeaways

We were delighted to join some of our clients and friends at a recent Byte the Book panel event, organised by the wonderful Justine Solomons,…

25th May 2023

Navigating VAT: guidance for fintech companies

We have all experienced the impact that financial technology (fintech) has had upon the delivery of financial services. The UK has emerged as one of…

19th May 2023

Inheritance Tax – HMRC and the 7-year rule

When it comes to Inheritance Tax (IHT), did you know that there isn’t any tax due on outright gifts if you survive for 7 years…

18th May 2023

Property investing and securing your financial future

We recently joined an expert webinar with The WealthiHer Network, focusing on the topic of property investment and securing your financial future. A line-up of…

27th April 2023

Small and specialist universities are vital to competition and innovation in higher education

The Higher Education Policy Institute has published the first holistic picture of small and special-focus universities in Size is Everything: What small, specialist and practice-based…

18th April 2023

Reminder: Act now to ensure State Pension eligibility before July deadline

An individual’s eligibility for the UK State Pension is based on the number of ‘qualifying years’ they have on their national insurance records. However, sometimes…

4th April 2023

UK to join Indo-Pacific trade bloc in biggest trade deal since Brexit

UK has been accepted into an Indo-Pacific trade bloc in what the government says is its biggest trade deal since Brexit. The Comprehensive and Progressive…

31st March 2023

Overseas Workdays Relief – Considerations for a new tax year

As a new tax year beckons, it is once again important to make internationally mobile employees aware of a highly valuable tax relief known as…

30th March 2023

Payments on Account – should you make a claim to reduce?

Many taxpayers who receive income gross (without the deduction of tax) are required to make payments on account towards their following year tax liabilities e.g.…

21st March 2023

Prepare for upcoming Corporation Tax changes in April

In the Spring Statement, the Chancellor confirmed that Corporation Tax will increase to 25% from 1 April 2023. This will raise around £18 billion a…

20th March 2023

HMRC nudge letters: advice to influencers 

This month, HMRC has written to thousands of influencers who it suspects have not paid the right taxes for money earned online – this is…

16th March 2023

Spring Statement 2023: Key takeaways

Jeremy Hunt delivered his first Spring Statement yesterday as Chancellor. As part of his ‘Budget for Growth’, he announced a number of key changes to…

9th March 2023

Spring Statement: 5 things the Chancellor should prioritise

The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, is preparing to deliver his spring budget next week, his second statement since taking the job. While few significant tax changes…

8th March 2023

International Women’s Day – striving to continue to grow and “be better”

The aim of this year’s International Women’s Day #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren’t enough.  At HW…

28th February 2023

Northern Ireland Trade Deal – 10 key changes to be aware of

Following the Prime Minister’s newly announced trade deal with Northern Ireland, Gerry Myton, Head of Indirect Tax at accountancy firm HW Fisher, shares a summary…

23rd February 2023

Webinar – Tax issues impacting the Not For Profit sector

We recently held a webinar on tax issues affecting the Not for Profit sector. This covered important issues on guidance and policy changes relating to…

22nd February 2023

Missed the tax return deadline? What happens next?

More than 11.7m taxpayers filed their tax returns before the 31st January 2023. However HMRC has revealed that more than 600,000 taxpayers missed the deadline.…

13th February 2023

HW Fisher propose potential tax savings ahead of Valentine’s Day

It’s Valentine’s Day this week and HW Fisher outlines what Marriage Tax Allowance is, how it works and how you can claim it, plus other…

7th February 2023

National Apprenticeship Week – Q&A series with Harry Lane and Lisa Matthews

For National Apprenticeship Week, we’re celebrating the achievement of our apprentices’ past and present and the positive impact they make to our firm. Our well-respected…

13th January 2023

What you need to know from four recent VAT cases in the UK courts

Gerry Myton, Tax Partner, discusses the most recent VAT cases to go through UK courts and what we can learn from them. Mainpay Ltd v…

13th January 2023

HMRC updates: a new VAT Penalty Regime, changing policy for museums and galleries and new legislation to energy support schemes

In this month’s VAT Update Gerry Myton, Tax Partner, shares three key VAT updates from HMRC to pay attention to as we head into 2023.…

13th January 2023

3 customs duty updates you need to be aware of

As you may be aware, the shutdown of the CHIEF system was due to be finalised in the first quarter of 2023. However, recent updates…

11th January 2023

Less than a month to go until the Self-Assessment tax return deadline – Avoid these common mistakes

According to HMRC, nearly 5.7 million customers still need to file their self-assessment tax return for the tax year ended 5 April 2022. The deadline…

1st December 2022

Home is where the money is – Five tax considerations to be aware of

With the cost-of-living crisis hitting home for everyone, more people are looking for new ways to generate income. From taking in lodgers to renting parking…

21st November 2022

Overseas entities: registration at Companies House

HM Land Registry Letter to Overseas Entities:What you need to know about the Notice of Entry of a Restriction The month of October saw HM…

18th November 2022

The Autumn Statement: tax changes to be aware of

The Chancellor has announced the Autumn Statement – and there are some milestone tax changes to be aware of. Today was always going to be…

16th November 2022

UK businesses crave certainty ahead of Autumn Statement

The chancellor Jeremy Hunt is planning a series of stealth tax rises, among other tax rises and spending cuts, that will force small businesses to pay…

16th November 2022

Autumn Statement predictions from HW Fisher

Many predict that the Chancellor will shake up tax rules on dividend payments. Tim Walford-Fitzgerald comments on the predictions: “Fiscal drag is a term that…

14th November 2022

Customs Declaration Service – The new CHIEF

HMRC is replacing Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system with the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). The shutdown of CHIEF will be done…

11th November 2022

‘Tis the season to be tax savvy – 5 Christmas party tax breaks you need to know 

With the festive season fast approaching, it’s time to start planning your Christmas celebrations. Last year the pandemic forced many businesses to cancel their Christmas…

4th November 2022

Charity Trustees Roundtable write up – the view of the Regulator

We were delighted to be joined by Will Lifford, Board Member at the Charity Commission, at our recent Charity Trustee Roundtable where the group discussion…

4th November 2022

Trust registration service – what you need to know following the 1 September deadline

Article written by Marc Brinklow, Trust Manager As a quick recap, the Trust Registration Service (“TRS”) is an online system managed by HMRC, which requires…

27th October 2022

What you need to know about the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement

On 28 February 2022, two months after signing the UK-Australia free trade agreement, the UK signed a free trade agreement with New Zealand, aiming to…

18th October 2022

Director’s loans: what you should know about potential tax liabilities

Borrowing money is often attached to a host of financial complexities, and there are various questions you should be asking before entering a loan agreement.…

18th October 2022

Six areas for Finance Directors to consider at the start of a new academic year

As we start a new university academic year, finance directors and senior management teams will have a lot on their minds in an ever-changing and…