Insights

HMRC have launched a ‘nudge’ campaign targeting the corporation tax treatment of management expenses for UK holding companies of overseas subsidiaries.

As part of HMRC’s processes to ensure the integrity of the R&D tax relief scheme, compliance checks are becoming increasingly common. As such, they are not to be interpreted as a sign of potential wrongdoing, but as a routine safeguard. In this article, we explore what have we learned over the past couple of years so that businesses can prepare and respond effectively.

The recent Autumn Budget offers an insight into HMRC’s future areas of focus, through its announcements and future funding commitments. It is clear that HMRC will continue its efforts to address the tax gap, especially in relation to tax evasion, criminal activity, and the hidden economy. For businesses and individuals, this will likely translate directly into a higher risk of HMRC scrutiny and investigation.

The Autumn Budget 2025 brings a mix of opportunities and cost pressures for real estate and construction. For property businesses, higher taxes on rental income and reduced capital allowances will impact returns, while business rates reform offers relief for smaller high-street businesses but increases costs for large commercial sites. In construction, rising National Minimum Wage, frozen tax thresholds, and changes to NICs will push up payroll costs. Meanwhile, halving capital gains tax relief on Employee Ownership Trusts makes them less attractive for succession planning and may prompt business owners to reconsider exit strategies.

Buzzacott provides financial and tax due diligence to Birch Faraday Capital on its acquisition of E&A Holdings 2020 Limited and D&G Builders and Joiners Limited

UK cryptoasset regulation is evolving. The FCA plans to apply traditional finance rules to cryptoasset activities, requiring full authorisation, consumer protection, and operational resilience.

After months of rumour, leaks, and speculation, the Chancellor delivered her second budget yesterday. Unfortunately, this came an hour after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had already published many of the details in their Economic and fiscal outlook on their website, resulting in a somewhat confusing rollout.

This article explores why an independent valuation is key to securing tax reliefs in an EOT as well as ensuring the transition to employee ownership is successful.