M Levin & Co

M Levin & Co Taxation Practitioner providing essential information (and protection) in tax - and - Accountancy,

18/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Thursday 18 June 2026

HMRC

HMRC broadens scrutiny of founders’ pay in company sales -
- Financial Times (Josephine Cumbo)

HMRC is increasing scrutiny of how entrepreneurs are taxed when selling their businesses, particularly where deals involve earnouts or deferred payments linked to future performance or continued involvement. These structures are common in start-ups where valuations are uncertain, with tax experts reporting that HMRC is reviewing whether such payments should be treated as capital gains or as income, as misclassification could indicate tax avoidance. Matthew Brown, technical officer at the Chartered Institute of Taxation, commented: “It is important to take professional tax advice early in the sale process to reduce the risk of disputes”

Income tax

BBC Radio Nottingham - From (2:25:51)

During the Arun Verma show, the head of foresight at Nesta (an innovation agency for social good) emphasised the importance of income tax for paying for public services. Laurie Smith went over the history of income tax and cited the Association of Tax Technicians, saying ‘strictly speaking’, income tax is technically a “temporary tax” that must be renewed each year.
[NB - True. Reminder: It was introduced to pay for our wars with the French]

Pensions

State pension ‘stealth tax’ warning as Rachel Reeves told ‘don’t act surprised’ - Express (Adam Toms)

The Express reports on the Westminster Hall debate on an e-petition calling for the introduction of a new tax code to double the £12,570 Personal Allowance for state pensioners. It quotes Joanne Walker, Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) Technical Officer, who has highlighted that: “Extending the personal allowance freeze to April 2031 will mean more people on lower incomes are brought into tax as earnings rise and thresholds stay put”. The government said last year that people whose only income comes from the state pension will not have to pay tax this Parliament.
NB - Reminder. We have, many times, urged for the old "Age Allowance" to be re-introduced. That would accomplish the Chancellor's announcement, that has yet to be implemented. It would also take anxiety away from elderly (and unrepresented) pensioners whose TOTAL income was slightly above the £12,570 Personal Tax Allowance].

Property taxes

Will Andy Burnham’s tax plan hit your home? -
- The Times (Jack Simpson and Dan Atherton)

The Times reports that if Andy Burnham were to win a future Labour leadership contest, his plans for power could increase costs for homeowners. Burnham has long supported reform of stamp duty and council tax, proposing to replace them with a property tax set at around 0.48% of a home’s value. Analysis by Times Money suggests that, if introduced, households in some areas could face rises of £1,000 or more per year.

Tax administration

Billionaire trader accuses HMRC of ‘gloating’ after winning tax battle - The Telegraph (Louis Goss)

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the billionaire trader Alex Gerko must pay a further £22.5 million in income tax. The founder of XTX Markets and one of the UK’s largest taxpayers argued that HMRC’s treatment of deferred trading profits from his HFFX partnership resulted in “massive double taxation”. While HMRC welcomed the court decision, Gerko posted on LinkedIn: “Pretty astonishing from HMRC to get 70pc effective tax rate and also gloat about it.”

Inheritance tax

Inheritance tax enquiries surge to six-year high after HMRC clampdown - City A.M. (Jenna O'Flynn)

HMRC has seen a marked increase in inheritance tax (IHT) enquiries, rising to 4,940 in the last financial year. This coincides with record IHT receipts of £8.5 billion, driven by frozen thresholds. Nikita Cooper of Price Bailey highlighted that only 40% of compliance checks resulted in amendments, down from 45% the previous year and 83% in 2021. She added: “This is unfair on the taxpayers who are coping with bereavement”.

17/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Wednesday 17 June 2026

Tax rises

Rachel Reeves ‘hopes’ to fund defence without tax rises -
- Financial Times (Ian Smith, Sam Fleming, Chris Giles, Lucy Fisher and Charles Clover)
- Taxes are destined to rise to fund defence – here’s where Reeves could strike (The Telegraph – Alex Marsh)

The FT reports that the Chancellor has told Cabinet ministers she wants to avoid ‘immediate’ tax increases to pay for defence spending, instead asking them to identify cuts in other departmental budgets. Asked at the FT Global Bond Summit whether she can make it to the without needing to increase taxes, Rachel Reeves replied: “I very much hope so.” Meanwhile, the Telegraph has run a story looking at which taxes the Chancellor could raise in the Budget, including income tax, national insurance and capital gains.


Tax reforms

Tax crackdown on Shein and Temu could be sped up to help UK shops - The Times (Isabella Fish)

The UK government is reviewing the timetable for reforms to the ‘de minimis’ regime, which exempts imports under £135 from customs duties. Although changes were originally planned for 2029, ministers may accelerate some measures following pressure from UK retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Currys and AO World, who argue the exemption gives an advantage to overseas firms like Shein and Temu.

Inheritance tax

In your 50s? How to prepare for new IHT rules on pensions that could cost tens of thousands of pounds -
- Independent (Lori Campbell)

Unused pension pots will fall within the scope of inheritance tax from April 2027, primarily affecting defined contribution schemes. Financial advisers are encouraging individuals in their 50s to reassess their retirement plans. As Rachel Vahey of AJ Bell explains, “At the moment, pensions don’t count within the estate for inheritance tax. So it currently makes sense to use other savings and investments for income in retirement, and leave pension income until last. But once the new rules come in this will change”.

National Insurance

Two-tier taxes are not the way to get Britain back to work -
- City A.M. (Joanna Marchong)

Reform UK’s proposal to reduce employer national insurance for British workers, but not immigrants, has been criticised by the Adam Smith Institute for failing to tackle the underlying causes of unemployment. The Institute's head of communications, Joanna Marchong, has argued that the “lack” of jobs is due to businesses being “squeezed”. She calls for lower jobs taxes for everyone, “not to means-test it by nationality and hand HMRC a two-tier system to police”.

VAT

'Tax break tart’: hospitality tipped to exploit summer VAT cut on children’s meals - Guardian (Rob Davies)

The Guardian suggests that restaurants may seek to ‘exploit’ the summer VAT cut on children’s meals by inventing “enterprising” ruses to qualify more dishes for the relief, with some offering unconventional kids’ dishes such as wild burgundy snail salad and anchovy butter toast. While the temporary VAT reduction is intended to help families, industry figures labelled it as a “laughable”, highlighting that the sector has faced around £5 billion in additional costs in recent years. The chief executive of chain Admiral Taverns, Chris Jowsey, described the resulting savings as “so small it’s embarrassing”.

16/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Tuesday 16 June 2026

HMRC

HMRC complaints delays hit five-year high despite recruitment blitz - Daily Telegraph (Alex Marsh and Ollie Corfe)
- HMRC warning as taxpayer complaint delays hit five-year high despite hiring 3,000 extra staff (GB News – Temie Laleye)
- HMRC 40-day warning over £300 fines people 'have never been told about' (Birmingham Mail – James Rodger)

Complaints against HMRC have increased, with 12,670 grievances reported in the 2024-25 financial year, a 66% increase from the previous year. The Telegraph says this is despite the tax office hiring thousands more staff. HMRC attributes the rise to issues with child benefit payments and has argued that current wait times are around ten minutes and customer satisfaction is at 80%. However, critics argue that the focus on enforcement over customer service is detrimental to taxpayers seeking assistance. Joanne Walker, of the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, said that HMRC had processes in place to refund reasonable costs – such as for postage, phone calls and professional fees – if complaints remained unresolved. She said: “HMRC may also consider making a compensatory payment, if the reason for the complaint has caused the customer worry or distress, or if there has been an unreasonable delay.”

Pensions

HMRC knowingly overcharging millions of pensioners in income tax - The Times (Alice Wright and Katie Tarrant)

HMRC is ‘knowingly overcharging’ millions of pensioners on their tax bill, reports the Times. It may have collected as much as £43.5 million last year by increasing the bills of up to 8.7 million pensioners, who pay income tax, by about £5 each. HMRC is aware that pensioners have been overcharged for at least ten months, raising concerns that the extra charge has been added to bills for years. Antonia Stokes, senior manager at the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, said: “We would urge HMRC to work quickly to rectify errors in the pre-populated state pension information included in taxpayers’ records, and proactively seek to correct any overcharged tax.” HMRC has acknowledged the overcharging issue and plans to rectify the problem later this summer but is not issuing automatic refunds.

National insurance

Reform pledges to increase tax on foreign workers -
- Daily Telegraph (Tony Diver)
- Reform pledges tax cut for firms hiring Brits with ‘migrant labour levy’ targeting bosses using foreign workers (The Sun – Ryan Sabey)

Reform UK plans to tax companies hiring foreign workers more to pay for a reduction in national insurance contributions for British employees. The party’s treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick said this would prioritise British workers and end "the cheap migrant labour racket once and for all." He claimed the £11.2 billion cost to the Treasury would be offset by an additional levy on foreign employees, while any shrinkage in the tax base would be compensated for by a dramatic fall in benefits paid to British workers. Reform believes that any legal challenge to the policy would be rejected because the party also plans to also abolish the Equality Act, the Telegraph notes.

Property taxes

Opinion: Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax isn’t far off Labour’s housing policy - The Guardian (Anna Minton)

Reflecting on New York mayor Zohran Mamdani's new tax on luxury second homes, Anna Minton, reader in architecture at the University of East London, argues in the Guardian that there are lessons for the UK. She notes that taxes on second homes and high-value properties can raise revenue and help address housing affordability by targeting wealth tied up in under-used real estate. Minton highlights that more than a quarter of properties in parts of central London were empty at the 2021 census, arguing that housing has become increasingly financialised. She suggests wealth taxes are unlikely to trigger a significant exodus of affluent residents and could support a fairer housing market.

Visitor levy

Caravan holidays face 100pc tax under Labour plans -
- Daily Telegraph (Harry Brennan)

Labour's proposed visitor levy could impose tax rates of up to 100% on budget staycations, impacting working families the most. Holiday resorts like Butlins and Haven warn that low-income holidaymakers could face higher effective tax rates than wealthier families. The Government has yet to finalise the levy details, but local mayors are eager to implement it to fund local projects.

15/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Saturday 13 to Monday 15 June 2026

Birthday Honours

Three people from Calderdale included on King's Birthday Honours List - Halifax Courier (Tom Scargill)
- King’s Birthday Honours 2026: The full list of all 1,182 people recognised this year (The Independent)

Emma Rawson, Director of Public Policy at the Association of Taxation Technicians, will receive an OBE for public service in the King’s Birthday Honours. Emma has been recognised for her work supporting HMRC on the Making Tax Digital scheme, which was launched this year.

Devolution

Ministers could give billions raised by business rates to England’s regions - The Guardian (Kiran Stacey)

Ministers are considering a significant shift in the English tax system by devolving control over business rates, and potentially income tax receipts, to regional mayors. Local government secretary Steve Reed said the Government aims to give local leaders more control over tax revenues. However, he pointed to the need for an equalisation mechanism to prevent regional inequality.

Pensions

Andy Burnham: I’ll keep the triple lock, and give pensioners a tax cut - The i (Caroline Wheeler)
- Burnham: Income-tax freeze is harming pensioners (Daily Telegraph – Amy Gibbons)
- Rachel Reeves accused of 'targeting' pensioners in 'ludicrous' tax raid (Daily Express – Jonathan Walker)

Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham has said he would revise his party’s freeze on income tax thresholds if he becomes Prime Minister. The mayor of Greater Manchester warned that pensioners are being harmed by the policy, which the Office for Budget Responsibility said would mean an estimated 1 million pensioners into paying the tax for the first time. In an interview with the i paper, Burnham also said he would keep the pension triple lock in place for the remainder of the current parliament. A petition with 119,000 signatures calls for a new tax code for state pensioners, giving them a higher tax-exempt limit to avoid being hit by the freeze.
[NB - Err. Broken record? Why not re-introduce the old "Age Allowance" for Pensioners?]

Well-off pensioners to pay extra £4,000 in tax to maintain lifestyle -
- Daily Telegraph (Alex Marsh)

Pensioners now require a post-tax income of £45,400 for a comfortable retirement, according to Pensions UK. This is £4,262 more than five years ago. The increase is due to higher living costs and frozen tax thresholds, which have nearly doubled the tax burden since 2020/21. A comfortable retirement is defined by Pensions UK as having enough money for luxuries such as an annual two-week holiday in Europe, with about £78 a week available to spend on groceries and £66 a week for takeaways or meals out.

Business taxes

Wetherspoon's Tim Martin tells Rachel Reeves how to save Britain's pubs - Daily Express (David Williamson)

Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin has criticised higher employer national insurance contributions and wage costs, arguing they are adding pressure to pubs and hospitality businesses. He called for a level tax playing field between pubs and supermarkets, highlighting VAT differences on food sales. Martin also warned that high business rates, regulation and planning delays are contributing to high street decline, while stressing the social and economic value of pubs in local communities.

Tax delay ‘risks UK becoming a dumping ground’ -
- The Times (Isabella Fish)

Retailers are urging the Government to speed up plans to close the £135 "de minimis" customs loophole, warning delays could put UK high streets at risk and turn Britain into a destination for low-cost imports. The rule allows overseas sellers such as Temu and Shein to ship low-value parcels duty-free, while UK retailers face import duties, VAT and compliance costs. Andrew Murphy, chief executive of The Entertainer, criticised plans to wait until 2029 for reform, arguing it prolongs an uneven playing field.

Tax rises

More tax pain is on the way for Britons in the autumn -
- The Mail on Sunday (Hamish McRae)

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Hamish McRae argues that worsening public finances will leave the Government with little choice but to raise taxes. Suggesting that the UK's borrowing position is deteriorating, he argues that small tax changes or further targeting of high earners are unlikely to generate enough revenue. As a result, he believes the Chancellor will consider broad-based tax rises, with an increase in income tax and/or VAT likely. He warns that the burden is increasingly likely to fall on middle-income taxpayers because the share of income tax paid by the top 1% of earners has declined in recent years.

Wealth taxes

The case for Labour to introduce a wealth tax has never been stronger - The Guardian (Phillip Inman)

Phillip Inman in the Guardian considers the merits of taxes on wealth, noting that Labour leadership hopefuls Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting have suggested they would favour such policies. Gabriel Zucman, an economist, advocates for a 2% tax on fortunes over £100 million, citing research showing that the top 0.001% of families in the Sunday Times Rich List own the equivalent of 22% of GDP, up from 5% in 1989.

Tax on savings

Over 1mn UK current accounts holding £50,000-plus earn zero interest, research finds - Financial Times (James Pickford)
- Surge in savers hit with £5,000 tax bills (Daily Telegraph – Charlotte Gifford)

The number of people paying £5,000 or more in tax on savings interest has nearly tripled in four years, from 52,700 in 2022/23 to a projected 144,000 in 2026/27. This marks an increase of 173%, with the spike driven by higher interest rates and frozen allowances. Overall, more than 2.7 million savers are expected to pay tax on savings income by 2026/27, up from 2.2 million in 2023/24. The rise is particularly hitting higher earners with large cash holdings outside ISAs, and experts warn the burden will increase further when the tax rate on savings income rises in 2027 and the cash ISA allowance is cut.

VAT

HMRC wins £190million tax battle against Bolt in major Court of Appeal ruling - GB News (Joe Sledge)

HMRC has won a Court of Appeal challenge against ride-hailing company Bolt, ruling that its taxi services do not qualify for a scheme which permits travel and holiday businesses to only pay VAT on the profit they make on package trips. The decision overturns earlier tribunal rulings and could affect more than £1 billion of similar VAT disputes across the sector.

12/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Friday 12 June 2026

International taxes

Reeves to tempt rich US expats with lower taxes -
- Telegraph (Szu Ping Chan, Economics Editor)

Rachel Reeves will ease the tax burden facing rich Americans as she seeks to reverse the flow of billionaires leaving Britain, reports the Telegraph. The paper says that the Treasury is taking steps to stop wealthy US investors who want to live in Britain from facing effective tax rates exceeding 75%. It explains that this is because members of US limited liability companies are currently charged in both countries on their earnings. A Treasury consultation was published on Wednesday. Reeves reportedly told entrepreneurs at a Downing Street breakfast on Wednesday that she would seek to make changes “shortly after” the consultation closes in July.

Property taxes

Let Sadiq Khan have control over tax on London homes, Labour-linked think tank says -
- Telegraph (Maya Wilson Autzen, Senior Money Writer)

Regional mayors should be given greater powers over taxation, particularly over property levies, a think tank with close ties to the Labour Party has said. In a report published on Wednesday, ThinkLabour (formerly Labour Together) stated: “By giving mayors the ability to capture the uplift in land values, they will have the incentive to grow their economies and a revenue stream to borrow against.” The report echoes calls from the group under its previous iteration to give mayors powers to target valuable properties. Earlier this year, it also backed calls for a proportional property tax to replace council tax.

Income tax and national insurance

Pension warning as almost three million people expected to cut back on retirement saving - Mirror (Levi Wi******er, Money Editor)

Almost 2.9 million people are expected to slash their pension contributions when new salary sacrifice rules come into force, says the Mirror. The paper reports new figures obtained from HMRC through a Freedom of Information request by former pensions minister and LCP partner Steve Webb that suggest millions of people are planning on cutting back on pension saving as a result of the upcoming changes. Webb said: “The Government has presented the changes to salary sacrifice for pensions as being a relatively painless way of cracking down on a tax break mostly enjoyed by the well off. But these figures show that the effects of the policy will be far more damaging than had previously been admitted.”

State pension concerns over 'unfair' new tax rules -
- Express (Nicholas Dawson, Finance Reporter)

An article in The Express covers the government’s commitment to make changes so those on the state pension alone without increments will not pay income tax even after the full new state pension rises above the income tax personal allowance next April. The paper quotes a spokesperson from investment firm Aegon UK saying the change could lead to inequalities, as some people pay tax while others with a similar income don't. The details of how this will work have yet to be set out by ministers. Legislation is expected in the next Finance Bill.
[NB - A re-introduction of the old "Age Allowance", would serve this purpose, and economise on worries, administration, etc]

Surge in savers hit with £5,000 tax bills -
- Telegraph (Charlotte Gifford, Senior Money Reporter)

The number of people paying tax bills of more than £5,000 on their savings has nearly tripled in the last four years, according to data revealed to The Telegraph via a Freedom of Information request. The figure has leapt from 52,700 in 2022-23 to 144,000 in 2026-27. The paper notes that the personal savings allowance has not risen since it was introduced in April 2016, remaining at £1,000 for basic-rate taxpayers and £500 for higher-rate taxpayers.

People earning less than £80,000 urged to claim £3,268 HMRC cash boost - Express (Claire Schofield)

The Express publicises a reminder issued by HMRC encouraging people to claim child benefit as soon as they become eligible. HMRC have noted that more than 30% of new parents are missing out on payments by not claiming in their baby's first year. The article notes that it is still worth claiming child benefit even if you earn £80,000 or more as it means you'll get national Insurance credits and an NI number for your child, even if you have to repay the child benefit via the high income charge.

11/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Thursday 11 June 2026

Levels of taxation

Keir Starmer won’t rule out tax rises to pay for bigger defence budget - The Times (Oliver Wright and Larisa Brown)

The Times reports that the Prime Minister has not ruled out tax rises to pay for the government’s defence commitments, with the Chancellor reiterating that the government cannot fund the additional spending through borrowing. Senior economists have suggested that the government will have to use its autumn 2026 Budget to increase defence spending to at least 3% of GDP in order to meet its targets. Max Warner of the Institute of Fiscal Studies warned the Chancellor “is likely to have no choice but to look at raising tax or cutting spending elsewhere. It’s going to be very hard to fund with just little fiddles or salami-slicing cuts”.

VAT

Reform plans tax break for ‘alarm clock Britain’ -
- The Telegraph (Pieter Snepvangers, Political Reporter)
- Reform UK vows to raise VAT threshold to £150,000 (City A.M. - Maurício Alencar)

Reform UK have said they would raise the threshold at which sole traders start paying VAT to £150,000 to support “alarm clock Britain”. Party leader Nigel Farage said the existing threshold of £90,000 acted as a “tax on ambition” because tens of thousands of firms were choosing not to expand, preferring to stay away from the tax cliff edge. Raising the VAT threshold to £150,000 was one of the tax cuts proposed in Reform’s 2024 manifesto. The party later distanced itself from the manifesto after economists raised concerns the £90bn in tax cuts were not funded.

Personal taxes

Huge rise in HMRC tax income after allowance slashed to £3,000 -
- Express (Rory Poulter)

New HMRC data indicate that capital gains tax (CGT) receipts have reached nearly £24.3 billion in 2025-26, up 77% year-on-year and 244% over a decade. Clare Stinton, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, has suggested that a major driver has been the reduction of the tax-free allowance to £3,000, meaning more people are pulled in to pay CGT. An HMRC spokesperson said: “The fair and necessary decisions we made… mean we can deliver [sic] on the country’s priorities”.
[NB "Deliver" is a cliché. Thesaurus alternatives: "produce", "provide", "achieve", etc. Let's leave "deliver" for babies, parcels and letters]

Britain needs more wealth creation, not a tax war on billionaires -
- The Telegraph (Gerard Lyons)

In an opinion piece for the Telegraph, the chief economist at Netwealth suggests that wealth taxes are “relatively easy to avoid” and difficult to administer. Dr Gerard Lyons warns that higher taxes on billionaires could deter some from coming and encourage others to leave, and instead advocates policies that support wealth creation. He concludes that “Britain should not become hostile to success”, but to build a form of capitalism that rewards enterprise, broadens ownership, and allows more “acorns to become mighty oaks”.

Business taxes

Pubs face ‘unprecedented’ pressures from Labour’s tax rises -
- The Telegraph (James Warrington)
- Next Prime Minister must not 'tax companies to oblivion', says Fuller's boss (This is Money – Emily Hawkins)

The Chairman of pub group Fuller’s has warned that pubs have been facing “unprecedented” pressure from tax rises and red tape, citing higher national insurance, business rates, alcohol duty, green levies and the proposed “holiday tax” on staycations. Simon Emeny said: “This country… has resorted to over taxing individuals and companies, it’s not sustainable”. He urged the government to review the pub sector’s tax bill and cut the VAT rate for hospitality businesses.

Oil and gas taxation

Enquest flees ‘high tax’ North Sea oil fields in $833m Malaysia deal - The Times (Greig Cameron)

Enquest, an oil and gas company, has shifted its focus to Asia by agreeing a deal in Malaysia worth up to $833. Analysts at Panmure Liberum have warned that this is a “clear signal that companies do not see the UK continental shelf as a place to invest in and should be a warning to the government over the harm of their misguided policy decisions”.

10/06/2026

Media Tax Highlights - Wednesday 10 June 2026

Tax rises

Reeves opens door to tax rises to fund defence -
- The Telegraph (Szu Ping Chan and Tony Diver)
- Paying for defence may mean higher taxes, says Rachel Reeves (The Times - Steven Swinford, Charlie Parker and Mehreen Khan)

The Chancellor has hinted the government may raise taxes to fund increased defence spending, because “borrowing can’t be the only option”. Speaking at a conference organised by the investment bank Peel Hunt on Tuesday, Rachel Reeves said “The money has to come from somewhere”. It comes as the Prime Minister is expected to announce an additional £13.5 billion of defence spending, with ministers, including the Defence Secretary, concerned that the money is not enough to meet the UK’s defence needs.

HMRC

HMRC £11m scheme boost for people struggling with tax bills -
- Bristol Live (Linda Howard)
- HMRC doubles funding for customers who need extra support (HMRC press release)

HMRC has more than doubled its funding for organisations supporting individuals with tax issues. More than £11 million will be spent over the three years from April 2027 so that organisations can collaborate with HMRC's Extra Support Team to assist customers in managing their tax affairs, navigating digital services and claiming benefits that they may qualify for. Exchequer Secretary Dan Tomlinson said the funding would “make a real difference”.

Two million small firms forced to reveal profits to taxman -
- The Times (Richard Tyler)

The Times reports that the government will require two million small companies to file profit and loss data with Companies House, though they can opt to have it hidden. The policy has been retained despite business lobbying concerns, with ministers citing the need to balance “transparency”, tax evasion risks, and administrative burdens. Implementation has been delayed by a year to April 2028 to allow firms time to prepare.


I’m 93 and terminally ill. Why is HMRC harassing me for a tax return I’ve already completed?’ - The Telegraph (Mike Warburton)

In a Telegraph article, a 93‑year‑old widower with a terminal illness describes “distressing” treatment by HMRC, which wrongly claimed he had not submitted his 2023–24 tax return despite evidence of payment - it later emerged he had failed to press the final “submit” button. Mike Warburton, former tax director of Grant Thornton, highlights concerns about the growing number of pensioners in self‑assessment, arguing that complex tax rules and poor HMRC support can cause particular distress for elderly taxpayers.

Property taxes

Tinkering won’t save the British high street. Tax must be reformed -
- The Times (Mark Allan)

The chief executive of commercial property investor Landsec has called for business rates reform, saying the current system hinders growth. Mark Allan has proposed a commercial property levy based on actual rents to simplify the system, adding that any alternative proposal must “seek to replace the £30 billion a year that business rates raise”, revenue which cannot “simply disappear”.

Ireland

Ireland told to rein in spending of corporate tax windfall -
- Financial Times (Jude Webber)

Ireland’s fiscal watchdog has warned the government is overspending its corporation tax windfall and becoming too reliant on revenues from a small number of multinationals. The watchdog has urged the government to save more of its “extraordinary surpluses”. Ireland has generated large budget surpluses in recent years from a concentrated corporate tax windfall, with a €9.2 billion surplus expected in 2026.

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