BRave Business and The Tax Factor

This week Roger Holman and Neil Insull discuss the Chancellor's Spending Review and pose the critical question on everyone's mind: "Where is the money coming from?" As opposition parties warn of a "cruel summer" filled with speculation. Roger and Neil also examine the logic and fairness of recovering Winter Fuel payments from pensioners through the tax system. Will HMRC really pursue thousands of small debts?

They also look at the ...

This week on The Tax Factor, Ola Adigun and Robert Salter ask where the money might come from to fund the major Government spending pledges we've been hearing about. With little room for manoeuvre, Robert suggests the Chancellor may revisit measures such as fuel duty, car benefits, and road tax and could there be a U-turn on previous manifesto commitments?

Meanwhile, HMRC continues to battle poor public perception. Will the new out...

It’s a week of big questions and Nimesh Shah and Tomm Adams are on hand to dig into them.

Why does HMRC think clawing back Winter Fuel Allowance from wealthier pensioners via self-assessment is even remotely workable?

Has anyone noticed fuel duty has remained frozen for nearly 15 years?

Why did Walkers take their Popadom VAT case to the Upper Tribunal?

As politicians across the spectrum line up to make expensive promises...

This week on The Tax Factor, Heather Self and Roger Holman ask whether Angela Rayner should stop auditioning for Chancellor after her tax policy ideas were leaked and heavily critiqued.

Meanwhile, HMRC is getting heat from all directions: the National Audit Office questions its handling of wealthy taxpayers, and the Public Accounts Committee says the tax system is spiralling into complexity, pu...

This week on The Tax Factor, Rehana Earle and Neil Insull discuss the closure of the historic Beales department store after 144 years, blamed on rising taxes and a worsening business climate. With the CIPD warning of a prolonged drop in employer confidence, what does the future hold for the UK labour market?

Next, they examine a surprising tribunal victory, where a taxpayer successfully argued that their luxury property, complete w...

In this episode we look at the topic of female entrepreneurs: why do women make great entrepreneurs, what differentiates them from male founders and what specific support do they typically need? Which sectors do they gravitate toward and why do they often have challenges securing funding?

Joining Declan to debate all of this are Sarah Austin, Founder & Managing Director of the Lloyds British Business Excellence Awards, and Sam ...

This week, we celebrate the retirement of Martin Reynard, pensions expert and longstanding Blick Rothenberg veteran, after nearly 40 years in the profession, including over three decades with the firm.

Martin reflects on the evolution of pensions and why, despite decades of change, they remain one of the most powerful and essential tools in financial planning today. We look at why pensions still matter from tax relief and employer ...

As the new financial year begins, John and Ele explore the real impact of April’s tax changes from rising employer NICs and the scrapping of EV tax breaks to the end of holiday let perks. They discuss the Government’s sweeping new tax reform package, including 39 proposals to simplify the system, reduce compliance costs, and even shrink HMRC’s London footprint.

Also, this week, milkshakes may soon face sugar tax, ...

This week on The Tax Factor, Heather and Sarah (celebrate!?) 20 years of HMRC with a look at its latest performance woes, from phone line chaos and missing repayments to the absurdity of pursuing a taxpayer for £600.
Also, this week, Holly Willoughby’s agency gets a stern reminder that HMRC doesn’t do celebrity favours, a fake Greggs manager pockets pandemic cash, and a warning about getting caught in VAT carou...

This week on The Tax Factor, Heather Self and Rehana Earle look at HMRC scaling back phonelines and webchat services to tackle fraud.They discuss a recent SDLT case where timing could cost a taxpayer their refund, the tribunal sided with the taxpayer, but the battle may not be over yet.

Making Tax Digital is expanding to the self-employed and landlords, but a new survey reveals worrying gaps in public awareness, is HMRC doing enoug...

In this week's episode of The Tax Factor, Roger Holman and Neil Insull look at the quiet storm that is April's new tax landscape - changes may have been light in the Spring Statement, but the devil, as ever, is in the (Autumn Budget) detail.

In Guernsey, the government has done the unthinkable: opened a tax drop-in centre where people can actually talk to someone. A bold move that feels very different from HMRC’s current appr...

As it’s the end of the tax year John Bull and Robert Salter suggest that it’s time to move the tax year having been stuck on April 5th since 1752.

Whilst Trump’s “Liberation Day” dominates international headlines there is further turmoil in the US as DOGE makes sweeping cuts to the US social security system.

And here in the UK, the VAT battle on private school fees reaches the High Court. Could adding ...

This week on The Tax Factor, Blick Rothenberg CEO Nimesh Shah and Heather Self break down the Chancellor’s very uneventful Spring Statement. No surprises, no fiscal fireworks - but don’t be fooled.

With major tax changes hitting in April, your wallet will feel it. And as for the Autumn? Nimesh and Heather predict another ‘black hole’ in the public finances, so could Labour be forced to rethink pledges on pen...

This week John Bull and Malli Kini look at the latest tax stories making headlines and it’s clearly not been a great week for some.

Former Liverpool star and Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson has more to worry about than his Club’s recent cup exits, as he’s just lost his IR35 appeal, leaving him with a hefty £300,000 tax bill.

Across the pond, the US tax scene is heating up, with the Administration planning to...

In today’s episode we take a look at the topic of rapid scale up businesses. What are some of the drivers to quickly grow a business and the key challenges to doing so? And what part do investment, cash flow, talent, customer service and brand have to play in that rapid growth story?

Joining Declan to debate all of this are Blick Rothenberg Partner Stephanie Levin, with our guests Aidan Rushby Founder, and CEO of car finance ...

In this week’s Tax Factor, Ele Theohari and Tomm Adams look at a recent VAT tribunal case - are hair transplants a medical necessity or just cosmetic?

Meanwhile, HMRC is under fire again. While they’ve launched a dedicated service to clear long-standing PAYE and Self-Assessment queries, MPs are questioning their leadership structure and fairness in customer service.

Plus, we break down the latest IR35 data post-2021 ref...

This week on The Tax Factor, Ele Theochari and Rehana Earle discuss the latest consultation on Agricultural and Business Property Relief and look at potential implications for farm businesses.

They also review proposed changes to cash ISAs and consider whether the Chancellor will align with the needs of everyday savers. And with HMRC testing AI voice authentication, could this be the end of passwords and security questions?

See omny...

This week on The Tax Factor, Nimesh Shah is joined by US tax expert Michael Holland to break down Trump’s latest blunder on VAT; has someone got the wrong end of the tax stick?

Meanwhile, Elon Musk is diving into IRS tax data, but Michael warns it might not be the goldmine he expects.

And with the cost of running the UK tax system soaring, will HMRC find those elusive efficiencies or are we all in for an even bigger tax bill?

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