The plan is to increase National Insurance by 1.25% for employers and the same percentage for employees totaling an increase of 2.5%.With the cost of living rising since early 2021, December reached the highest recorded level in decades this is not a welcomed increase.Yesterday, The House of Commons called for the Government to replace the proposed National Insurance increase with taxes on the wealth of the richest. This motion has been signed by 21 members and no amendments have been … [Read more...]
Crown Commercial Services for Supply Teachers Framework announcement
The following is a copy of an email sent to Recruitment Agencies that are working within the Supply Teacher Framework explaining that they are to confirm that they are not using Joint Employment models to pay their Supply Teachers.Yet more proof that the government and governing bodies are clamping down on services that they deem unsuitable for workers to be paid under.“We have recently been made aware of an emerging ‘joint employment model’ whereby the employment business and an … [Read more...]
HMRC’s approach to fraud in the Covid-19’s support schemes
As many of the governments coronavirus support schemes are coming to an end, HMRC are assessing the impact of fraud within them.HMRC’s current estimate for the amount lost to fraud and error in the schemes during 2020 to 2021 is a total of £5.8 billion against a £81.2 billion spend. 8.7% in CJRS, 2.5% in SEISS phases 1-3 and 8.5% in the eat out to help out schemes.From the beginning, it was clear the scheme would be targets for fraud and that customers may make mistakes.The … [Read more...]
Minimum Wage Boost
1st April 2022 will see national living wage rise to £9.50, which represents an increase of 0.59p.The increase will support the wages and living standard of low paid workers at a time when pay growth is robust across the economy.Bryan Sanderson, Low Pay Commission Chair, said:The rates we recommended will put money in the pockets of care-workers, food distributors and many other groups of the lowest-paid members of our society up and down the UK. Many of them have made a vital … [Read more...]
UK travel restrictions eased – will you be off anywhere?
From Monday 4th October, the UK government revealed new rules for travel. Countries and territories are now categorised as either the red list or rest of the world.The new travel system means that eligible fully vaccinated passengers and eligible under-18s returning from a country, not on the red list, can do so without needing to complete a pre-departure test. They are also not required to carry out a day 8 test or enter a 10-day isolation period.People will still need to take a test on … [Read more...]
HMRC issue guidance on how to reduce your risk of using tax avoidance umbrella companies
Here at ePayMe, we have written a number of blogs on compliant umbrella firms, knowing your supply chain and tax avoidance schemes. Now, HMRC has published their own guidance on how to reduce this risk.As we’ve highlighted previously, off-payroll changes are bringing more workers under PAYE. However, some companies are finding unconventional and non-compliant ways to avoid this and pay less tax.These tax avoidance schemes operate on disguised remuneration, reporting some earning as … [Read more...]
Self-employed pension savings at a low
HMRC have released figures that reveal self-employed pension savings have hit record lows across 2019/2020. Since 2012 to 2013, non-eligible employee participation has increased to 34%. However, this has declined for the self-employed to 16%.In 2019/20 self-employed people paid around £830m into their personal pensions. Though, this figure is down from the £1.15bn paid in the previous year.It is thought that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this figure would have reduced even further … [Read more...]
Could the National Living Wage be going up?
It’s the Conservative Party Conference this week, and Boris Johnson has raised speculation that the National Living Wage could be set for an increase.It seems his goal is to move the country “towards a high wage, high skill, high productivity economy”. They could potentially be just a few weeks away from signing-off on this rise.Under the new measures, earners over the age of 23 could receive around £9.42 an hour. This would come into effect from the start of the new tax year, April … [Read more...]
Government confirm £20 Universal Credit uplift will end
Despite some MPs appealing to the Government to make the £20 universal credit uplift permanent, they have announced that this will indeed be stopped.The scheme will now officially end on 6th October, however, the exact date money will stop being paid will be dependent on when someone receives their universal credit allowance.For some, this will mean the last payment they receive at the higher rate will be the end of September, only a matter of days. With this news and the announcement of … [Read more...]
PM announces rise in National Insurance tax
Boris Johnson has announced a UK-wide “health and social care levy” to support reforms of the care sector and NHS funding in England. The new scheme will start as a 1.25% rise in National Insurance from April 2022. However, then become a separate tax on earned income from April 2023.The plan was today signed off by ministers at a cabinet meeting, despite earlier disputes from Tory MPs.The PM has said the aim is to raise a total of £36 billion over the next few years for frontline … [Read more...]