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HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is pushing through new powers instead of considering a number of practical solutions, according to one body. The Low Income Tax Reform Group (LITRG) noted that the tax system could be improved without these measures to combat "deliberate wrongdoing" on the p...

Diversifying assets could lead to bigger pension pots for individuals, it has emerged. Alan Rubenstein, chief executive of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), noted that certain investment markets will be easier to access as the number of investors increases. He stated that the main goal of his organ...

A recent move by equity release into mainstream retirement funds is "gratifying", according to one expert. Andrea Rozario, director general of Safe Home Income Plans (Ship), noted that a debate by the All Party Parliamentary Group had hopefully brought the option closer to the government's...

Supply of housing is starting to outstrip the demand, according to one body. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released its latest UK Housing Market survey, which shows that the sector has recovered from the dip in January. Jeremy Leaf, RICS spokesperson, noted that the majority ...

The Budget needs to showcase plans for public finances that will restore confidence, an expert has claimed. Richard Lambert, the Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) director-general, noted in a letter to Alistair Darling that the UK's fiscal credibility had to be improved. It is a critical tim...

There is just one week left for people looking to use the New Disclosure Opportunity (NDO) on offshore accounts. It means that in order to put their affairs in order at a 10% penalty rate, individuals need to settle any outstanding tax, duty and interest with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Anyone ...

Individuals believe that pensions remain the best way to save money, a body has claimed. The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has released research that found 77 per cent of employees would look more favourably on a company that offered a workplace pension than one that did not. NAPF dir...

Small businesses are paying a higher flat rate than they should have to, it has been claimed. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) noted that the agricultural services sector is paying 2.5 per cent extra, while newsagents, grocers and tobacconists are having to part with an additional 1.5 per ce...

The more complicated a tax system is, the harder it becomes for small businesses to follow it, an expert has stated. Steve Hughes, economic adviser at the British Chambers of Commerce, noted that the cost of compliance can sometimes hinder companies from expanding. He stated that the government shou...

Over £5 billion worth of tax has been rescheduled by HM Revenue & Customs' (HMRC) Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) in its first 15 months, newly released figures have suggested. The BPSS allows companies to make arrangements to complete their repayments within a more afford...

The decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to retain the 0.5% base rate is unsurprising considering that a general election is only around the corner, according to one expert. Robert Sinclair, director of Association of the Mortgage Intermediaries, stated that as the economic recovery remai...

Pension schemes are coming under increasing pressure and immediate action needs to be taken, it has been claimed Mark Brooks, spokesperson for the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF), noted that his organisation wants to see a Budget that will provide for retirement. With cost emanating fro...

Low interest rates and reviving economies helped to avoid a housing market meltdown across Europe, a new study has suggested. The latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) European Housing Review found that, in the UK, prices rose by 1% in 2009 overall but by 10% from their lowes...

A quarter of companies questioned (25%) expect output to rise in the next three months, with the resulting balance of +7% the strongest figure since March 2008. The Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) monthly Industrial Trends Survey also stated that 14% of firms had recorded above-av...

Statistics from the Land Registry have shown that house prices rose in January, it has been revealed. Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) chief economist Simon Rubinsohn noted that there are doubts about whether or not this trend can be sustained. He stated the need for c...

Over £1.5 billion worth of loans for home purchases were made in the final quarter of 2009 in Scotland, it has been revealed. The data was released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and also found that the improvement in the sector equated to 22% in terms of volume and 19% in t...

Less-sizeable firms are failing to expand as fast as they could because of complex tax rules hindering their growth, one organisation has suggested. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), in conjunction with ICM, revealed in a survey that three-quarters of organisations of this kind feel...

Individuals hoping to gain more information on ways in which to file and pay their VAT, PAYE and corporation taxes could be helped by a new Super Podcast being launched by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). The organisation, which was formed on 18 April 2005, unveiled the service as a way to ...

The time left to claim any outstanding taxes from the 2004/05 year is approaching. The 31 March deadline is only one month away, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) noted, so anyone who does not want to lose out on money that they could be owed should claim now. Brian Redford, deputy d...

The draft tax framework for business is welcome, but what the government does in practice will be more important, an expert has claimed. Andrew Hubbard, president of the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), noted his support for the document produced by those in power - calling the propo...

The traded life policy investments (TLPI) market is suffering from a number of problems and there is no way that it can provide a viable option for mainstream investors, the Financial Services Authority's head of investments has said. Speaking to ifaonline.com, Peter Smith noted that TLPI's...

Companies are being misled by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) over tax credits, it has been suggested. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) has accused the institution of simplifying their latest message in such a way that it could easily mislead a casual reader. Quoting precis...

Pensioners are being poorly served by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), it has been suggested. A report issued by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts found that many elderly people pay tax that they do not have to. It was recommended by the committee that HMRC should d...

Over £5 billion worth of tax has been rescheduled by HM Revenue & Customs' (HMRC) Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) in its first 15 months, newly released figures have suggested. The BPSS allows companies to make arrangements to complete their repayments within a more affordable timet...

The housing market remains in a period of uncertainty, it has been suggested by one expert. Paul Samter, the Council of Mortgage Lenders' (CML's) chief economist, noted that although the sector finished 2009 well, he expects to see a larger than usual drop-off in seasonal activity. ...