Jon Stow Consulting – Tax Solutions

We are committed to helping our clients meet properly their tax compliance obligations to HMRC, while at the same time giving advice on the deductions and reliefs available so that no one pays more tax than they should out of ignorance.

We recognise that there are some who have not yet advised HMRC of their potential liability to tax in respect let property and sales of investment property. We are happy to help people to make those steps to join the tax system and to represent them in dealing with HMRC, … Continue Reading

The reality is that many married couples are liable to very different rates of income tax. It is not uncommon to have one who is a 40% payer while the other is liable only at 20% or has no liability at all. Therefore you might think that there would be some mileage in arranging property affairs to take advantage of this.

It is of course conceivable that the person with the higher level of income could be a 50% payer but most people in this position would and should … Continue Reading

If you are buying a property with your spouse or civil partner or even just a business partner and you intend to let it out, make sure your solicitor or conveyancer knows this and arranges the most suitable ownership status. Generally for tax reasons this will be as tenants in common. As a tenant in common you will each own a specific share of the property, which may be half, or a different specified percentage.

The other sort of joint ownership is known as a joint tenancy. In that … Continue Reading

If you have Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) business losses in the current tax year ending on 5th April 2011 this is the last year (2010-11) in which you will be have the ability to set them off against other general income.    i.  e. earnings, investment income and non-FHL lettings profits etc.

If you already have losses or if you would have losses if you brought forward the timing of necessary expenditure such as repairs to properties to spend before 5th April, you should consider doing so as in future losses post 5th April 2011 will only be offset against other FHL … Continue Reading

Following the Coalition’s decision not to abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax category with all its advantages over the letting of investment property, we now know what the Government does intend for the future.

Donegal cottage

The regime for FHL is not going to be quite as generous as it was in the past, but we should be thankful that it is not going to be axed altogether. The previous qualifications for a letting to be an FHL were:

• the property should be available for holiday … Continue Reading
  

We read here that Hazel Blears is to pay £13,332 on the sale of a second home. How is she going to do this? Presumably her accountants or tax advisers got the documentation right so that she successfully avoided a liability by making the appropriate election. The only way she can get HMRC to accept the money is by saying she made an error or worse, deliberately misled them. She will not be happy if they charge interest and penalties in addition to the CGT.Perhaps she thinks the way to pay this voluntary tax is to just … Continue Reading

I must admit that the publicity about some Members of Parliament with two or more residences changing their designated main residence to one they are about to sell has me a little concerned because of all the publicity around it, and because of the public’s ire. The principal residence capital gains exemption is there for good reason, and whilst as with any rule it might be possible to exploit it to one’s advantage, the main purpose of electing as to which is the main residence is actually to prevent hardship or difficulty. Often people acquire a second property through the … Continue Reading

What are we to make of Alistair Darling’s delay in the announcement of any amendments to his proposals on capital gains tax “reform”? He told the Commons on Thursday that he was postponing any decision on change until the New Year.

In my view, commentators tend to hang too much on what might be motive. There was, I am sure, genuine concern from the Chancellor and the Government that they had put their foot in it and made a serious misjudgement, and I am sure that that Treasury Civil Servants will … Continue Reading