Matthew Waters

Thursday 4^th August is Cycle to Work Day, where thousands of commuters will leave their cars at home or forgo public transport to get on their bikes to the workplace.

There is a simplistic financial rule-of-thumb within the restaurant industry which states that the price the diner pays can be divided equally to cover three cost categories: the ingredients on the plate; staffing; and overheads - with any profit the business generates forming part of the latter.

In 2021, research by hotel booking website Hoo suggested that the average asking price of a beach hut had increased by 41% as British holiday-makers stayed within our shores, while a follow-up study this month has shown a reduction of 24% as the staycation property bubble maybe doesn’t burst, but begins to deflate.

Employers have until 6 July to report any taxable benefits and expenses provided to their employees (including company directors) during the 2022 tax year on the forms P11D, and will have to settle any National Insurance arising on these by 19 July.

Employers have until 6 July to report any taxable benefits and expenses provided to their employees (including company directors) during the 2022 tax year on the forms P11D, and will have to settle any National Insurance arising on these by 19 July.

Employers have until 6 July to report any taxable benefits and expenses provided to their employees (including company directors) during the 2022 tax year on the forms P11D and will have to settle any National Insurance arising on these by 19 July.

As hospitality businesses continue to grapple with soaring food and energy costs and staff shortages, from April they will also face an increase in employer’s national insurance of 1.25% thanks to the Health and Social Care Levy, and a rise of 6.6% in the headline National Living Wage.

Lovewell Blake’s newest Partner is someone who joined the firm as an apprentice – demonstrating that there is no limit to the prospects of people starting their career this way.

Every year, a lack of time is cited as the reason why numerous well-intentioned resolutions fail.

The UK’s fiscal year (or tax year, as it’s more commonly known) ends on 5 April and with it any annual allowances which HMRC offer for the 2021/22 tax year.

In 2012, due to concern that the UK population weren’t taking adequate measures to save for their retirement, the Government took the radical measure of introducing auto-enrolment.

Over the years, the provision of company cars to employees has become increasingly disadvantageous from both a payroll and business tax point of view.

Chartered accountants Lovewell Blake have appointed Matthew Waters as a partner.

Earlier this month, The Rural Accountancy Group (RAG), of which Lovewell Blake is a member, launched its UK Industry Survey across farm businesses in England, Scotland and Wales.

With the existing area-based payments being halved by 2024 on the way to being fully abolished by 2028, Environment Secretary George Eustice has already told farmers that the future of subsidies will be through Environmental Land Management Schemes.

In 2020, the pandemic sparked a ‘race for space’ which saw the average UK house price rise by 7.6% in the year to November 2020. This means that a dwelling previously valued at £465,000 12 months ago could now potentially be worth over £500,000 and give rise to a tax issue under Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED).

The back-and-forth between the Houses of Parliament on the Agriculture Bill continues. On Tuesday 20^th October the Lords voted to reinsert powers into the Bill which were removed in the last Commons vote.

On Saturday 10 October, Minette Batters, the President of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), published a piece in the Daily Mail that she professed she "never wanted to have to write", fearing the death of the British family farm.

In 2008, as part of the firm’s 150^th anniversary celebrations, Lovewell Blake launched the Lovewell Blake Community Fund with the aim of raising £150,000 in 5 years for good causes across the region. The firm’s partners and staff rose to the challenge, surpassing their initial target and to date have raised over £275,000.