Directors are Wrong to Think They Can Avoid Taxman

The 10-year prison sentence a Yorkshire woman recently received for her part in a VAT scam described as ‘brazen and meticulous’ should be a lesson for any business owner or director who thinks they can outsmart HM Revenue and Customs. Jayne Mitchell, 40, and six others imported 7,000 new cars which passed through a chain…

Read More

What’s More Important: Managing Debt or Bad Practice?

Last year, I advised a company that went bust owing £100,000. The Insolvency Service sought to have the company’s director disqualified, but he couldn’t understand why as his liabilities dwarfed the sums owed by other companies. I explained that he faced prosecution because of his conduct rather than the size of his debt. You may…

Read More

Supermarkets Beating Pubs and Bars in the UK Alcohol War

Small and independent alcohol retailers should be concerned by a new study which found the number of failing bar and pub companies has risen by over 30 per cent. According to accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy, 130 bar and pub companies went bust during the third quarter of 2010, compared with 99 during the same period…

Read More

Is the Activroll Case Another Example of HMRC Abusing Their Powers?

It appears that a successful Scotland-based payroll company, which describes itself as one of the country’s fastest growing businesses, has become the latest victim of HMRC’s aggressive collection procedures. Last month, bosses at Activroll, which employs around 100 staff and has offices in the US and Australia, were shocked to discover a public notice in…

Read More

A Winding UP Petition Doesn’t Have to Signal the End of Your Business

The vast majority of winding up petitions heard in British courts over the past 12 months were presented by HMRC and usually relate to VAT, PAYE arrears or failure of a Time to Pay arrangement. However, receiving a winding up petition from HMRC doesn’t necessarily signal the end of your business. Usually, petitions are preceded…

Read More

Time To Pay Arrangements Can Do More Harm Than Good

According to the most recent figures available, around 200,000 businesses have entered Time To Pay (TTP) agreements with the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the past 18 months, deferring over £5bn in taxes.   TTP arrangements allow businesses that are unable to pay taxes on their due dates to make monthly payment over a period…

Read More