Applying for National Insurance number
If you do not already have a National Insurance number you will normally need to apply for one if you are planning to work in the UK, claim benefits, apply for a student loan or pay Class 3 voluntary National Insurance contributions. It can take up to 4 weeks for a National Insurance number to be issued after you have proved your identity.
HMRC’s guidance states that you can apply for a National Insurance number if you:
live in the UK;
have the right to work in the UK; and
are working,
Mortgage Guarantee Scheme extended
The Mortgage Guarantee Scheme was set to end on 31 December 2022. In a last-minute announcement from HM Treasury, it was confirmed that the scheme will now be extended for a further 12 months until 31 December 2023.
The scheme helps prospective home buyers (mainly first-time buyers) who only have a small deposit and may find getting a traditional mortgage difficult. Under the scheme, lenders can offer 95% mortgage products.
The scheme has assisted over 24,000 households since it was launched
What is the VAT One Stop Shop?
The VAT One Stop Shop is an EU wide scheme that allows a VAT registered business to register in only one single EU Member State. The scheme was extended with effect from 1 July 2021. The extended scheme covers three special schemes: the non-Union scheme, the Union scheme and the import scheme.
The VAT One Stop Shop scheme can be used by businesses selling goods from Northern Ireland to consumers in the EU under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol. In order to use the scheme, sales must
Did you file your tax return on Christmas Day?
A new press release by HMRC has highlighted the fact that 3,275 taxpayers took the time to file their tax return online on Christmas Day with a further 10,311 taxpayers completing their tax returns on Boxing Day. In total, 22,060 Self-Assessment returns were filed between 24 and 26 December. The total number of submissions for the period were actually less than last year.
HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:
‘We are grateful to those customers who have already filed their tax
Customs Declaration Service deadline extended
The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is a customs IT platform designed to modernise the process for completing customs declarations for businesses that import or export goods from the UK. A phased launch of the service started in August 2018 and was due to be completed by 31 March 2023. The CDS covers export declarations of goods sent from the UK. This phase has now been delayed until 30 November 2023, an 8-month delay.
HMRC’s Director of Border Change Delivery commented that:
‘We have moved
Limits to tax relief for pension contributions
Under current rules, you can claim tax relief for your private pension contributions. The annual allowance for tax relief on pensions is £40,000 for the current tax year. There is a three year carry forward rule that allows you to carry forward any unused amount of your annual allowance from the last three tax years if you have made pension savings in those years. There is also a lifetime limit for tax relief on pension contributions. The limit is currently £1,073,100 and will remain frozen at