Making a claim on an unclaimed estate

There are special intestacy rules that govern how assets are divided if you die without making a will. If this happens your assets are passed on to family members in accordance with a set legal formula. This can result in a distribution of assets that would not be in keeping with your final wishes and can be especially problematic for cohabitees (a couple who live together but are not married and have not entered into a civil partnership).

However, if someone dies without a will or any known

Newly self-employed taxpayers

Newly self-employed taxpayers should notify HMRC as soon as practicable when they begin working for themselves. However, HMRC must be officially notified by the 5 October following the end of the tax year so that a Self-Assessment return can be issued on time and to avoid any unnecessary penalties.

HMRC’s guidance says that you are probably self-employed if you:

run your business for yourself and take responsibility for its success or failure;
have several customers at the same time;
can

Moving goods to and from Northern Ireland

There are special procedures for moving goods in and out of Northern Ireland. Under the Northern Ireland Protocol, all Northern Ireland businesses continue to have access to the whole UK market.

HMRC lists the following six-steps that should be considered before you move goods between Northern Ireland and non-EU countries (including Great Britain):

If you plan to move goods between Northern Ireland and non-EU countries (including Great Britain), you will need an EORI number that starts with

Scotland’s non-domestic rates reliefs

Business rates is the commonly used term for non-domestic property rates. Business rates are charged on most non-domestic premises, including most commercial properties such as shops, offices, pubs, warehouses and factories. Some properties are eligible for discounts from the local council on their business rates. This is called non-domestic property rates relief or business rates relief.

In Scotland, there are a number of reliefs available including Small Business Bonus Scheme, reliefs for

Gaps in your National Insurance record

National Insurance credits can help qualifying applicants to fill gaps in their National Insurance record. This can assist taxpayers to build up the number of qualifying years of National Insurance contributions which can increase the amount of benefits a person is entitled to, such as the State Pension.

This could happen if someone was:

employed but had low earnings;
unemployed and were not claiming benefits;
self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits; or
living

Closing a limited company

There are a number of reasons why you may look to close your limited company. This could be because the limited company structure no longer suits your needs, your business is no longer active, or the company is insolvent. You will usually need the agreement of all the company’s directors and shareholders to close down the company.

The method for closing down a limited company depends on whether it is solvent or insolvent. If the company is solvent, you can apply to get the company struck off