HMRC CEO Jim Harra has challenged the Chancellor over the Job Retention Bonus Scheme set out in this week’s summer economic update, saying that the £1,000 bonus to be paid to employers who bring back furloughed staff may not be cost effective

Early reaction to the Chancellor’s summer update of measures to combat the economic challenges posed by Covid-19 has been largely positive, although there has been surprise at the lack of support for some badly affected sectors such as retail and aviation

Just four months after his first Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a summer economic update designed to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, with a commitment to encouraging job creation through a government ‘plan for jobs’ and stimulus for consumer spending

Angela MacDonald has been named as the HMRC’S new deputy chief executive, succeeding Jim Harra who vacated the position in October 2019 when he took on the top role as HMRC’s chief executive

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to deliver a ‘summer economic update’ tomorrow, 8 July, outlining the government’s plans to support the economy through the first phase of recovery from the coronavirus crisis, with likely options including temporary tax cuts, funding for green projects, and job creation schemes

In our regular Q&A series from Croner Taxwise, VAT adviser, Priyesh Mistry explores the VAT implications on the acquisition of land and the additional work carried out to repurpose that land for a car park, how much input tax can be recovered?

The Treasury has extended the temporary scrapping of VAT on personal protection equipment (PPE) until the end of October, with the move expected to save £155m for care homes and businesses dealing with the coronavirus outbreak

Covid-19 has prevented access to land and property of significant national value, but HMRC is granting owners leeway over its tax incentive scheme, say Withers’ Charlie Tee and Louise Williamson

Reforms to the off-payroll working rules, which will see them extended to the private sector next year, are to go ahead as planned after an amendment to the Finance Bill proposing a two-year delay was defeated in the House of Commons

Levels of automatic exchange of data between tax authorities almost doubled last year, uncovering €10 trillion in offshore assets, according to the OECD which says this is a ‘game changer’ in the fight against tax evasion

Extracting cash from your pension might seem an obvious source of income during the Covid-19 crisis, but complex tax rules mean it should only be a last resort, says LEBC Group’s Kay Ingram

Tax credit claimants urged to check their renewal figures and tell HMRC if any changes need to be made by 31 July, or risk receiving too much or too little credits which will be clawed back through possible penalties