Trade associations have written to the new Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Greg Clark, urging caution over the government’s policy to raise the national living wage significantly by 2020

In light of the Blackman case, it is essential for advisers to ensure that their engagement letters are specific and signed as they are an important safeguard for tax advisers when HMRC hands out penalties for careless mistakes, stresses Jim Oulton, partner at Mayer Brown International LLP

A Supreme Court decision on the process used to  value non-domestic office and commercial premises occupied by more than one tenant could raise business rates as the Valuation Office Agency is forced to treat different areas of building as separate premises 

In a move to increase the diversity of staff at the tax office, HMRC has set out objectives and a diversity strategy with plans to report progress twice a year

The use of Innovative Finance ISAs could lead investors into taking on far greater risk than they can bear, Treasury select committee chairman Andrew Tyrie has warned

The University of Brighton has taken matters into its own hands by introducing their own 10p levy on sugary drinks, ahead of governments plans for a UK wide levy, as part of a campaign to cut sugar consumption

After a 48-day hearing at the First Tier Tribunal (FTT), HMRC has scored a win against Ingenious Media in a long-running tax saga over film and game investment schemes, although there are mixed views on the outright winner as the game element of the case was rejected, reports Sara White

The list of ministerial responsibilities for the newly created Department for International Trade has been confirmed, including details on the job role of International Trade secretary Dr Liam Fox

HMRC has issued updated guidance for agents on signing in to VAT online services via the new government gateway login page, after discovering that additional security controls may be causing difficulties with some passwords

HMRC has issued a brief document outlining a set of minimum standards it expects tax agents, accountants and advisers to follow in order to meet basic levels of tax compliance, stressing that HMRC officials must be treated with respect

A taxpayer has been left facing a further assessment of whether her actions in growing asparagus for sale should be considered as farming or market gardening for the purposes of tax, after an Upper Tribunal said it was unable to determine the position in regards to a claim for ‘sideways’ loss relief

In the first move to change interest rates since the crash in 2009, the Bank of England (BoE) has cut rates from 0.5% to 0.25%, making it a record low