HMRC has published a policy paper updating the information on new rules on withdrawals and cash replacements to Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), introduced in the March Budget 2015, to reflect the new help to buy ISA

HMRC has issued draft guidance on the tax exemption for trivial benefits in kind worth less than £50 and confirmation of plans to extend exemption to trivial BiKs provided to former employees, as well as setting a higher limit for close companies

There has been mixed reaction to the introduction of the new tax-free personal savings allowance (PSA) with warnings that the change is over-complicated and is likely to cause confusion for taxpayers who will also have to submit regular reports on savings income to the taxman if they are to avoid punitive penalties

HMRC has described the Accelerated Payment Notices (APN) regime as a ‘game changer’, saying it has collected over £2bn in disputed tax since the new rules were introduced in 2014 and is on course to raise its target of £5bn by 2020, despite recently withdrawing 2,000 notices issued in error to investors in an IR35 scheme operated by Montpelier

HMRC has refuted claims that it has been the target of deliberate hacking attacks organised by criminals during the run-up to the self assessment filing deadline, but says phishing attempts have been used to divert refunds due to taxpayers

The latest CPD module focuses on the Scottish Rate of Income Tax (SRIT) due to come into force for all resident Scottish taxpayers from April 2016 

The changes to dividend taxation mean that incorporation may no longer be the best option for some sole traders and business owner managers. Stephen Relf CTA, tax writer at CCH considers the pros and cons

In light of fierce criticism from tax advisers, accounting and law firms, as well as the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), the government has backed down on its initial plans to include inheritance tax (IHT) within the new framework to change existing DOTAS rules governing the hallmarks describing schemes which must be disclosed

The majority of taxpayers met the HMRC self assessment deadline as 10.39 million self assessment tax returns were filed by the 31 January deadline, 150,000 more than last year but 8% of taxpayers missed the deadline and will face a £100 penalty

HMRC has updated the reviewed tax avoidance scheme reference numbers (SRN), confirming that it has withdrawn one of the schemes operated by Montpelier, and which the tax authority has recently decided should not have been targeted for accelerated payment notices (APNs)

Analysis from HMRC suggests men win the battle of the taxes as they are more likely than women to complete their self assessment tax return on time, while Northern Ireland taxpayers are the best performers and Londoners the worst when it comes to meeting the 31 January deadline

In the move to replace self assessment with universal digital tax accounts by 2016, HMRC admits that there will be exceptions for online filers without any access to broadband with plans to allow certain unconnected taxpayers to file by phone, while banks will have to report individual taxpayer's interest payments direct to tax authority, reports Sara White