In our regular Q&A series from Croner Taxwise, VAT advice consultant, Sally Atkins explains the background of HMRC’s extension to the notification period for notifying an Option to Tax (OTT)

As a new body launches for the payroll industry, Chiene + Tait’s Neil Cameron highlights the increasing importance of standards in a profession at the centre of implementing government policy during the Covid-19 crisis

Social enterprises and charities gearing up to help combat the impact of Covid-19 and support economic recovery are calling on the government to extend social investment tax relief (SITR) for two years, in order to help them fundraise

Troubled car dealership Lookers has announced a further delay in publication of its 2019 results, already deferred to the end of this month, and is seeking a new auditor after Deloitte revealed its intention to resign after 14 years in the role

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has closed its five-year investigation into accounting irregularities at Tesco, and has dropped plans to take any further disciplinary action regarding accountants working at the supermarket chain, having also earlier halted its probes into auditor PwC and ICAEW members

Employers planning to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) from 1 July 2020 must have their staff furloughed by Wednesday 10 June (in two days) to be eligible for ‘mark 2’ of the scheme, warns ATT

FTSE 100 house builder Taylor Wimpey has appointed PwC as its external auditor, following a competitive tender process, replacing incumbent Deloitte

HMRC has announced a five-month delay to the introduction of the domestic reverse charge for construction services, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the construction sector, and the VAT change will not now apply until 1 March 2021

The government’s furlough scheme for jobs is likely to cost the government £30% less over the lockdown period than originally predicted, partly because many of the workers involved are part-time or lower-paid, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has found

Over threequarters of UK workers are willing to pay additional income tax to fund the government’s £300bn of borrowing to fund the Covid-19 response, with many labelling the move ‘a necessary evil’, a survey by AJ Bell has found

The government has confirmed it is to guarantee up to £10bn of trade credit insurance (TCI) coverage, to support thousands of businesses by protecting against customer defaults or payment delays during the current pandemic

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) is asking the government to consider delaying changes to capital gains tax rules in relation to home sales, to take account of the impact of Covid-19 on the property market