Study Zone

A capital idea

Victoria Cavell highlights the important differences between capital and revenue expenditure

Making life simple

PQ magazine editor Graham Hambly went along to have a chat to the man whose job it is to help simplify the UK tax system – and no, it’s not George Osborne!

New lease of life

Are you stumped by the various aspects of leases? Well, Claire Gallagher is here to help with her six-point plan to help get you through paper 1

ATT: Numbers or words?

Simon Groom has some advice: when you practise written questions do it properly, under exam conditions, or you may be in for an exam-hall shock

Getting it right

HMRC’s Simon Norris, Head of the Review of HMRC’s Powers, Deterrents and Safeguards, outlines proposals to tackle dishonest agents

All change for the ATT

We outline changes to the ATT exams which will be happening in 2012

Take your partner

Victoria Cavell looks at the tax implications for business partners

Takeaways a VAT hot potato

For VAT specialists one of the most loved topics is the VAT liability of food and drinks, demonstrated by the infamous Jaffa Cakes, teacakes, Pringles and Innocent Smoothies cases.

HMRC gets ‘hands on’ with tax cheats

Brian Redford of HMRC’s Business Customer Unit explains its new hands-on approach to tax evasion

Bribery Act: stay on the right side of the law

The all-new Bribery Act reforms the criminal law to provide a modern and comprehensive scheme of bribery offences that will enable courts and prosecutors to respond more effectively to bribery at home or abroad.

Disguised remuneration

Sian Beusch has all you need to know about disguised remuneration

Scoring from penalties

Why, Simon Groom asks, would you learn rules when you can take the answers into the exam with you?

Top billing

The term disbursements has a specific meaning when it comes to VAT. Sian Beusch explains all

Sole Traders Keep Options Open

Claire Gallagher offers some helpful tips on trading losses and the different options available

Where’s the dialogue?

The FRC wants to see an improvement in the dialogue between boards and shareholders and has put forward a seven-point plan, outlined here

A road less travelled

Sian Beusch explains how you can stay on the right side of HMRC when it comes to your car pool

Cut out errors with new agent toolkits

Revenue expands toolkit range with three new publications for agents

Rollover relief explained

Victoria Cavell explains how rollover relief can bring gains on assets sold by traders

Have your say: Consultation on Business Record Checks

HMRC is launching a public consultation on a new system of compliance checks for small and medium enterprises, to bring about improvement in business record keeping. HMRC’s David Stephens seeks tax agents’ views

New pensions tax regime explained

Richard Horton outlines changes due to come into effect in April

To study or not to study? That really is the question...

PQ magazine’s roving reporter Heather Miller urges students to try, try and try again to get that all-important pass

How is your body doing online?

PQ magazine’s latest survey provides a picture of how trainees are interacting with their professional body online. So how are they doing? Our survey is brought to you in association with Kaplan Financial

Home & away

Marion Hodgkiss considers the main tax issues arising where a UK company is considering investing overseas, and outlines how the rules have changed in the past 18 months

Don’t Panic

Simon Groom offers some sage advice on preparing for the forthcoming exams. A bit of planning now could save you a lot of pain come results time

Have you read yours lately...?

Guest editor Heather Miller stresses that if you are given something to sign, the golden rule is to read it! That means the small print as well

NICs ‘holiday’ a boost to new businesses

HMRC is offering incentives to business start-ups in some UK regions

A sacrifice too far?

Sian Beusch examines the implications of a European ruling on salary sacrifice schemes

toolkit HELP

Free agent toolkits from HMRC are designed to minimise errors in tax returns, says the Revenue’s Brian Redford

Will taxation save the world

Gordon Faragher of Kaplan Hawksmere looks at so-called ‘green taxes’ and asks whether they are helping to save the planet. Or are they merely a clever conceit designed to fill the Treasury’s coffers?

Judgement Day

Lakshmi Narain and Chris Williams explain the ins and outs of the ‘wholly and exclusively’ test

Paying the penalty

Sian Beusch explains the ins and outs of the new ‘failure to notify’ penalty – something that could affect you personally

you got me on fuel and alcohol...

HMRC’s Mark Leech examines the penalty regimes that apply to cigarettes, alcohol and fuel People who buy cigarettes or alcohol on holiday are often unaware that it is illegal to sell them on to friends, family or others without paying the proper excise duty. And from 1 April, new penalties came into effect for illegally selling cigarettes, alcohol and fuel.