Money Laundering and the efforts of governments to combat it and increase transparency and reporting of ownership globally continue to be a hot topic. One body that has been looking at this area is the European Union, which is in the process of launching its new Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Package 2021. This package was explored… Read More EU announces Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Package 2021
It is National Inclusion Week in the UK (27 September to 3 October). Inclusion Week celebrates everyday inclusion in all its forms. This is the ninth year that organisations from across the globe have come together to celebrate, share and inspire inclusion practices. Every year National Inclusion Week has a theme and in 2021 it… Read More Why inclusive elections lead to better outcomes
The Health and Social Care Levy Bill 2021-22 was introduced on 8 September 2021. [1] It will increase income tax and national insurance contributions (NIC) to raise an additional GBP11.4 billion to reform the funding of long-term health and social care over the next three years. The additional funding, which is being introduced as a… Read More How will the new social care system in England work?
The UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has today announced the implementation of secondary legislation under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 that can be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on 31 January. The new legislation, which only applies in England and Wales, enables individuals to video-witness the execution of their wills if… Read More UK Ministry of Justice enacts video-witnessing of wills
Update 25 August 2020: HM Courts & Tribunal Service (HMCTS) has provided some further guidance in relation to submitting England and Wales probate applications in the correct format: If you have lodged an application through the online portal using your registered account you do not need to send any application forms, when you send in… Read More HMCTS announces interim operational arrangements
We all know that employee engagement is important, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get right. Next month’s STEP Employer Partnership Programme (EPP) Summer Forum will look at this key area, and help you devise a strategy that works for your organisation. Employee engagement can mean different things to different people. Some will see… Read More What can you do to improve employee engagement?
STEP is working with HMRC on a Gift Aid working group set up to explore options to maximise the amount of Gift Aid that charities can claim on donations, together with ways of increasing customer understanding of the system and how it works. HMRC is also investigating opportunities to improve the way that Higher Rate… Read More The Gift Aid tax gap
STEP has been invited to join an HMRC Working Group which will review the guidance on Gift Aid donor benefits. The Working Group will review the interpretation of the rules that apply to donor benefits within the HMRC guidance covered by Chapters 3.18 to 3.25. Objectives Representatives have been selected from the charity sector, HMRC… Read More Improving HMRC guidance on Gift Aid donor benefits
Early in July, the UK government offered some clarity about what will happen to its proposed changes to foreign domiciliaries, which were dropped from the Finance (No.2) Bill 2017 in the rush to pass legislation prior to this year’s general election. Following the election and the Queen’s Speech, a Ministerial Statement announced that, after the summer… Read More Foreign domiciliaries – what next?
Will disputes and tax matters, often involving property, were at the forefront of our readers’ minds, according to the top ten news items from the UK. Here they are again: Lost challenge to will costs litigant dearly: A Berkshire woman who lost her legal challenge to her natural father’s will may have to pay legal… Read More STEP UK News Digest wrap-up – fourth quarter 2015 top stories
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