If you are self-employed and your business has been adversely affected by COVID-19 you may be eligible to claim a grant from HMRC of up to £7,500.

Unless you use the VAT cash accounting scheme you have to account to HMRC for the VAT you charge on sales even if the customer does not pay you.

Changes to the application of the IR35 rules (known as off-payroll working) were due to come into effect from 6 April 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic those changes have been deferred until April 2021.

Subcontractors registered in the construction industry scheme (CIS) will normally have tax deducted from their invoices by the companies they work for.

Many workplaces are currently closed and employees working at home where possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This comes with advantages, not least avoiding the daily commute, but may also create costs for the employee such as additional power and water used whilst working.

To help businesses struggling due to the COVID-19 lockdown, local authorities have been distributing grants of £25,000 or £10,000 to certain businesses which pay business rates on properties with a rateable value of less than £51,000.

If you have paid statutory sick pay (SSP) to employees who were unable to work because they had COVID-19 symptoms, or they self-isolated because someone in their household had such symptoms, you may be eligible to reclaim that SSP.

There are three rates of VAT applicable to sales in the UK: standard 20%, reduced 5% and zero 0%.

If your business is not making sales but you are still incurring costs, HMRC may refuse to repay the input VAT on purchases and ask you to cancel your VAT registration voluntarily as there are no business activities.

Groups of companies can apply to HMRC to operate as a VAT group so that transactions between those companies are ignored for VAT purposes.

When you buy a large item of plant or machinery you may need to make alterations to your land or buildings in order to install the item.

When you sell your business you can expect to pay capital gains tax (CGT) on any gains you make. Currently CGT is payable at 10% (if within your basic rate band for income tax) or 20% on such gains. But the 10% rate can also apply to gains of up to £10m if entrepreneurs' relief (ER) applies.

Successful entrepreneurs often move from one business project to another. If you are about to start up a new business having closed down an old one, be careful not to fall into the phoenix trap

Many business systems contain pinch points where different software programmes or spreadsheets do not communicate so summary totals need to be transferred by hand (retyped) or by copying and pasting. This non-automated data transfer must be replaced by a digital link to comply with the MTD regulations.

HMRC is writing to taxpayers where it has received information to suggest they have invested in an offshore collective investment fund.

From 6 April 2020 the calculation of company car taxable benefits will be changed to favour electric and hybrid vehicles. This is good news for some company car drivers.

If you bought your home brand new and 'off-plan' you may realise a significant capital gain when you sell that property.