The latest impact assessment for the pensions white paper »
We have already provided details earlier in the year looking at the then new Pensions White Paper and the accompanying impact assessment. Since then the government - or perhaps that should be the Chancellor - has brought forward the planned start date of the single tier pension to April 2016. The reform - and that controversial date change - have also faced considerable criticism from the DWP Work & Pensions Select Committee.

MyPFS - Technical news - 04/06/2013 »
PFS Technical news update from 15 to 28 May 2013

My PFS - Technical news - 21/05/2013 »
PFS Technical news update from 1 to 14 May 2013

Investment strategies for trustees from 6 April 2013 »
Last month we considered the tax and legal fundamentals of trustee investment in the light of the tax changes taking place from 6 April 2013.  We concluded that the changes and the beginning of the new tax year should provide a good opportunity to contact trustee clients with a view to reviewing trust investments. This month we will look in more detail at some specific investment strategies for the trustees of discretionary trusts.

The General Anti-Abuse Rule - part two »
This month's article continues on the subject of the General Anti-Abuse Rule (the GAAR). The GAAR is a special statutory rule that targets tax avoidance schemes which, because they are complex and/or novel, are outside of the general tax legislation. Only schemes that are abusive are within the ambit of the GAAR.

Auto-enrolment (part five) »
This is the fifth and final article in a series looking at various aspects of auto enrolment. The five articles considered the following areas:

My PFS - Technical news - 07/05/2013 »
Technical news update from 17 to 30 April 2013

Gold – the ultimate hedge, or an increasingly irrelevant asset? »
Whether or not you are a gold bug, as followers of the yellow metal are sometimes known, the reality is that gold remains a popular investment asset. More than any other precious metal, gold is where investors turn at times of economic, political and social unrest or as a hedge against currency crises and stock market weakness. Just recently the returns have been less than golden, but opinion is as divided as ever over what the future may hold in store. 

Reviewing trust investments in April 2013 »
As announced in the Budget 2012, the additional rate of income tax paid by individuals has come down from 50% to 45% from 6 April 2013.  In line with this the rates of income tax paid by trustees of discretionary trusts have also reduced from 42.5% to 37.5% for dividend income that is accumulated and from 50% to 45% for all other income.

The General Anti-abuse Rule (part one) »
The subject of tax avoidance and evasion has been headline news for some time bearing in mind that HMRC has estimated that in 2011/12 the "tax gap" (the difference between the tax due and that collected) amounted to £32bn.  Of this it is estimated that avoidance accounted for 14% (£5bn) and evasion 46% (£14bn).  In the light of this, in this new series of articles I will look at the general anti-abuse rule (GAAR) which is a special statutory rule that targets tax avoidance schemes which, because they are complex and/or novel, are outside of the general tax legislation. Only schemes that are abusive are within the ambit of the GAAR.