Author Archives: Jon

  Homemillbrookaccounts.co.uk  /  Articles by: Jon
Categories Capital Gains Tax Author Jon

Living away from home?

Private Residence Relief (PRR) is a valuable Capital Gains Tax relief that can eliminate the tax due when you sell your home. In simple terms, it applies to periods when a property has been your only or main residence. However, if you spend time living away from home, the position becomes less clear, and CGT may well be due.

The starting point is that you will usually get full relief for the time you actually lived in the property, plus some additional “deemed occupation” periods. Most notably, the final 9 months of ownership always qualify for relief, provided the property was your main home at some stage.

You may also qualify for relief during absences when you live away from your home. Broadly, this includes up to three years away for any reason, up to four years if working elsewhere in the UK, and unlimited periods if working abroad. In most cases, you must have lived in the property before and after the absence, unless work prevents your return.

There are also special rules for the first two years of ownership if the property was being built or renovated or you could not sell your old home.

Where you own more than one property, only one can qualify as your main residence at any given time. Married couples and those in a civil partnership are restricted to a single main home between them.

It is important to carefully keep track of time living away from your home in order to correctly be able to calculate if any how much CGT is due when your home is sold.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 06-04-2026
Categories Excise duties Author Jon

Vaping products duty schemes

The new Vaping Products Duty (VPD) and Vaping Duty Stamps (VDS) are being introduced from 1 October 2026. In advance of the launch of the new schemes, HMRC opened applications for approval for manufacturers, importers and warehouse keepers on 1 April 2026.

This means that businesses affected by these changes should act now. Early registration is essential to ensure approval is in place before the rules take effect, particularly as applications can take time to process and at least 45 working days if further information is needed.

VPD will apply to all vaping liquids, whether they contain nicotine or not, with a flat-rate duty charged. At the same time, duty stamps must be affixes to individual retail products to show the duty has been accounted for. These stamps are designed to support compliance and help tackle illicit trade.

There is a transitional period to allow businesses to prepare. Retailers can continue to sell existing unstamped stock until 31 March 2027, but all new products from October 2026 must meet the new requirements and have a duty stamp.

HMRC’s Director of Indirect Tax, said:

‘From 1 April 2026, UK vape manufacturers, importers and warehouse keepers can apply to HMRC for Vaping Products Duty and Vaping Duty Stamps Scheme approval, which is essential for these businesses to continue trading legally from 1 October.

Our guidance brings all the key information together, and using it now will help firms prepare properly, avoid errors and ensure they can continue trading when the new requirements apply from October.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 06-04-2026
Categories Income Tax Author Jon

Do you have a personal tax account yet?

Your Personal Tax Account (PTA) is an easy and secure way to manage your tax online. You can use it to check your tax code, claim a refund and update your details, all in one place, without needing to contact HMRC by phone or post.

Every UK taxpayer has a PTA, but you will need to register through the Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login to start using it. You may also be asked to confirm your identity during the setup process. This is to keep your details safe and normally involves using photo ID such as a passport or driving licence.

Currently, the following services are accessible through your PTA:

  • check your Income Tax estimate and tax code
  • fill in, send and view a personal tax return
  • claim a tax refund
  • check your Child Benefit
  • check your income from work in the previous 5 years
  • check how much Income Tax you paid in the previous 5 years
  • check your State Pension
  • check if you will benefit from paying voluntary National Insurance contributions and if you can pay online
  • track tax forms that you’ve submitted online
  • check or update your Marriage Allowance
  • tell HMRC about a change of name or address
  • check or update benefits you get from work, for example company car details and medical insurance
  • find your National Insurance number
  • find your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number
  • check your Simple Assessment tax bill.
Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 06-04-2026
Categories General Author Jon

New support measures to allow affordable debt repayment

The government has announced new support measures to allow affordable debt repayment for government debt. The new measures set out a clearer and more practical approach to helping individuals and businesses manage what they owe. Announced during Debt Awareness Week 2026, the plans aim to ensure repayments are realistic, tailored and, crucially, affordable.

The 2026–2030 Government Debt Management Strategy sets out plans for the better use of data and earlier engagement. The idea is to support a debt strategy to help people who fall behind on payments of government debt, ensuring repayment plans reflect individual circumstances and remain genuinely affordable. This should mean fewer people falling into unmanageable debt and more consistent treatment across government departments.

The strategy focuses on three key areas:

  1. Preventing avoidable debt through early contact.
  2. Resolving existing debt fairly with affordable payment plans.
  3. Improving skills and technology to handle cases more effectively.

Government debt arises from a wide range of sources, including unpaid taxes, benefit overpayments, fines and loans.

Importantly, while there is a stronger emphasis on support and flexibility, the government is maintaining a firm stance on fraud and deliberate non-payment. In short, the message is that those in genuine difficulty will be helped, but those who can pay and choose not to will face targeted enforcement.

Source:HM Treasury | 06-04-2026
Categories Employee Benefits Author Jon

New rules for working from home from April 2026

The rules on claiming tax relief for working from home are changing for the new 2026-27 tax year. In most cases, employees will no longer be able to claim relief for homeworking, although claims can still be made for the previous four tax years. The removal of the tax relief was announced in the Autumn Budget last year and it is estimated that some 300,000 taxpayers will be affected by the change.

Relief is only available if you have to work from home for your job, for example, if your role requires you to live far from the office or your employer does not provide an office to work from. You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home, including under flexible arrangements allowed by your contract.

Where eligible, you can claim for work-related household costs such as business phone calls or the additional gas and electricity used in your work area. You cannot claim for costs used for both private and work purposes, such as rent or broadband.

Tax relief can be claimed at £6 a week or for the exact amount spent, and the relief is calculated based on your income tax rate. For example, if you pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on £6 a week, you will get £1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of £6). Evidence is required for claims, including receipts or bills if claiming actual costs.

Claims for the current and previous tax years can be made through https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/claim-tax-relief-expenses/claim-any-other-expense. If you complete a self-assessment tax return, you must claim through your tax return instead. The new rules mark a return to stricter pre-pandemic rules when tax relief was only available when working from home was required and not optional.

Source:HM Revenue & Customs | 06-04-2026
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