While there are many state benefits available, it is not always clear which of these are taxable and which are tax-free.

HMRC’s guidance outlines the following list of the most common state benefits which are taxable, subject to the usual limits:

• Bereavement Allowance (previously Widow’s Pension)
• Carer’s Allowance or (in Scotland only) Carer Support Payment
• Contribution-Based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Incapacity Benefit (from the 29th week you receive it)
• Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Pensions Paid by the Industrial Death Benefit Scheme
• The State Pension
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance

The most common state benefits that usually tax-free include the following:

• Attendance Allowance
• Bereavement Support Payment
• Child Benefit (income-based – use the Child Benefit tax calculator to see if you’ll have to pay tax)
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Free TV Licence for Over-75s
• Guardian’s Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support – though you may have to pay tax on Income Support if you’re involved in a strike
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Industrial Injuries Benefit
• Lump-Sum Bereavement Payments
• Maternity Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Universal Credit
• War Widow’s Pension
• Winter Fuel Payments and Christmas Bonus

If your business imports goods into the UK, it is important to be familiar with the Customs Declaration Service and to ensure that any duty payments are made correctly and on time to avoid delays, interest or penalties.

The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is a specially designed IT platform used for completing customs declarations for businesses that import or export goods from the UK. All electronic import declarations must be submitted through the CDS.

When you import goods into the UK using the CDS, you must pay any tax due promptly. Payments should reach HMRC by the deadline, and if that falls on a weekend or bank holiday then the payment must arrive by the previous working day.

Late payments may result in interest charges and / or penalties. You will need your unique 16-character reference number starting with “CDSI,” which is specific to each declaration, to make a payment. Using the wrong number can delay the release of your goods.

Payment can be made online through your bank account or with a debit or corporate credit card (personal credit cards are not accepted). Online bank payments are usually instant but may take up to two hours to appear, while card payments are recorded on the date made.

Payments can also be made by bank transfer. CHAPS or Faster Payments usually arrive the same or next day, while BACS take about three working days. UK payments should go to HMRC’s Customs Duty Schemes account (sort code 08 32 10, account number 14077970). Overseas payments must be made in GBP. There are also options to pay by cheque, allowing three working days for delivery. If there are payment issues or further advice is required, you can contact HMRC’s National Clearance Hub.

The remittance basis of taxation for non-UK domiciled individuals (non-doms) was replaced with the new Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime from April 2025. This new regime is based on tax residence rather than domicile. Under the new rules, nearly all UK-resident individuals must report their foreign income and gains to HMRC, regardless of whether they had previously claimed remittance basis or are claiming relief under the FIG regime.

Former remittance basis users not eligible for the new FIG relief are now taxed on newly arising foreign income and gains in the same way as other UK residents. However, they will still be taxed on any pre-6 April 2025 FIG that is remitted to the UK.

A key feature of the new regime is the 4-year FIG relief. This is available to new UK residents who have not been UK tax resident in any of the 10 preceding tax years. These individuals can opt in to receive full tax relief on their FIG for up to four years. Claims must be made via a self-assessment return, with deadlines falling on 31 January in the second tax year after the relevant claim year. The FUG relief lasts for a maximum of 4 consecutive years starting from when a person first became a UK tax resident. Claims can be made selectively in any of the four years, but any unused years cannot be rolled over.

The types of foreign income which are eligible for relief includes:

• profits of a trade carried on wholly outside the UK
• profits of an overseas property business
• dividends from non-UK resident companies
• interest, such as interest paid on a foreign bank account

An individual’s ability to qualify for the 4-year FIG regime will be determined by whether they are UK resident under the Statutory Residence Test (SRT).

The tax legislation requires the deduction of tax from yearly interest that arises in the UK. This typically refers to interest that is subject to Income Tax or Corporation Tax.

The legislation requires the deduction of tax from yearly interest, if:

• paid by a company, a local authority, a firm in which a company is a partner, or
• paid by any person to another person whose usual ‘place of abode’ is outside the UK.

The tax must be deducted by the person or entity making the payment at the savings rate in force for the tax year in which the payment is made. In practice, the main circumstances where tax is deducted are where a company makes a payment of interest to an individual or other non-corporate person, or where interest is paid by a person (individual, trustee or corporate) to another person whose usual place of abode is outside the UK.

However, some exclusions apply. For example, interest paid by deposit takers, interest paid to a bank or building society, interest paid from UK public revenues or under the former Mortgage Interest Relief At Source (MIRAS) scheme. Companies, local authorities and ‘qualifying firms’ (a firm which includes a company or local authority as a partner) are also exempt from the requirement to deduct tax from interest paid to certain recipients.

It is important to note that statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, is not classified as yearly interest and does not fall under these rules.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) is designed to help smaller, higher-risk trading companies raise finance by offering a range of tax reliefs to investors who purchase new shares in those companies.

This scheme aims to encourage investment in early-stage businesses by providing substantial tax benefits to investors. However, in order to claim EIS tax reliefs, the issuing company must meet a set of strict criteria regarding its size, the amount of money it can raise, and the purpose and timing of the funds raised.

For individual investors, the tax benefits include 30% Income Tax relief on investments, with a maximum annual investment limit of £1 million, or £2 million if at least £1 million is invested in knowledge-intensive companies. The generous tax allowances are intended to offset the higher risk of investing in these smaller companies. It is important for investors to be cautious and only invest money they are prepared to lose, as these companies can be particularly volatile.

The tax advantages of the EIS go beyond just Income Tax relief. Investors can also benefit from Capital Gains Tax (CGT) deferral for the life of their investment and tax relief for any losses incurred on the shares. However, it’s worth noting that Income Tax relief is capped at an amount that reduces the investor’s Income Tax liability to nil for the year, meaning it can’t exceed the individual’s tax due. These tax benefits make the EIS an attractive option for those looking to support high-growth companies while taking advantage of potential tax savings.