Recent cases

Rental income going into s SIPP or SSASS?

Are any of your clients investing directly into commercial property within their SIPP or SSAS? If so there will be a rental income stream. If this is not being used to pay charges or service borrowings, they could consider opening a TIP, which offers trustees a flexible way of making investments. View PDF

Entrepreneurs' relief: don't assume clients will pay less!

Entrepreneurs realising a qualifying capital gain of up to £5 million are now better off. However, as the amount of realised gain increases, the impact of the increase in the CGT rate is greater than the advantage of a higher lifetime limit for entrepreneurs' relief. In this issue of Wealth Management Alert we look at the issues to consider when advising clients about realising gains.View PDF

Inheritance tax planning an issue for an increasing number of people.

There are still a number of ways people can reduce what is still largely a voluntary tax, despite the tightening up of various legislative loopholes. View PDF

Pre-Budget Action

Action to consider taking ahead of tax changes The new Government will be presenting its emergency Budget on 22 June. With changes to CGT and pension contributions tax relief widely expected, we look at what, if any, action should clients consider taking. View PDF

Still time to do some year end tax-planning

With the end of the tax year just a few days away, here are five ways you may be able to help clients reduce their tax payments. View PDF

Financial services: a natural fit for our firm

Matthew Tyson, Tax Director at Richard Place Dobson, explains how the firm finally got its financial services department up, running and profitable. View PDF

Discretionary trusts, love them or hate them

In this month’s Wealth Management Alert we look at discretionary trusts, one of the most powerful ways of mitigating inheritance tax (IHT) and the one way you can reduce a person’s estate without increasing someone else’s. However, due to occasional charges to IHT and additional reporting requirements, the tax treatment of discretionary trusts is often viewed as quite complex. But is this really the case?View PDF

Impact of the extended anti-forestalling provisions

In the Pre-Budget Report the Chancellor announced an extension to restrictions on higher rate tax relief for pension contributions. In doing this, he added further complexity to legislation and guidance that already extended to over 100 pages. In this month's Wealth Management Alert we look at a number of scenarios demonstrating how this affects high earners.View PDF

In this month's Wealth Management Alert

Martin Briggs, a Director of Duncan Boxwell, a four director accountancy practice, talks about their reasons for launching a financial planning service earlier this year and how they made sure it got off to a flying start.View PDF

High earners, income tax and pensions

The 2009 Finance Act is a minefield for Individuals with a charge to income tax above £150,000. What do they need to watch out for and what action should they consider taking? View PDF

Entrepreneur Relief

Using Entrepreneurs Relief in conjunction with enterprise investment schemes can, with careful planning, help defer CGT and also reduce income and inheritance tax, even for gains realised before 6 April 2008. View PDF

Structured Products

Sales of structured products are expected to hit record highs this year as investors seek to combat low interest rates and stock market volatility. We look at how such products work, some of their disadvantages, and who they could be suitable for. View PDF

The hardest thing to understand?

After the budget tax - and how to avoid paying it - is once more an issue. Many people fail to use their annual ISA allowance, yet ISAs are not subject to CGT or income tax, making them a useful way of saving for retirement outside a pension plan. And on the subject of pensions, clients born between 1955 and 1960 have only months left to decide whether to start taking pension benefit now - or wait until 2015.View PDF

Helping clients through tough times

Now more than ever, people are turning to their accountants for practical advice that will help them weather the downturn that so many businesses and individuals are experiencing. Many of their concerns involve financial planning issues such as funding capital purchases, pension planning and lifestyle protection. In most cases providing such advice involves working with a qualified, professional IFA, preferably one who, like you, operates a fee-based business model.View PDF

Business protection: a small price to pay

We would be pleased to offer your clients a review of their business protection arrangements free of charge. Click here to read about the issues key person insurance can help resolve and the various ways it can be structured.View PDF

Clients with funds in final salary schemes?

Concern is growing among final salary scheme members about the security of their pension. However the decision to transfer requires careful consideration. We are currently offering to produce a report on clients' current position, free of charge.View PDF

Bad news for people with large pension pots

The freeze on personal allowances announced in the Pre-Budget report may mean that more people will reach the lifetime allowance, and some sooner than anticipated. Clearly any pension planning made on the assumption of further increases should be reviewed.View PDF

SSASs offer business advantages as well

innovative entrepreneurs can make their SSAS work for their business while building up their pension fund. View PDF

Buy-to-let investors need to think ahead

Any clients you have with a portfolio of buy-to-let properties should be taking a long hard look at their options and will need some guidance to do that. And how much better would it be to raise this in advance with clients, to give then time to plan instead of receiving that panicked telephone call when the problem arises? View PDF

Protected Rights

Changes to pension regulations which came into effect on 1 October 2008 enable investors to move their protected rights funds to a SIPP. View PDF

Retirement planning

The client is aware of potential IHT and would like to address the issue. However, she would like to draw an income in her lifetime and pass the capital to her children in the most tax efficient manner. more...
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Estate planning

Mr and Mrs B aged 65 and 63 respectively have a home valued at £550,000. They have recently sold another property for £180,000 which has added to other liquid assets of £350,000 more...
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Saving £60,000 of inheritance tax liability after seven years, increasing income by £3,000 a year and giving a much simpler, lower risk investment. View PDF

Investment optimisation

The client is aware of potential IHT and would like to address the issue. However, she would like to draw an income in her lifetime and pass the capital to her children in the most tax efficient manner. more...