Editorial for Newsletter #294

Written by Ian Congreave - Filed under: Editorials on August 4th, 2008

Hi! If you're new here, you might want to register for free email updates. Just use the form at the top of the sidebar. Thanks for visiting The Payroll Blog!

UK flag

Two Acts of Parliament with relevance to Payroll were enacted before the start of the summer recess. Most of the new provisions included in the Finance Act 2008 have already been discussed at length in earlier newsletters, but the details are now set in stone. A new provision, the purpose of which is not yet entirely clear, is a further exemption to the taxation rules for the provision of living accommodation.

The National Insurance Contributions Act 2008 holds no surprises – it confirms the end of automatic inflation increases to the upper earnings limit and the introduction of the new upper accrual point from next April.

One of HMRC’s latest discussion documents highlights the requirement for government bodies to consider equality issues in their dealings with the public. Online filing is a useful development for most employers, but who are disadvantaged by it? See what you think of HMRC’s assessment. Another new consultation document will be reviewed next week, on the subject of travel expenses for employees with “umbrella” and “overarching employment” contracts. Exciting stuff!

Written by Ian Congreave -

Filed under: Editorials on August 4th, 2008