Buzzacott

From 6 April 2027, it will be compulsory for employers to payroll some employee benefits. In this article, we consider the implications of the change on the management of employee benefits provided through insurance-based plans and the planning employers can put in place to prepare. What is benefits payrolling? Benefits payrolling refers to the process of including the taxable value of a Benefit in Kind (BiK) within payroll, enabling the income tax due to be collected in real time through PAYE.

The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) took effect on 15 July, and Buzzacott has co-authored an article with Ascentium India setting out what it means for businesses operating between the two countries. CETA reduces tariffs across a range of sectors and extends well beyond goods, covering services, digital trade, government procurement, and the movement of professionals.

HMRC has introduced a new online service allowing taxpayers and authorised agents to upload documents or provide information directly as part of a compliance check. In this article, we explain what has changed for taxpayers and agents, and why care is still needed before responding to HMRC requests. The new service, published on GOV.UK on 3 August 2026, is designed for taxpayers who have received a letter from HMRC’s compliance team asking for additional information.

The FCA has published Consultation Paper CP26/27, Remuneration: Solo-regulated firms' rules reform, proposing the most significant overhaul of remuneration requirements for UK asset managers since the introduction of the AIFM remuneration code. The consultation forms part of the broader programme of UK asset management reform, sitting alongside the FCA's consultation on the future UK AIFM regime (CP26/28).

Richard Pott, Senior Manager in Buzzacott's Private Client team, has been featured in Citywealth's insight series on tax trends, sharing his perspective on the forces currently shaping tax planning for UHNW families. Richard discusses the fallout from the UK's abolition of the domicile regime and where clients are choosing to relocate as a result, from Dubai and Cyprus to jurisdictions now falling out of favour like Portugal.

Preparing group accounts: Exemption guidance for UK parent companies and LLPs 13 Aug 2026 • Audit and Assurance • Audit for Business • Corporate Audit • Financial Services • Insight UK accounting rules generally require parent companies and LLPs to prepare consolidated (group) accounts. However, several legal and accounting exemptions may apply.

We are pleased to announce that Buzzacott will host Inclusive Employers' first ever National Inclusion Week Awards. The awards will take place on Thursday 17 September in our office, bringing together shortlisted organisations from a range of sectors to celebrate their achievements and recognise the work driving meaningful change through inclusion.

Lauren Smyth, Senior Manager in Buzzacott's Business Tax team, has been featured in International Tax Review exploring HMRC's draft legislation implementing the OECD's pillar two side-by-side package for US multinationals with UK subsidiaries. In the article, Lauren explains why the safe harbour is not automatic for these groups, and how the draft legislation gives HMRC control over its application as other jurisdictions come on board.

A comparability analysis is the process used in transfer pricing to test whether the terms of the intercompany transaction under review are consistent with those observed in comparable or related transactions. It sits at the heart of the arm's length principle and follows the framework set out in the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines.

Over the long term, investors are rewarded for cutting out noise during market volatility, not panicking, and focusing on their financial objectives. Staying invested rather than selling investments during volatile periods can result in superior long term investment returns. Whilst this is harder than it seems when human emotion is factored in, there are ways to mitigate emotional decision making. Investment market volatility is not a new phenomenon.