RRL Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers

Last updated: September 2026 With an ever changing tax landscape (both known changes and general volatility in the UK tax landscape), now may be the prudent time to review and, if necessary, change your Will.

After significant delays after the proposals were first announced, the government has now announced changes to the way companies file their annual accounts with Companies House. The new rules will come into effect from April 2028 and are intended to improve the quality of information held on the Companies House register. Whilst the official Companies House statement does not make this explicitly clear, these changes are expected to apply to accounting periods starting on or after 1 April 2028.

The government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT for certain supplies of children’s meals, children’s admission tickets and family attractions, with a reduced rate of 5% (from the standard rate of VAT of 20%) applying from 25 June 2026 to 1 September 2026. Whilst, arguably, a more permanent reduction for hospitality business would have been much more attractive to businesses themselves, the government here appear to be attempting to ease cost pressure for the family consumer.

In addition to the many legal responsibilities of executors/personal representatives or administrators (where the deceased died intestate) of a person’s death estate – which our sister business, RRL Probate can assist with – they are responsible for all the tax reporting requirements. These requirements apply to both the estate and the deceased individual.

As we are now approaching the filing deadline of 30 April 2026 for the ATED year 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027, it is now time for companies to think about whether they will fall within the ATED regime and are required to submit an ATED return or ATED relief declaration (if a relief is available) for the 2026/27 tax year.

Overview Broadly, companies, partnerships with company members and collective investment schemes, fall within the ATED regime if they hold an interest in a UK residential property worth more than £500,000 at the last revaluation date (which occurs every 5 years) or at the date of acquisition, if later.

What are the changes under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA)? Companies House has introduced a number of important changes as part of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA).

On 26 March 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented her Spring Statement to parliament. Despite a backdrop of low economic growth and increasing government borrowing costs, the Chancellor remains committed to her ‘non-negotiable’ fiscal rules that aim to bring stability to the economy and security for working people. With further borrowing ruled out and a determination not to announce further tax changes, her focus has been on government spending.

Overview Broadly, companies, partnerships with company members and collective investment schemes, fall within the ATED regime if they hold an interest in a UK residential property worth more than £500,000 at the last revaluation date (which occurs every 5 years) or at the date of acquisition, if later.

Much has been made in the popular press of the £1m cap per individual to be introduced on inheritance tax Agricultural Property Relief claims, meaning many business owners could be forgiven for thinking that non-agricultural businesses are unaffected. Which isn’t the case at all! The £1m cap also applies to inheritance tax Business Property Relief (BPR)– which relates unquoted trading businesses.