TaxCalc Blog

Latest COVID-19 Measures – Job Support Scheme Extension and more!

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Winter Economy Plan on the 24th September. However, giving the ever-changing circumstances facing the country, the support offered to businesses is already being expanded.

About the COVID-19 VAT deferral ‘New Payment Scheme’

On 24 September 2020, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the ‘Winter Economy Plan’ – a series of measures to continue assisting businesses and employees amid the current pressures caused by COVID-19.
Among those measures was an update to the VAT Payments Deferral Scheme. This allowed businesses to defer payment of any VAT liabilities that fell due between 20 March 2020 to the 30 June 2020 until 31 March 2021. The scheme ended on 30 June 2020.

The Winter Economy Plan. Explained. What does it mean to you and your clients?

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined a series of measures to support jobs and the economy over the next six months. Here we provide an overview of the five new initiatives with a brief explanation. Please pass it on to your clients as you see fit.

The Big Adjustment: Five Months In

It’s almost five months since our world was turned upside down and we all scrambled

to switch from an office-based enterprise to one that was working more or less entirely from home. As we emerge from lockdown (if indeed we do), we find ourselves at TaxCalc wiser, more productive, more mindful of each other and with a positive outlook, even given the difficulties that our industry and society faces.

Thriving and surviving as business goes digital

The Covid-19 enforced lockdown in March saw firms across the country abruptly move their businesses from being office, to home-based.

For many of those firms that have already embraced the 'Digital Revolution', the transition to home working has been far smoother – and has also come some distinct advantages. Flexible working has resulted in improved productivity and, in many cases, staff morale. Also, firm location and distance is no longer a barrier to serving clients and has resulted in the provision of more responsive advisory services and improved client relationships.

With the lockdown continuing to ease, one TaxCalc customer reflects on the immediate and lasting changes of working from home and going digital.

The much-awaited Making Tax Digital Roadmap is unveiled

Should accountants start discussing the changes with their clients and implementing solutions? How long have they got to prepare? Is it worth spending time on it? 

As part of a new 10-year plan to modernise the UK tax administration, we finally have some answers. The accounting industry can finally start planning with some certainty and to a sensible timeline.

How TaxCalc is giving back during the coronavirus pandemic

Under the banner of ‘From TaxCalc with Love’, we're spearheading a campaign to not only support the company’s employees, but also the country’s healthcare workers who have come under greater pressure than ever. A combination of measures to assist team members and customers, a revamp of daily operations and a flood of donations to NHS staff have formed part of an effort to give back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Holding COVID-19 to Account with Folding@Home and TaxCalc

At TaxCalc we've been working hard to play our part during the COVID-19 pandemic. Different members of the TaxCalc family have been doing projects to try and help the situation for others, such as 3D printing visors or sewing scrubs for the NHS. These projects, however, require machinery or at least some level of skill that not everyone has. Several people, however, have home computers that are sat doing nothing during the workday.