Farewell paper tax returns

As the 31 October deadline for filing a 2022/23 paper tax return nears, you might be wondering why you have not received one this year. The answer is that HMRC has not sent any out, nor has it made the main form (SA100) available online. It is all part of HMRC’s drive to encourage people to file electronically. If you want a paper return, you will need to call HMRC (0300 200 3610) and request one.

Pensioners, savings and benefits

Many pensioners may be missing out on benefits they are entitled to because they don’t believe they are eligible. New research showed that last year nearly a third of people over the age of 65 checked their entitlement to State Benefits. But over 70% of those who had not checked their eligibility believed the value of their home and other assets would disqualify them. However, additional financial support may well be available to those missing out – DWP data found that 33% of those eligible for Pension Credit do not claim.

The electric company car

In 2024 the government wants 22% of the new cars sold in the UK to be all electric. That may sound like a tall order, but recent statistics from HMRC show that for 2021/22, 17% of all company cars were electric, up from 7% in the previous tax year. The main reason – worth noting if you still have a petrol or diesel company vehicle – is that the benefit-in-kind tax rules are heavily weighted in favour of battery-powered cars.