Latest News

Karen Thomson wins highest accolade ‘Payroll Professional of the Year’ award at National IAB awards

Armstrong Watson’s Payroll and Employee services team is celebrating after Director Karen Thomson was selected to win one of the highest accolades in the profession – ‘Payroll Professional of the Year’ at the national International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB) International Business and Skills Awards, which took place this month at the House of Commons.

The awards recognise the very best individuals in the industry, celebrating dedication and success. Sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP), the awards are a cornerstone event in the sector. 

Tax self assessment - Have you completed yours?

With the Christmas decorations now firmly stored away and thoughts of the year ahead occupying our minds, January can mean only one thing if you work in Tax; Self-Assessment deadline!  If you haven’t yet submitted your 2015/16 Tax Return the clock is ticking and leaving it to last minute can be costly.

The deadline for submitting a paper return passed on 31 October 2016, so the only option now is to submit online. Therefore if you haven’t already done so you need to file your return online by 31 January 2017.

Training to become a Chartered Accountant

We continue to plan our future and therefore we are looking to recruit the best Trainee Chartered Accountants out there for 2017.

Training with us will challenge and stretch you, you will learn the value of detail and appreciate the value of understanding the bigger picture. Your investment in time, focus and energy will lead to the prized ACA qualification and the start of a valued career path.

I have changed job; now what?

Last month I talked about the considerations on whether or not to change your job. This time the focus is  “what now” after taking the plunge.
I can speak from experience on all the emotions you will now encounter...

Changes for Fundraising Charities

You may have heard about some significant changes in the charity sector.  In July 2016 The Fundraising Regulator (FR) took over responsibility for the Code of Fundraising Practice.  The code sets standards and promotes good practice and compliance in the sector.  The FR is responsible for keeping the code up to date and investigating complaints against fundraising charities.

Macmillan Coffee Morning Cheque Handover

This morning Audit and Assurance Director Karen Rae presented Sue MacDonald, the Fundraising Manager for Macmillan in Cumbria, with a cheque for £1504 following a hugely successful firm-wide Macmillan Coffee Morning. 

Karen said:
‘I am delighted to be handing over this cheque to Macmillan. Each year we get behind the coffee morning as a firm and it’s fantastic , that together, we can raise such a significant amount to help with the valuable work that Macmillian do.’ 

Specialist vehicle manufacturer back on the road

The business and assets of Penman Engineering Limited, the Dumfries based developer and manufacturer of specialist vehicles which entered administration on 31 August 2016, has been sold to the directors of Martin Williams (Hull) Limited – a company specialising in build, repair, maintenance, refurbishment and hire of vehicles.

M&A: The wave before a crash?

If Donald Trump’s improbable victory and the EU referendum has taught us anything (other than the ineffectiveness of prediction polls) it’s that things are ever changing.

Despite a backdrop of global instability, the number of completed merger and acquisition deals is not indicative of a crashing, or even wavering market.

The Marmite effect

It’s frequently said that inflation is the enemy of the investor, but what is it? It is commonly defined as the increase in price of general goods and services, so this article looks at how inflation manifests itself and how it can be good and bad.

Many economists expect inflation to rise in the months and years ahead and when it does it’s felt in the general cost of living, doing business, borrowing money and on bond yields, to name but a few things.

Will you be pushed into Inheritance Tax (IHT) charges?

Recent studies show that one in 65 adults in the UK is now a millionaire. With this rise in people’s fortunes, together with the freeze on the current Nil Rate Band this means that potentially more and more people will be pushed into Inheritance Tax (IHT) charges.

The current threshold for the Nil Rate Band is £325,000 and this has been frozen until 2021. This means that people who have wealth in excess of this amount will find their loved ones suffering IHT at 40% on the excess over this amount in the unfortunate event of their death.