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Duncan Bowtell
Assistant Tax Manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP
Duncan Bowtell is an Assistant Tax Manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP, based in London, United Kingdom.13 He has over 500 connections on LinkedIn, indicating a strong professional network in his field.1
Professional Background
Duncan's career in taxation has been marked by experience in various reputable organizations. Prior to his current role at Grant Thornton UK LLP, he worked at VolkerWessels, demonstrating a diverse background in the industry.3
Education
Duncan Bowtell received his education from UCL (University College London)1, which likely provided him with a solid foundation for his career in tax management.
Current Role
As an Assistant Tax Manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP, Duncan is involved in various aspects of taxation. He has been known to share insights and engage with his professional network on topics related to tax and employment tax.2
Duncan's LinkedIn profile (username: duncan-bowtell-ba225918) serves as a platform for him to connect with other professionals and share his expertise in the field of taxation.12
Highlights
Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings from the Grant Thornton Employment Tax Team
Don’t let your Christmas party costs be a hangover. Here are some tips on expense reporting which should help improve your record keeping as well as enable you to maximise the opportunity to benefit from tax exemptions during the party season.
1. Label receipts by event - Record expenses according to the event (e.g. ‘Finance Christmas Party’, ‘London Office Party’ and/or ‘Company Winter Annual Function’) so that they can be more easily identified and analysed at a later date.
2. Record attendance at seasonal events – the annual events exemption and the trivial benefit exemption are limited based on the costs per head and both can be used in connection with the costs of seasonal events and functions. Ensure that when receipts are submitted, or costs posted to your ledger that you record the numbers attending your ‘Christmas’ events. This should also include client and spouse/partner attendance if they are included at the event. Save details of attendees for your records as you may need to evidence them for HMRC at a later date.
3. Seasonal Gifts - Similar to the above, if providing a seasonal gift ensure you record the number of employees receiving these which will make working out the cost per person easier. 4. Be aware that travel and accommodation costs may be reportable - Costs of hosting an event are not limited to room hire, food, drink and entertainment. If travel to and from the event and/or accommodation has been provided or expensed, then these costs are also included as part of the event. Travel to/from staff entertaining events is not considered a business purpose by HMRC and may be taxable.
5. Don’t forget the VAT – For the purposes of reporting costs on the PSA and ensuring you keep with the exemption limits, costs are always inclusive of VAT. Claims for VAT inputs are separate from income tax reporting.
We hope this helps in the run up to the Christmas party season. Navigating staff costs and entertaining can be difficult.
Other common areas which can create problems are ‘away days’, ‘team building’, conferences and other training events, as well as corporate entertaining and sponsorship.
If you require any further advice on the benefits reporting please do not hesitate to contact us.
#EmploymentTax #GTEmployersForum
A Little Piece of Paradise - but pain in the long-run ##GTEmployersForum
The results of the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) for Dave Clark and his PSC, Little Piece of Paradise Limited (LPPL), don't make good reading for those reliant on the wording of their contracts for their IR35 status and businesses should wary of using only these for off-payroll workers.
Darts fans will be familiar with Dave, who has been commentating for Sky for decades. In 2003 he set up LPPL and contracted through this company. During the course of the case his contractual clauses, designed to protect his employment status, were slowly picked apart and a hypothetical contract constructed in its place (note: Dave's legal team did a good job to argue their validity).
Once the physical contract was stripped away and the hypothetical contract (based on how the contract actually operated) showed that he had no real right of substitution; established that Sky controlled when, where and how he did his job; that there was a strong Mutuality Of Obligation (MOO) and very little financial risk. In effect he was not in business for his own account as he was tied to working for Sky in the capacity of a darts commentator.
The main pitfall for businesses at the moment when completing Status Determination Statements (SDSs) is that they review employment status based on the contract alone, without challenging whether it reflects the reality.
If you are struggling with this process, or need a second opinion GT Employment Tax Team can assist.
#ir35 #employmentstatus #contractors
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Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
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