It’s National Payroll Week! Michael Blaken of Optimum Professional Services explains why you should consider outsourcing your payroll.

Have you been accessing Covid finance support? Then end of year tax planning is essential, says Michael Blaken of Optimum Professional Services

Chancellor Rishi Sunak may have cancelled the Autumn Budget, opting instead for the Winter Recovery Plan, but doubtless he will still be making plans to claw back some of the £190 billion support injected into the economy in response to Coronavirus – and that could potentially mean tax rises.

If that is the case, one tax in his sights is likely to be Capital Gains Tax, particularly as in its manifesto the Conservative Party promised not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT. In July, the Chancellor ordered a review into CGT, asking the Office of Tax Simplification to report on how CGT rates compare with other taxes. We await the outcome of this with interest.

Swindon’s Optimum Professional Services is inviting people to pit their wits by entering a charity brainteaser next month and are counting on getting lots of entries.

The fun quiz, on Wednesday February 26, is open to teams of four and all proceeds will go towards the company’s two charities of the year: children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent and mental health charity Wiltshire Mind.