Dubai, HMRC, and Pension Contributions: March Newsletter
It has been a while since I have sat down and thought about Anlo’s newsletter and what I would like to write to all our wonderful clients.
People that have gone through grief told me that you don’t feel yourself for a period, and I used to listen and sympathise, but I could not really imagine how long that feeling will last, or how deep it will hurt, until now.
With the love and closeness of wonderful people, I am slowly getting there.
Esmerelda and I recently took ourselves on a week sabbatical to Dubai with our little girls, and it was AMAZING! Thank you to everyone that was patient with us during this time. We planned this break probably a year ago, with the hope that it will give us something to look forward to, and because of COVID and everything we kind of forgot about it because there was a chance we could not go, and we did not want to get our hopes up.
But we did manage to go, and it was so definitely needed. The break from the routine that has become a burden over the last 2 years was exactly what the doctor ordered. We swam in the sea and talked about the business’s future, about our hopes and dreams for ourselves, our families, and our business.
I feel more grounded, and we would encourage all our clients to go on a holiday if you can. It’s easy to view holidays as a luxury, and they can be, but they are also a vital part of getting your work-life balance right.
A friend, who is an employment lawyer, once explained that legal holiday provision is a health and safety provision as much as anything. None of us can work constantly, to do so invites mistakes and burnout. So, take a break. Think about life and the purposes of it.
I also had the privilege and excitement of having my old business partner visit me in Edinburgh. As you know, I started Anlo 12 years ago in South Africa with Mike Brown and together we grew the business for 2 years.
He moved onto other projects but has always kept in touch. It was so incredible nice to have him see where I live and thrive.
Raising the Standards Agenda – HMRC
I wanted to make our clients aware that we as tax agents are held to high standards by HMRC and our professional bodies and there is an increasing drive for individuals to receive the best tax support from us, through monitoring and raising standards.
The paragraph I would like to highlight is ‘HMRC seeks to work with tax agents to maintain high standards by helping them get things right from the start. HMRC provides dedicated agent services, information, and support in a number of different ways, such as emails, blogs, webinars, and a dedicated helpline.’
At Anlo we make ourselves aware of any changes that come into force, and we read HMRC’s emails and blogs to make sure we are on top of everything. We also use all the HMRC avenues to contact them, to ensure we give you the very best service.
Pension Contributions if you are a Director of a Limited Company
If you work through a limited company, it can be very tax efficient to have your limited company make pension contributions directly into your pension scheme.
Please note that we are not pension advisors so we cannot give specific pension and investment advice and if you are interested in starting a pension, we would strongly advise that you discuss your specific circumstances with a pension advisor.