February 8. 2019
For the third year running, FBTC have won the Feefo Gold Trusted Service
award. The award is an independent seal of excellence that recognises
businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, as rated by real clients.
Created by Feefo, Trusted Service is awarded only to those businesses
that use Feefo to collect genuine reviews and insights. Those that meet the
high standard, based on the number of reviews they have collected, and their
average rating, receive the award. FBTC achieved a Feefo service rating of 4.8/5
throughout 2018.
As all reviews are verified as genuine, the accreditation is a true
reflection of a business’ commitment to outstanding service.
Alan Gott, FBTC Manager commented: “At FBTC we want to be more than
just a voice on the phone, we care about the people we talk to. For our clients
to have picked up on this and for them to take the time to give us such great
reviews is really appreciated by us all. Feefo enabled us to consistently improve
throughout 2018 and now we’re looking forward to another successful year
ahead.”
Congratulating FBTC
Accountancy Services on winning this year’s award, Matt West, CEO at Feefo, commented: “The Trusted Service award has always been about recognising those
companies that excel beyond the norm. I’m looking forward to the continual
success of the businesses that work in partnership with us throughout 2019.”

About FBTC Accountancy Services
Established over 20 years ago,
FBTC is a specialist accountancy service for Driving Instructors and the self-employed.
Covering the whole of the UK, FBTC provides service to more than 2,000 clients.
FBTC provide a totally comprehensive service:
•
Self-employment registration
•
Compilation of annual accounts
•
Annual tax returns
•
All communications with HM Revenue & Customs
•
Access to members only area of FBTC website
•
Tax and accountancy advice
•
Free online cashbook
All for an affordable monthly
fee.
For further information:
0344 984 2515
info@fbtc.co.uk
January 23. 2019
As an
Accountancy Service that supports over 2,000 UK Driver Training professionals,
FBTC are in a unique position to be able to comment on the health of the
industry through the FBTC Annual UK Driving Instructor Review 2019.
This
year’s study provides further insight into Driving Instructors’ workload,
earnings and levels of job satisfaction in what is clearly a dynamic and
evolving marketplace.
Read
our full report to learn more about the inflation busting increase in the instructor's average hourly rate and remarkably high levels of job satisfaction.
Click
here for the full report 2019 Annual UK Driving Instructor.pdf (515KB)

December 3. 2018
FBTC client Sue, from www.HealingHandsInUk.com, is an alternative therapist - a
Reiki Master, Teacher and Practitioner! Sue has shared her experience of self-employment; “It's a tough market and there
are quite a few people in my business, like any other, who are very competitive
in advertising”.
What
Sue loves the most about self-employment is being able to own and take pride in
her hard work and achievements. Sue comments, “It feels very satisfying to take
full credit and responsibility for my progress and success”. This is evidence for
Sue as she has recently been voted into "The Top
Three Therapists". This was done by an independent reviewer.
Sue
continued with “Of course being my own boss and being able to choose my working
hours is a massive bonus. I truly thrive on the challenges of being able to
make a difference in people's lives by what I do. “It's tremendously motivating
to see people feel healthier and being able to enjoy their lives by overcoming
their most debilitating conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression or
get rid of their addictions to smoking, alcohol or drugs”.
Initially,
Sue did face some challenges, “The hardest part for me was to manage my
accounting and knowing what I can or can't do. Thank goodness for FBTC's speciality
with advising and managing my accounts. It was also tricky to finance and find
an affordable and suitable premise to work from at first".
Sue’s
advice to anyone starting a business is to not fear hard work and challenges. Have
a vision, believe in your abilities and follow your dreams.
November 30. 2018
Small Business Saturday takes
place each year on the first Saturday of December, it is all about shopping
locally, supporting small businesses and contributing towards their success. In
2017, £748 million was reportedly spent with small businesses in the UK, many
actively participating by offering promotions and discounts to acknowledge the
day.
Kelly Tolhurst, Small Business
Minister commented: “With more than 1,000 starting up every day, the UK’s small
businesses are the backbone of our economy and at the heart of our modern
Industrial Strategy”.
Café Lush, owners Louisa and
Sharon have been trading since April 2018 and stated; “We wanted to be able to
work around our families, making the work life balance easier! We now have the
flexibility and control over how we want to run our business and the rewards make
it so worthwhile”.
Here at FBTC Accountancy Services
we support a range of small businesses and sole traders, so we didn’t want to
miss out on the opportunity to highlight this day. We wanted to send a virtual
high 5 and well done to all those small businesses out there. Keep up the good
work and remember the reasons why you decided to take the leap into
self-employment in the first place.
We have decided to bring you a
daily dose of small business motivation over the next 5 days. This will include
comments from our clients, a bit about their business and why they became
self-employed.
March 8. 2018
International Women’s Day has been recognised since the
1900’s, each year the 8th March is about celebrating women globally.
Today’s society recognises the value that women bring to individual communities
and collectively to the world.
There is still a commitment to the original aim, which is,
to achieve full gender equality for women. According to the Global Gender Gap
Index 2017, the gender gap is expected to be closed in 100 years. Yes, 100
years! But one things for sure it is no longer a man’s world.
The number of women in self-employment has grown
consistently since 2001. The sky is the limit when you are your own boss and
there is not a glass ceiling in sight. The flexibility that comes with
self-employment allows women to balance their working life and personal
commitments entirely how they wish. The element of freedom also means your mind
has the flexibility it needs to make good decisions.
Could this mean self-employment is the dream for most women?
Cathi, an Approved Driving Instructor from Barnsley advised FBTC
‘I held down five Head of Department, of Foreign Languages posts. After 31
years working full time, nonstop, I needed more flexibility. 18 months ago, I
contacted RED Driving School and embarked on my training. I am now qualified as
an Approved Driving Instructor and very satisfied with my new life’.
Like Audrey Hepburn said, ‘Nothing is impossible, the word
itself says I’m possible’.
March 6. 2018
FBTC Accountancy Services has won the Feefo Gold Service award, an independent seal of excellence
that recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, as rated by
real clients.
Created by Feefo, Trusted Service is awarded only to those businesses
that use Feefo to collect genuine ratings and reviews. Those that meet the high
standard, based on the number of reviews they have collected, and their average
rating, are awarded. A badge of honour, this accreditation remains unique, as it
is based purely on the interactions with verified customers. As all reviews are
verified as genuine, the accreditation is a true reflection of a business’
commitment to outstanding service.
Andrew Briscoe, FBTC Accountancy Services commented: “It’s a real
honour to receive this award from Feefo. To be recognised for delivering
exceptional experiences to our clients is a great achievement. We’ve been
working hard to ensure our clients receive the best service possible, and being
able to listen, understand and respond to their needs has enabled us to improve
our offering in 2017. We’re looking forward to another successful year ahead.”
Speaking on this year's award, Andrew Mabbutt, CEO at Feefo, commented 'The Trusted Service award has always been about recognising those companies that go the extra mile. Once again, we have seen many incredible businesses using Feefo to its full potential, to provide truly memorable experiences for their customers – and rightly being awarded with our most prestigious accreditation. I look forward to the continual success of the businesses that work in partnership with Feefo throughout 2018'.
Feefo is a ratings and reviews, and customer analytics platform that
provides the tools to collect genuine, purchase-verified reviews on behalf of
over 4,000 businesses. Feefo ensures that all feedback is authentic, by
matching it to a legitimate transaction; this is in order to increase consumer confidence
and combat the rising issue of fake reviews.
About Feefo
Feefo is a global reviews and customer analytics solution to boost
business & build trust. Feefo collects reliable customer feedback to
deliver up to date insights so businesses and consumers can make better
decisions. Feefo does this on behalf of 4,000 companies, providing reviews and
customer analytics for more than 5,000 websites. Clients include Expedia, AXA,
Next, The White Company, Moss Bros, Notonthehighstreet.com & Tepilo. For more information please visit: www.feefo.com
July 28. 2017
The Gender Pay gap was highlighted again recently following the BBC’s powerful publication of its top earners. Sir Philip Hampton, who is co-chairing a review into increasing the number of women in senior business roles, stated this week he has “never, ever had a woman ask for a pay rise” and “there isn’t a list long enough for all men who’ve asked. Lots of men have trooped into my office saying they are underpaid, but no woman has ever done that.” He also comments “I suspect they let it happen because they weren’t doing much about it.”
Would you agree with this?
This isn’t the case in the driving instruction industry. Our research has found that female instructors are earning more than males. Women are working similar hours to men but they are working smarter, charging higher lesson rates and bringing home an extra £35 per week.
The Annual Driving Instructor Review 2017 was completed by us earlier this year. Overall the review showed, year on year, weekly gross income for female driving instructors has risen by 19.5%, in an industry that is proving one of the most progressive.
Andrew Briscoe, manager of FBTC, said: "With women representing less than a quarter of all
driving instructors in the UK, any increase in learner demand makes it possible
for female driving instructors throughout the industry to increase their hourly
rate ".
Read the full Annual Driving Instructor Review here.
July 21. 2017
HMRC are introducing fundamental changes to the way the tax systems works. The
original intention was for MTD to commence from 6 April 2018, they then delayed
it for some until 6 April 2019. Last week the government announced that
MTD will only apply to businesses from 6th April 2019 whose turnover is above
the VAT threshold. For all remaining business the start date has been pushed
back until at least 5 April 2020. However, it will be possible to submit
business records under MTD, on a voluntary basis before then.
HMRC are running a pilot scheme to help get MTD up and running correctly. FBTC
have been invited to join the pilot and we are now working with both HMRC and
our software providers. We will make the move to the digital revolution easy
and hassle free for you. If you would like to know more about our online
cashbook, in preparation for MTD, call the office for more information 0344 984
4445.
March 21. 2017
This was introduced in the
2015/16 tax year and allows, in certain circumstances, the transfer of 10% of
unused personal allowances between spouses or civil partners.
For
the 2015/16 tax year, you may be eligible to transfer £1,060 of your personal
allowance between each other which represents a tax reduction of £212.00.
For
the 2016/17 tax year, you may be eligible to transfer £1,100 of your personal
allowance between each other which represents a tax reduction of £220.00.
For
the 2017/18 tax year, you may be eligible to transfer £1,150 of your personal
allowance between each other which represents a tax reduction of £230.00.
How do I qualify?
To
qualify one partner must have total income below the personal allowance which
for 2016/17 was £11,000 (2017/18 £11,500) and the other must be a basic rate
taxpayer.
If
you are surrendering your allowances to your partner and your gross income for
2016/17 is between £9,900 and £11,000 then the reduction in your allowances
would then mean you would become a taxpayer so a claim would not be worthwhile.
If
either partner is a higher rate tax payer then no claim can be made.
The
allowance can only be used against Income Tax so a claim would not be
applicable if your only liability for the year was Class 2 and/or Class 4
National Insurance Contributions.
How do I apply?
A
claim must be made by telephoning HMRC on 0300 200 3300 or online at www.gov.uk/marriageallowance. Your tax liability will not
be reduced if an online or telephone claim has not been made.
Unfortunately,
we cannot make the claim for you as HMRC will not allow agents to make the
claim on their clients’ behalf.
Your
tax return is not for the purposes of making a claim. Instead, upon receipt of
your tax return, HMRC will make an amendment to your tax liability and advise
you of the revised amounts payable.
The
person who calls HMRC must be the person who is transferring the allowances (i.e.
the person with income below £11,000 in 2016/17 or £11,500 in 2017/18).
When
first making a claim HMRC will review earlier years, back to 2015/16, and back
date the claim for any years where you have not made a claim but were eligible
to do so.
For
more information call FBTC, the tax experts!
March 15. 2017
Due to substantial pressures from its own backbenchers the Government has announced that the increases from 2018 and 2019 will not now go ahead.
See below the full text of Chancellor Philip Hammond's letter to Conservative MPs explaining his decision to drop National Insurance increases announced in last week's Budget.
Dear Colleague
I am writing to clarify the Government's position with regard to the changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) for the self-employed, announced in last week's Budget.
As I set out last Wednesday, the gap between benefits available to the self-employed and those in employment has closed significantly over the last few years - most notably by the introduction of the new State Pension in April 2016, worth an additional £1,800 to a self-employed person for each year of retirement.
It remains our judgment that the current differences in benefit entitlement no longer justify the scale of difference in the level of total NICs paid in respect of employees and the self-employed.
Colleagues will be aware that there has been a sharp increase in self-employment over the last few years. Most commentators believe that at least part of the increase is driven by differences in tax treatment.
HMRC estimates that the cost to the public finances of this trend is around £5bn this year alone and the parallel increase in incorporation will cost more than £6bn a year by the end of the Parliament. This represents a significant risk to the tax base and thus to the funding of our public services.
The measures I announced in the Budget sought to reflect more fairly the differences in entitlement in the contributions made by the self-employed and addresses the challenge of sustainability of the tax base.
The Government continues to believe that this is the right approach.
Since the Budget, however, there has been much comment on the question of commitments made in our 2015 manifesto. Ahead of Autumn Statement last year, the Prime Minister and I decided that, however difficult the fiscal challenges we face, the tax-lock and spending ring-fence commitments we have made for this Parliament should be honoured in full. I made this clear in the Autumn Statement speech.
As far as National Insurance contributions are concerned, the locks were legislated for in the National Insurance contributions (Rate Ceilings) Act 2015.
When that Bill was introduced, it was made clear that the lock would apply only to Class 1 contributions (employer and employee). The measures proposed in the Budget fall within the constraints set out by the tax-lock legislation and the spending ring-fences.
However, in light-of the debate over the last few days it is clear that compliance with the "legislative" test of the Manifesto commitment is not adequate.
It is very important both to me and to the Prime Minister that we are compliant not just with the letter, but also the spirit, of the commitments that were made.
In light of what has emerged as a clear view among colleagues and a significant section of the public, I have decided not to proceed with the Class 4 NIC measures set out in the Budget.
There will be no increases in NICs rates in this Parliament. We will continue with the abolition of Class 2 NICs from April 2018. The cost of the changes I am announcing today will be funded by measures to be announced in the Autumn Budget.
I undertook in the Budget speech to consult over the summer on options to address the principal outstanding difference in benefit entitlement between employed and self-employed: parental benefits. We now intend to widen this exercise to look at the other areas of difference in treatment, alongside the Government's consideration of the forthcoming report by Matthew Taylor, CEO of the RSA, on the implication of different ways of working for employment rights.
Once we have completed these pieces of work, the Government will set out how it intends to take forward, and fund, reforms in this area.
I plan to make a statement in the House later today.
Philip Hammond
#selfemployed #class4NIC #TAX
March 10. 2017
The Spring
Budget 2017 was presented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8th
March 2017.
This will be
the last Spring Budget. In future, the Budget will be held in autumn,
commencing from autumn 2017. Many of the changes announced in the Budget
commence the following 5th April, giving more time for planning and
implementation.
With regards
to proposals specifically affecting the driving instructor industry, the
Chancellor has announced a 2% increase in Insurance Premium Tax from June 2017
which will, of course, impact Car Insurance premiums.
Significant
changes are also coming in respect of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). From 6th
April 2017, for cars registered after 1st April 2017, there will be
a first-year rate of up to £2,000, depending on the vehicles’ CO2 emissions and
then a standard rate of £140. The standard rate will be increased in the first
five years by £310 if the vehicle list price is more than £40,000.
For vehicles
registered between 1st March 2001 and 31st March 2017,
VED will increase by Retail Price Index (RPI) from 6 April 2017. The average
increase will be £5 per year.
From an
individual taxpayer’s point of view, the following points were the key
announcements made:
Personal Tax
rates and allowances
The
personal allowance will increase from £11,000 to £11,500 from 6th
April 2017.
This
increase is part of the Governments’ continued commitment to increase the
personal allowance to £12,500 by the end of the current parliament.
The
threshold at which the personal allowance is reduced remains at £100,000. The
personal allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 of income above £100,000. This
means that anyone with income over £123,000 in 2017/18, does not qualify for
personal allowances.
From 6th April
2017, the threshold at which individuals begin to pay tax at the higher rate of
40% will increase from £43,000 to
£45,000. This increase is part of the
Government’s continued commitment to raise the threshold to £50,000 by the end
of the current parliament.
The
threshold at which individuals will be liable to pay tax at the rate of 45%
remains at £150,000.
Married
Couples allowance will continue to be available where one applicant was born
before 6th April 1935 and from 6th April 2017 neither
applicant earns more than £28,000 (£27,700 in 16/17).
From
6th April 2018, this will result in a minimum tax saving of £326
(£322 in 16/17) and the maximum tax saving of £844.50 (£835.50 in 16/17).
Those
who don’t qualify for Married Couples allowance, may qualify for Marriage
Allowance. To qualify for Marriage Allowance one applicant must not be a
taxpayer and the other must not be a higher rate taxpayer. From 6th
April 2018, this will result in a tax saving of £230 (£220 in 16/17).
Capital gains
tax (CGT)
From 6th April
2017, the annual exemption for CGT will increase to £11,300 (£11,100 in 16/17).
The rates of CGT remain
unchanged at 10% for basic rate taxpayers (18% for residential property) and 20%
for higher rate taxpayers (28% for residential property).
Savings
Since 6th
April 2016, all bank and building society interest has been paid gross.
If your non-savings income is
below the tax free personal allowances detailed above, then the balance can be
used against savings income.
In addition to any “spare”
personal allowances, basic rate taxpayers can earn a further £6,000 of savings
income tax free and higher rate taxpayers can earn £5,500.
The ISA allowance will rise
from £15,240 to £20,000 from 6th April 2017.
The ISA allowance also
includes, from 6th April 2017, a new Lifetime ISA allowance. This
will allow those under 40 years old to invest up to £4,000 per year and receive
a bonus of 25% up to a maximum of £1,000 each year. Deposits can be made every
year up to the age of 50. The funds can then be withdrawn from the age of 60.
Funds can be withdrawn earlier if they are going to be used for a first-time
house purchase. They can also be used if
you are terminally ill or are moving to a different Lifetime ISA provider. If
you withdraw for any other reason before the age of 60 then you will have to
pay a charge of 25% of the amount withdrawn.
There is also a “Junior ISA”
available for under 18’s. From 6th April 2017, up to a maximum of
£4,128 (£4,080 in 16/17) can be invested.
From 6th April 2017, the
tax-free lifetime allowance on contributions to pension pots remains at £1
million and the maximum annual allowance limit remains at £40,000.
Dividend Income
Savings income does not
include dividend income.
From 6th April
2017, the first £5,000 of any dividend income will be taxed at 0%. Above this
threshold, basic rate taxpayers will pay 7.5% dividend tax, higher rate
taxpayers 32.5% and additional rate taxpayers 38.1%.
From 6th April
2018, the limit will be reduced to £2,000.
National Insurance Contributions (NIC’s)
From 6th
April 2017, Class 2 NIC’s will be due on profits in excess of £6,025 (£5,965 in
16/17). This equates to a weekly rate of £2.85 (£2.80 in 16/17).
From 6th
April 2017 Class 4 NIC’s will be due on profits in excess of £8,164 (£8,060 in
16/17) at the rate of 9%, which is unchanged from 16/17. Profits above £45,000
(£43,000 in 16/17) will be liable at 2%.
Class 2
NIC’s will be abolished from 6th April 2018 and the self-employed
will only pay Class 4 NIC’s. The change
will see an increase in Class 4 NIC’s to 10% from 6th April 2018 and
to 11% from 6th April 2019.
However, due to public outcry from the ‘white van man’, the legislation for the proposal will not now likely to be introduced until autumn 2017.
Other notable points
The
Corporation Tax rate for Limited companies will be cut to 19% from April 2017
and to 17% from April 2020.
The VAT
threshold will increase from £83,000 to £85,000 from 1st April 2017.
Capital
allowances for plant and machinery will remain at 100% for first £200,000 of
first year additions (FYA). The main rate will remain unchanged at 18% and the
special rate will remain at 8%.
Trading and property income allowances
- The Government will create two
new income tax allowances of £1,000 each, for trading and property income.
The allowances can be deducted from income instead of actual
expenses.
Making Tax Digital (MTD)
HMRC have
confirmed that from 6th April 2018 the self-employed whose turnover
or property income is over the VAT threshold (£85,000), will have to submit
their business records quarterly with non VAT registered businesses joining MTD
from 6th April 2019.
An
exemption has been proposed for businesses with a turnover of below £10,000.
However, HMRC are still considering this proposal.
If you would like to chat to us about how any of the above will affect you, then please contact us here.
February 22. 2017
February 2017, FBTC Accountancy Services has won
a Feefo Gold Service award, an independent seal of excellence that recognises
businesses for delivering exceptional experiences, rated by real customers.
Created by Feefo, Trusted Service is awarded to
businesses that use Feefo to collect genuine ratings and reviews. A badge of
honour, this accreditation remains unique as all the awards are based purely on
the interactions with verified customers.
FBTC Accountancy Services, collected a
significant number of reviews throughout 2016 and achieved an overall Feefo
service rating of over 4.8 out of a possible maximum of 5.0.
Andrew Briscoe, FBTC’s General Manager commented: “It’s a real honour to receive this
award from Feefo. To be recognised for delivering exceptional experiences to
our clients is a great achievement. We’ve been working hard to ensure our clients
receive the best service possible, and being able to listen, understand and
respond to their needs has enabled us to improve our offering in 2016. We’re
looking forward to another successful year ahead.”
“We would like to offer our congratulations to
all the winners of this year’s Feefo Trusted Service award. We are so proud
that so many businesses are putting customer service first.” said Andrew
Mabbutt, CEO at Feefo. “We have been working closely with all our customers
to build trust and transparency online, and ultimately helping shoppers buy
with confidence and make better decisions.”
A little about Feefo.....
Feefo is a global ratings
and reviews platform which ensures that all feedback is authentic thereby
avoiding the rising issue of fake reviews.
Feefo collects reliable customer feedback to
deliver up to date insights so businesses and consumers can make better
decisions. Feefo does this on behalf of 3,000 companies, providing reviews and
customer analytics for more than 5,000 websites. Clients include Expedia, AXA,
The White Company, Moss Bros, Notonthehighstreet.com & Tepilo.
For more information please visit: www.feefo.com

February 17. 2017
We recently mentioned HMRC’s proposals for changing the way income will be submitted to them. The plan is to abolish the current annual tax return and replace it with quarterly reporting of your books and records. The changes are known as “Making Tax Digital”.
HMRC have been running a consultation on their proposals. They announced their conclusions on the consultation on 31st January 2017.
We are now working with our software providers to ensure we are fully prepared for these changes which are likely to start on 6th April 2018.
We will be contacting all of our clients accordingly as and when necessary both directly and with further announcements here on our website and also Facebook / Twitter. Please keep checking these pages as the changes are important and significant.
Please also do not hesitate to contact one of our tax consultants if you have any queries - 0344 984 4445.
January 27. 2017
We’ve just
completed this year’s survey which analyses Independent and
Franchised Driving Instructor questionnaire feedback and examines some of the
changes experienced by Instructors over the last 12 months.
Here’s 5 interesting snippets from the report:
1- The national average hourly lesson price (after deducting
the cost of offers and discounts) now stands at £24.85 which represents
a 7.9% increase on last year’s figure.
2- UK Driving Instructors are now achieving an average gross
income of £730.59 per week which is £44.59 more than last year.
3- Through a combination of working more hours and by
increasing their hourly rate by more than £2.50 per hour, female Instructors
have achieved an average gross income increase of £123.10 per week.
4- 93% of Driving Instructors are satisfied with their
job and with such high levels of job satisfaction we’d expect this to translate
into a very positive learning experience for their students.
5- The majority of the UK’s Driving Instructors see their
earnings increasing further over the next 12 months – the future’s bright!
Read
FBTC’s UK Driving Instructor Review in here.
October 5. 2016
After the March 2015 Budget, the press were quick to state that the end
of the tax return had been announced. We were sceptical about this and
have been waiting for further announcements to be made by HMRC to clarify the
position.
HMRC has now confirmed that from 2018, most businesses, will have to submit their business
records quarterly rather than annually. Further announcements will be made over
the next few months by HMRC on exactly how this will work.
Be assured that FBTC are monitoring these announcements to ensure that our
clients are fully prepared.
We will publish updates through emails, our website and our social media
pages.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions - 0344 984 4445.

June 15. 2016

Intelligent Instructor magazine, the biggest and only independent magazine for the driver training industry, teamed up with FBTC Accountancy Services, and conducted a snap survey of ADIs to understand their views and intention in the forthcoming EU Referendum.
Over 24 hours between the 8th and 9th June, 200 ADIs took part.
Key Findings:
92% intend to vote on the 23rd June 2016
But nearly 1 in 5 (19%) are still undecided on whether to remain or leave
Only 31% of the sample intend to vote to remain
50% intend to vote for leaving the EU at this point
Nearly half (45%) don’t feel they have sufficient information to make an informed decision to remain or leave
Only 1 in 5 (19.7%) see that leaving the EU would have a negative impact on them personally
(200 responses on 8th and 9th of June 2016)
Paul Caddick, Editor of Intelligent Instructor and Andrew Briscoe, General Manager of FBTC
Of course we (Intelligent Instructor and FBTC) are independent on this matter, but interested in facts and other interested party’s views and perspectives on what is probably the single biggest national decision for a lifetime.
It is clear from this snap poll that while it is so important, people are finding it very difficult to ascertain the real facts needed to properly formulate a decision. This is incredibly disappointing when the result will have huge consequences for us all in the UK and, Europe as a whole, for decades to come.
Driver trainers deal in the world of motoring and road safety. It is unlikely that there will be any direct implications for driver training and the driving test per se. However, it is perhaps worth bearing in mind that a huge amount of the positive road safety developments over the last thirty or forty years have come through a combined European effort.
- The EU funds a significant amount of road safety research which benefits UK research establishments and UK road users in general.
The UK has many ‘harmonised’ driver and vehicle regulations and enforcement, from driving licences and professional driver’s hours, to insurance and manufacturing standards. Of course, if the UK leaves the EU it could adapt and adopt EU legislation.
EuroNCAP has probably been the single biggest improvement in road safety, forcing better, safer vehicles, and it is a test of standards that is now being adopted worldwide.
There are potential risks and complications of the UK not getting access to vehicle technical data (repair and maintenance information) currently being legislated by EU
Adrian Walsh, Director, Road Safe said:
"Europe is perhaps the largest and most sophisticated market in the world; this has provided an ideal environment for a rapid advance in the development of vehicle safety technology spurred on by the consumer-facing NCAP programme. As a result, we now have the safest cars in the world.
Furthermore, the harmonisation of traffic law and a focus on road safety research within the community has helped to reduce death and injury on European roads.
Britain has played a leading role in all these areas".
Iain Temperton, Director of Communications, Road Safety GB commented:
“Our legislative framework is delivered via Department for Transport, some is home-grown and some originates from Europe. There are some advantages to harmonisation between states, such as standardisation of driving licences and co-operation of enforcement agencies, how much of that could continue outside of EU membership is an unknown.
My feeling is that the result of the referendum will have no short-term effect on road safety and I suspect that long-term effects will be limited as well. We search for best practice wherever it can be found".
These are just a few examples of how the EU has benefited our motoring lives, careers and safety over the years. Leaving the EU is likely to create economic uncertainty in the short-term, and this could cause a rise in diesel and petrol prices, vehicle purchase costs and even insurance premiums. However, assessing the unknown requires a functioning crystal ball, and such a thing does not exist as far as I know.
This Referendum is about a lot more than motoring, driver training and road safety. It is about our relationship with the rest of Europe, our position in a global market place and also the best way to ensure stability, safety and brotherhood in an increasingly fractured, insecure and unstable world. So perhaps it is most important to remember that it was the European wars and economic instability that led to the desire to unite the powers and nations of Europe; to prevent war, find common purpose and economically benefit all. Therefore, we need to assess if the EU, and our membership of it, has succeeded or failed, and whether going back to the old state of affairs will be a step forward looking at the whole issue.
See the full ADI survey results below:




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May 9. 2016
This
was introduced in the 2015/16 tax year and allows, in certain circumstances,
the transfer of 10% of unused personal allowances between spouses or civil
partners.
For
the 2015/16 tax year, you may be eligible to transfer £1,060 of your personal
allowance between each other which represents a tax reduction of £212.00.
For
the 2016/17, tax year you may be eligible to transfer £1,100 of your personal
allowance between each other which represents a tax reduction of £220.00.
How do I qualify?
To
qualify, one partner must have total income below the personal allowance
(£10,600) and the other must be a basic rate taxpayer.
How do I apply?
If
you have not already submitted a claim then don’t worry, as it is not too late.
A
claim must be made by telephoning HMRC on 0300 200 3300 or online at www.gov.uk/marriageallowance
which can then be backdated to the 2015/16 tax year. Your tax liability will not
be reduced if an online or telephone claim has not been made.
Your
tax return is not for the purposes of making a claim, but for confirming to
HMRC that an online/telephone claim has already been made.
The
person who calls HMRC must be the person who is transferring the allowances (ie
the person with income below £10,600 in 2015/16 or £11,000 in 2016/17).
Unfortunately,
HMRC will not allow agents to make the claim on their clients’ behalf.
For
more information call FBTC, the tax experts!
April 5. 2016
It is fast approaching the end of another tax year, it means only one thing – tax return
time!
Remember, you have nine months in which to file your 2015/16
tax return with HM Revenue and Customs.
However, if you are planning to claim tax credits or renew
your tax credit claim, your tax return will have to be completed before 31st
July 2016 so that you can give the tax credit people the required figures from
your tax return.
Another good reason for getting your tax return completed
early is that you will know sooner rather than later how much tax you will be
required to pay by 31st January 2017. Remember, depending on your level of profit, your
liability could include the addition of Class 4 National Insurance and Class 2
National Insurance. Also, you may be
liable to make payments on account towards the next tax year if your total
liability is in excess of £1,000. All
told, you could be looking at a hefty tax bill, so knowing early how much you
need to pay, could be beneficial to you.
The good news from the recent budget is that most of the tax
thresholds have increased from last year and will increase again in the year
just beginning so you are allowed to earn a little more before you start paying
tax!
March 22. 2016
Fuel Duty Frozen
Business Rate Relief
Taxable Allowances
Corporation Tax Cut
The above are some of the highlights from the Budget, announced by the Chancellor on the 16th March 2016.
There are a lot of positive measures to take from the Budget, especially when considering small businesses and the self-employed. There is a feel for supporting local growth and the measures announced may prompt budding entrepreneurs to follow their business dreams.
Commencing with the fuel duty freeze, this will definitely appease those who rely on fleet vehicles to run their business. As a specialist accountancy service for driving instructors, we know this is good news for most of our clients!
For those who operate their business from a commercial property, another highlight to consider is the relief on business rates. From April 2017, small businesses that occupy property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less will pay no business rates. Currently, 100% relief is available if you're a business that occupies a property (e.g. a shop or office) with a value of £6,000 or less. There will be a tapered rate of relief on properties worth up to £15,000.
This will affect some 600,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) from April 2017. Could this be a vital step on the road to fundamental reform? Furthermore, April 2020 will see business rates been based on the consumer price index (CPI) instead of the Retail Price Index (RPI). The government is also planning to modernise the administration of business rates. This again is a measure to make it easier for businesses, they can then spend the critical resource we call time, actually doing business!
The Budget brings long term planning with a focus on the next generation. This is encouraging. The increase in personal allowance from £10,600 to £11,000 from 6th April 2016 and to £11,500 from 6th April 2017, will allow people to earn a little more before they start paying tax. This is also a further opportunity for individuals to save with the introduction of the Tax Free Personal Savings Allowance. Currently for every £100 interest earned, basic-rate taxpayers lose £20 in tax, higher rate £40. Yet from 6 April 2016, the new personal savings allowance means every basic-rate taxpayer can earn £1,000 interest without paying tax on it.
The final area we would like to mention is the cut in corporation tax, to 17% by 2020 which will affect those who operate limited companies. This will be a positive move for the economy, surely making the supply chain between businesses more efficient, every little helps as they say.