HMRC has published a new guidance document called Transfer a business out of a company.

HMRC have published Guidelines for Compliance for employers reporting their Apprenticeship Levy liability and claiming Employment Allowance

HMRC has published new guidance explaining mini umbrella company fraud and providing information on the checks businesses can carry out to protect their labour supply chain and on how to report potential fraud or tax evasion.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has reported that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has not charged a company since the Criminal Finances Act 2017 (CFA 2017) introduced new HMRC powers. The CFA 2017 made criminal prosecutions easier to pursue and strengthened the penalties. However, in the last five years, HMRC investigations have fallen by over two thirds with 11 individual prosecutions in 2022. HMRC has reported that is currently has 11 live investigations.

HMRC has improved its Report Tax Fraud service on GOV.UK enabling easier public reporting of suspected tax fraud and money laundering by high street businesses. The updated service prompts users for detailed factual information regarding suspicious activity, including behaviour, locations and timings, which will assist HMRC enforcement teams in building intelligence and targeting compliance efforts. The improvements form part of HMRC’s wider crackdown on illegal activity involving high street businesses. HMRC plans to carry out more than 30,000 interventions during 2026–27, targeting criminal networks linked to tax fraud, labour exploitation and the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

HMRC has confirmed that the approved mileage allowance payments rate for cars and vans has increased from 45p to 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles, backdated to 6 April 2026 for the 2026–27 tax year. The rate for mileage above 10,000 miles remains unchanged at 25p per mile. As the 45p per mile business mileage rate is often claimed when calculating travel costs in personal injury claims, practitioners should note that the revised 55p per mile rate applies to travel undertaken on or after 6 April 2026.

FORTHCOMING CHANGE relating to reforming information powers and modernising computer records law: on Legislation Day, 13 July 2026, the government published draft legislation for inclusion in FB 2027 containing proposed measures updating HMRC’s civil information and inspection powers in Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2008 (FA 2008) and FA 2008, s 114 which currently deals with computer records. This development followed a call for evidence launched in 2023, a summary of responses to that call for evidence published at Spring Statement 2025 (as Annex C to a consultation entitled ‘Better use of new and improved third-party data to make it easier to pay tax right first time’) and the announcement at Tax update 2026 that a package of reforms would be brought forward. The reforms are intended to ensure that HMRC can access and process information held in modern digital systems and continue to meet international information-exchange standards. They include a measure enabling HMRC to issue information notices more than four years after a taxpayer’s death, an extension of financial information notices to cover cryptoasset service

FORTHCOMING CHANGE relating to reforming information powers and modernising computer records law: on Legislation-Day, 13 July 2026, the government published draft legislation for inclusion in FB 2027 containing proposed measures updating HMRC’s civil information and inspection powers in Schedule 36 to the Finance Act 2008 (FA 2008) and FA 2008, s 114 which currently deals with computer records. This development followed a call for evidence launched in 2023, a summary of responses to that call for evidence published at Spring Statement 2025 (as Annex C to a consultation entitled ‘Better use of new and improved third-party data to make it easier to pay tax right first time’) and the announcement at Tax update 2026 that a package of reforms would be brought forward. The reforms are intended to ensure that HMRC can access and process information held in modern digital systems and continue to meet international information-exchange standards. The changes are expected to take effect on and after Royal Assent to the Finance Bill 2027 (also known as Finance Bill 2026–27). For more information, see Tax Analyses:

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued a compound settlement offer of £58,426.45 to a UK-based exporter relating to the export of goods in breach of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/855.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has updated the guidance on ‘Changes to 2024 to 2025 Pension Scheme Return for Pension Scheme Administrators’ with additional information on completing a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) scheme return for the 2024–25 tax year. HMRC sets out the information needed to be ready to complete a SIPP return, including scheme details, member information, and member transactions related to loans, unquoted shares, land or property, and other assets.

HMRC has issued Notice to Exporters 2026/03, announcing the prosecution of Steven Gates, a company director from Wakefield, who was sentenced to two years and one month’s imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court on 6 February 2026. Gates was convicted under sections 68 and 167 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 for attempting to export eight thermal imaging rifle sights, classified as ML1d on the UK Military List, to Hong Kong without the required export licence. He misdescribed the items as ‘low-value cameras’ to conceal their controlled status. Border Force seized three of the sights at Manchester Airport in February 2022 and a further five in April 2023. A subsequent search of Gates’ home uncovered evidence of ten additional unlicensed shipments to Hong Kong.

HMRC has released the draft UK Property Rich Collective Investment Vehicles (Amendment of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992) Regulations 2021 and draft explanatory notes, amending Schedule 5AAA of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 (TCGA 1992).