My stepchildren own half of my home following my husband’s death – should I buy them out? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My husband died a year ago in his sixties. He had two children but I have none. Before he became unwell, we took advice from a solicitor regarding inheritance tax. The solicitor advised us to sever...
Should I put my second husband on house deeds to save on inheritance tax and care fees? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My first husband is deceased and I remarried more than 20 years ago. I have two children and my second husband has three children. The house we live in is worth approximately £385,000 and is in my...
Why must I pay half my tax ‘on account’ just because I’m self-employed?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I became self-employed last year and am getting ahead on my 2025/26 tax return - the first one I have filed. I'm being asked to pay tax for next year 'on account'. What does this mean and what if...
I want to reduce inheritance tax on a £700k estate but I have no desire to make gifts: HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I have property worth approximately £400,000 at present and my pension fund is held in a Self-Invested Personal Pension (Sipp), current value £300,000. I am aged 74. Since retiring, I have taken...
Do YOU need to sign up for Making Tax Digital? HEATHER ROGERS says you must check NOW – and offers a six-point action plan
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. Making Tax Digital is going to affect hundreds of thousands of landlords and self-employed sole traders who must register for the new system by 6 April. If you have an income of more than £50,000 a...
I’m trustee for my toddler grandson: I’m not taking a penny, but will I lose my benefits? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I am a trustee for my grandson. His mum died, my dear daughter. She left a will stating proceeds from the sale of her home should be held in trust for her son. He is currently three years old. I...
Why must I fill in a self-assessment tax form when other people are let off?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. Your recent article about more pensioners being pulled into income tax talks about the simple tax calculation many people receive in the post after the end of each tax year. Many people fill in a...
I must pay income tax on my two tiny private pensions: What do I need to do? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. This may seem rather naive, but I have never had to question this before. I have just reached 66 and become a state pensioner. The state pension means I am below the personal allowance. However, I...
Can you avoid tax with a trust? HEATHER ROGERS debunks some common myths
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. Note: This article is an updated version of our previous post from February 2024. For reference, you can view the original article here. Heather Rogers is the founder and owner of Aston Accountancy...
We became accidental landlords but now want to sell up – how do we work out our CGT bill?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. We jointly own what used to be our family home after a disaster when buyers pulled out and we took a bridging loan to buy our next house. We rented it out for two years and now wish to sell as we...
My terminally ill brother wants to give me his house to create a trust for his adult son – is it a good idea? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My brother has terminal cancer and doesn’t have long to live. His adult son lives with him but has various issues which mean he doesn’t adult particularly well. My brother wants his house to be...
Will I get a Winter Fuel Payment? I’m confused whether I have £35,000 ‘taxable’ income: HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I am confused about how to calculate my taxable income for the purpose of the Winter Fuel Payment. Do I just add up all my pensions to get this figure, or do I deduct my tax allowance from this...
Can I avoid inheritance tax using loophole of owning a historic listed building?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My wife and I are both approaching 80 and we own our home as tenants-in-common. It is situated in a conservation area, and could well be listed as it is an original stone coach house dating back to...
What should I do with a property in the French Alps in my divorce? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My wife is in the process of divorcing me. As well as the family home here in the UK, we also jointly own an apartment in the French Alps. It is owned outright with no mortgage. Can you please...
I paid for renovations to my holiday let – do I need tax help over new rules in April? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. Do I need advice from a specialist tax adviser in order to claim capital allowances before the abolition of the Furnished Holiday Let tax regime in April 2025? I have been assured by several...
A Day in the Life of an Accountancy Expert Witness
This article first appeared on Expert Witness Institute - please click to view Heather Rogers is an accountant, tax practitioner and Expert Witness. Most of her cases involve director disputes or professional negligence where there is a financial element. She runs her...
Should I give half my £900k house to my son who lives with me to avoid IHT?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I'm 71 years old and live in a property worth about £900,000 with my adult son. I also have a daughter who lives in her own property. I'm keen to keep my inheritance tax liability to a minimum when...
Is it better to leave my pensions to my spouse or children to avoid inheritance tax?
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. I have a question regarding the 40 per cent tax on estates over £1million that will start to include pension pot residues from April 2027. What do you think will be the situation if the first spouse...
I had to abandon my family home with my children and now face a massive CGT bill
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I bought the marital home with my husband in 2000. During this time a vast amount of refurb and an extension were undertaken between 2000 and 2011. Unfortunately in 2011 I made the difficult...
Do I have to pay CGT because I mistakenly undervalued a house for probate?
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. I am in the process of selling my late father's house. I am one of three sons who will get an equal share. I am the executor of the estate. When I filled out the paperwork for probate and it asked...
Can your children help cut your tax bill? HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. One of the questions I often get asked is can I put money or assets under my children's names to save tax. A common version of this is: 'Can I use my minor children's personal allowance and pass some...
How can we cut our controlling, greedy son-in-law out of inheritance AND avoid tax?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. Our estate comprises a house worth £800,000 to £1million, plus approximately £300,000 in Premium Bonds and cash. Our daughter has a controlling husband who has eyes set on her inheritance. We want...
Can parents dodge Labour’s VAT on private school fees by paying in advance? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. I have questions about the Labour policy to charge VAT on private school fees. Firstly, what is the legal position? My understanding was that VAT could not be applied to education or the provision of...
I’ve done up a wreck of a house and doubled its value – how can I cut my tax on profits?
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. I'm a retired builder and while taking my granddaughter to university in Northampton I saw a house up for auction. It was a complete wreck. I had to pay cash of £105,000 as you could not get a...
What expenses can a limited company write off against tax? HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. I recently wrote about self-employment and the expenses you could claim against tax. Now I will cover the tax situation for limited companies in a little more detail. First, here are the basics....
Train Tickets, Cazoo and Family Planning
I’ve been invited to discuss ‘VAT-free shopping in Europe’ on the You and Yours program by the BBC. Tune in at 38 minutes into the recording to catch my intervention. Here’s the link.
What business expenses can self-employed people write off against tax? HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. One of the questions most often asked of tax practitioners when someone is starting out in business as a sole trader is: 'What expenses can I claim against tax?' All practitioners have invariably at...
My ex-boyfriend plans to leave me his £2m estate and I’m worried about a huge inheritance tax bill
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. If I am named as paying the inheritance tax on my ex-boyfriend's estate in his old will, can I refuse on the grounds we split up 19 years ago? We never married or lived together. Can a solicitor...
What to do in a dispute with the taxman: HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view Heather Rogers is the founder and owner of Aston Accountancy and This is Money's resident tax expert. After I wrote about tax evasion and the ways HMRC catches up with people, I will elaborate further...
My partner’s ex is hiding earnings to avoid child maintenance – what can we do? Heather Rogers replies
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. My partner's ex-husband is a self-employed tradesman who pays little or no child maintenance. The Child Maintenance Service are so poor that they write endless letters but do nothing else as...
How HMRC combats tax evasion and what penalties you face: HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. Heather Rogers is the founder and owner of Aston Accountancy and This is Money's resident tax expert. We've all probably been asked to pay in cash rather than by bank payment for a job or service...
How HMRC combats tax evasion and what penalties you face: HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view Heather Rogers is the founder and owner of Aston Accountancy and This is Money's resident tax expert. We've all probably been asked to pay in cash rather than by bank payment for a job or service at...
I got a shock £4k tax bill after my salary went over £100k – why didn’t work remove my personal allowance?
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. I am in the fortunate position of earning more than £100,000 a year but this means that I am one of the people who lose their personal allowance. I had an inflation-matching 10 per cent pay rise last...
I’m a vicar so the church provides housing and I rent out my family home – will I owe CGT if I sell it? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. As a vicar for the Church of England my housing is part of my stipend so our family home has been rented out for about 18 years. As I'm drawing near retirement we are thinking about where we would...
Can you avoid tax with a trust? HEATHER ROGERS debunks some common myths
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view Important: This article is now out of date. A more up-to-date version is available here. Heather Rogers is the founder and owner of Aston Accountancy and This is Money's resident tax expert. One of...
Best tax columns from Heather Rogers for This is Money in 2023
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. Heather Rogers is This is Money's resident tax expert. And the founder and owner of Aston Accountancy has fielded all manner of questions over the past year. Keeping sales receipts on holiday, giving...
My daughters are swapping homes: Will they get stung on capital gains tax?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My daughters each own a house (outright, no mortgage); one in Oxford and one in Cambridge. Due to changing work locations they now wish to swap ownership of their houses. Our solicitor has advised...
How can I stop my spendthrift son frittering away his inheritance? Heather Rogers replies
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view My wife and I are tenants in common on our property, we have a will in place and we have a total of around £800,000 cash and property with no mortgage. My problem is this: I have one son married but...
Will I avoid inheritance tax on my estate because I moved to Australia?
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. I wonder if you might be able to throw some light on an inheritance tax matter? As I objected to paying inheritance tax I made the decision to apply for a retirement visa to live in Australia in...
How does tax-free shopping now work when you travel to EU countries from Britain?
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view it. My husband and I recently went on a five-day trip to Paris, where we spent a fair amount on eating and drinking and also on gifts for both ourselves, and our immediate family, alongside tickets to...
HMRC adds 3,000 more compliance staff and is set to target inheritance tax errors
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view.My wife and I recently updated our wills leaving everything to the other in the event of one of us passing. HMRC has been bolstering its compliance department in a bid to reverse a sharp decline in tax...
The Burton Report
This article first appeared on Post Office Scandal - please click to view Heather strongly supports the Postmasters in their continued fight for justice. The journalist Nick Wallis kindly asked her for her comments based on her experience of the corporate reporting...
Can setting up a trust help me avoid care fees? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view The firm I have my internet will with recently sent a rep to my home to advise on trust funds. They were trying to persuade me to take one out. I am a widowed pensioner aged 73 with three children and...
What’s gone wrong at the ‘disastrously understaffed’ tax office? We speak to an insider
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. Business owners are left waiting hours to get in touch with HMRC One insider tells us the tax office is 'disastrously' understaffed Frustrated employee? Contact: angharad.carrick@thisismoney.co.uk ...
My wife fears if I die first my children will sell our property against her wishes – can I protect her with a trust? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view. My wife and I recently updated our wills leaving everything to the other in the event of one of us passing. I was keen to explore a trust option whereby I could leave property to my three children. I...
Chaos at the tax office? HMRC closes self-assessment phoneline until September forcing people to use dreaded online chatbots
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view The taxman will close another of its crucial phone helplines next week - a move it claims will free-up staff to help callers with urgent queries. For three months from 12 June, HMRC will trial...
How do I cut my troublesome sister-in-law out of any inheritance from my 95-year-old grandmother? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money – please click to view. My grandmother is 95, healthy and of sound mind. Sadly my mother passed away, so my grandmother's wishes are to leave 50 per cent of her estate each to me and my brother. My brother is married to his...
I am 85 and still running the family firm, but will we save on inheritance tax if I hand over my shares to my sons now? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view. I am senior partner in the family business with my two sons. I am an 85 year old, still working partner. Will my sons have to pay inheritance tax on my death? Should I be transferring my shares to...
Help! I want to leave my house to my grandson and keep it in the family, but he can’t afford the inheritance tax: HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view I would like to leave my house to my grandson but as it stands at the moment financially he would not be able to pay the inheritance tax. I would not like for the house to be sold in the long run as...
Aston Accountancy Ltd. Celebrates 30 years of Providing Human-centered Accountancy and Tax Services
This article that has been published in the following three different online publications: Yahoo Finance, London Mercury, Bloomberg Aston Accountancy Ltd., a full-service accountancy and tax firm based in Milton Keynes, is marking its 30-year milestone in the...
My mum cut my sister out of her will but I plan to give her a fair share of the inheritance: Will I end up with a tax bill? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view. I am my mum's full-time carer for six days a week and I go home for one day to spend with my husband and family. Before my mum became ill she changed her will and has left everything to me. She does...
Will I be stung for capital gains tax on sale of £425k family home because I moved out during my divorce? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view I have recently been through a divorce, and our matrimonial home is almost at the completion stage of sale. I have been keeping up my half of the mortgage payments, although my ex has stopped paying...
If I don’t spend enough time in the UK, can I be forced to become a ‘non-dom’? HEATHER ROGERS explains the rules on where and how you pay tax
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. I have been informed that I am not spending enough time in the UK to be tax domiciled there. I complete my self-assessment annually and have a Unique Taxpayer Reference and National Insurance number....
I made a £32k loss when I sold my parents’ house in 1989: Can I still use it to cut a capital gains tax bill now? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view. In 1989 I sold my parents' house. Due to a fluctuating market I was advised in writing by HMRC of a £32,000 capital gains loss. I thought nothing of this letter at the time and with the passage of...
A world famous rockstar who died young wrote me letters in the ’60s: If I sell them now for £20k, will I have to pay tax? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared on This is Money, before being picked up by MSN and Knowledia and several US business news websites - please click to view I have letters and other handwritten items written to me in the 1960s by a world famous rock musician, who died young...
A property I inherited was overvalued by £50k – can I get any inheritance tax back and do I face a ‘double whammy’ on CGT? HEATHER ROGERS replies
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. I have inherited a rental property, which was the second property of the deceased, and was passed to me through the estate in late 2016. I am at the stage of selling the property. However, the Royal...
Will my mum lose her £175k ‘own home’ allowance for inheritance tax when she goes into care? Our tax expert HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view. My mother's estate including her flat is more than £325,000 and less than £500,000. She is moving into a home and will need to sell her flat. Does she lose her full house allowance of £175,000 on the...
How do you find a good accountant? Five tips from a tax expert on when to seek help, hiring the right firm and typical costs
This article first appeared on This is Money, before being picked up by MSN and Knowledia and several US business news websites - please click to view Heather Rogers, founder and owner of Aston Accountancy, is our tax columnist. Find out how to ask her a tax question...
My 86-year-old grandfather is making large cash gifts to family members – will we have to pay inheritance tax? HEATHER ROGERS explains the rules
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. My grandfather is 86 and has started gifting his money to the family. He owns his own house which is worth around £600,000 with around £200,000 in his bank accounts. He has recently completed bank...
How much capital gains tax will I have to pay on a home I owned with my late mum and now want to sell? Our new tax expert HEATHER ROGERS explains
This article first appeared on This is Money– please click to view. Heather Rogers, founder and owner of Aston Accountancy, is our new tax columnist. The first question to Heather comes from someone wanting to know how much capital gains tax they will owe if they...
Huge state pension payouts are down to bungling DWP, so will women now be penalised by taxman?
This article first appeared on This is Money, before being picked up by MSN and Knowledia and several US business news websites - please click to view Heather Rogers, founder and owner of Aston Accountancy, explains what women receiving thousands of pounds in state...
Tax code blunders by HMRC: Errors can cost you dear, so how do you get them fixed and complain if the taxman won’t budge?
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. Your tax code is very important so it is crucial to find out if it is correct and get the taxman to put a mistake right as soon as possible. Where to find your tax code, what it means and how to...
Do YOU know your tax code? An expert explains how to follow the clues and discover if you are paying the taxman too much (or not enough)
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. Do you ever receive your tax code in the post, look at it and not really understand what it means for your tax position? It's even more complicated if you have more than one source of taxed income,...
Did you receive a lump sum from the DWP in the state pension scandal? Beware, you may owe tax – an expert explains what to do
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. Tens of thousands of women have been underpaid state pension in a £1billion scandal uncovered by This is Money and our columnist Steve Webb. Tax may be due on the large backpayments being doled out...
What are the tax rules if you inherit a state pension backpayment? An accountant explains what happens next
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. For those who have sadly died prior to receiving their backdated pension payments, an inheritance tax liability could arise, depending on individual circumstances. It also adds complications for...
Help! I had a one-off shares windfall from the Greene King takeover and now HMRC wants an extra £6,700 in advance tax
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. I was interested to read this recent article about how HMRC are requiring people to 'cough up' additional amounts of tax based on what is in the majority of cases almost certainly inaccurately...
How much tax will women getting state pension backpayments owe?
This article first appeared on This is Money, before being picked up by MSN and Knowledia, France24 business news and several US business news websites - please click to view Heather Rogers, founder and owner of Aston Accountancy, explains what women receiving...
My capital gains tax on house sale is £13k to my husband’s £485 but he was the sole owner for two decades before we married – why the huge difference?
This article first appeared on This is Money - please click to view. I have a tax return question. I met my now husband in September 2005. We married in March 2008 at which point he transferred his private home into our joint names. He originally bought the property...
‘HMRC wanted £8k out of the blue’: Scammers are menacing taxpayers with shock cash demands
This article first appeared in This is Money - please click to view. I am desperate to help my recently widowed sister. Her husband, who died in September 2017, was either self employed or unable to work because of spinal problems in the last few years of his life and...