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Practical employment law information to support your business, from Clover HR

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Setting up a business involves complying with a range of legal requirements. Find out which ones apply to you and your new enterprise.

Every business needs to be aware of its obligations under minimum wage and equal pay laws, as well as recent pensions auto-enrolment changes.

What particular regulations do specific types of business (such as a hotel, or a printer, or a taxi firm) need to follow? We explain some of the key legal issues to consider for 200 types of business.

While poor governance can bring serious legal consequences, the law can also protect business owners and managers and help to prevent conflict.

You must comply with legal restrictions on employees' working hours and time off, or risk claims, enforcement action and even prosecution.

The right employment policies are an essential part of effective staff management. Make sure any policy is clear and well communicated to employees.

Whether you want to raise finance, join forces with someone else, buy or sell a business, it pays to be aware of the legal implications.

While sick employees need to be treated fairly, you need to ensure that 'sickness' is not being used as cover for unauthorised absence.

Marketing matters. Marketing drives sales for businesses of all sizes by ensuring that customers think of their brand when they want to buy.

Most pregnant employees are entitled to maternity leave and maternity pay, while new fathers are entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay.

Commercial disputes can prove time-consuming, stressful and expensive, but having robust legal agreements can help to prevent them from occurring.

As well as undermining morale, illegal discrimination can lead to workplace grievances. Employee discrimination is covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Whether your business owns or rents premises, your legal liabilities can be substantial. Commercial property law is complex, but you can avoid common pitfalls.

Home, remote and lone workers are becoming increasingly commonplace. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.

With information and sound advice, living up to your legal responsibilities to safeguard your employees, customers and visitors need not be difficult or costly.

The right approach to consulting with and providing information to your employees can improve employee motivation and performance.

As information technology continues to evolve, legislation must also change. It affects everything from data protection and online selling to internet policies for employees.

Disciplinary and grievance issues can be a major burden to employers. Putting in place and following the right procedures is essential.

Following the right dismissal and redundancy procedures helps protect your business and minimise the risk of a legal dispute at tribunal.

Intellectual property (IP) isn't solely relevant to larger businesses or those involved in developing innovative new products: all products have IP.

Employment tribunal claims are a worrying prospect for any employer. A tribunal case is a no-win situation – even if the claim is unjustified.

Knowing how and when you plan to sell or relinquish control of your business can help you to make better decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.

From bereavement, wills, inheritance, separation and divorce to selling a house, personal injury and traffic offences, learn more about your personal legal rights.

Doing your tax return? Don't forget to declare COVID grants

4 January 2022

HMRC has reminded self assessment customers to declare any COVID-19 grant payments, including SEISS, on their 2020/21 tax return.

More than 2.7 million customers claimed at least one Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) payment up to 5 April 2021. These grants are taxable and HMRC says customers should declare them on their 2020/21 tax return before the deadline on 31 January 2022.

SEISS is not the only COVID-19 support scheme that customers should declare on their tax return. If customers received other support payments during the pandemic, they may need to report this on their tax return if they are either self-employed, in a partnership or run a business.

Information on which support payments need to be reported to HMRC and any that do not is available on the government website. HMRC says it is important that customers check and make any changes to their tax return to make sure any COVID-19 support payments have been reported correctly. HMRC has created resources to help customers complete their tax return including content on YouTube, webinars, help-sheets and guidance.

Tax payers that are employed and received furlough payments during the 2020/21 tax year will need to enter their earnings and income tax as stated on their P60 - this will include any furlough payments received up to 5 April 2021.

For those worried that they may struggle to pay their self assessment tax bill on time, HMRC is offering the self-serve Time to Pay facility. The online payment plan enables customers to spread the amount owed into monthly instalments, up to the value of £30,000. If customers owe more than £30,000, or need longer to pay, they should call the self assessment payment helpline on 0300 200 3822.

The deadline for filing an online tax return is 31 January 2022. HMRC is urging tax payers not to leave it to the last minute. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's director general for customer services, said: "Filling in a tax return won't have been on many people's to-do lists for Christmas, but please don't leave it until the end of January either."

In fact, data from HMRC shows that 2,828 customers filed their self assessment tax return on Christmas Day. In total, more than 31,000 customers submitted their 2020/21 tax return between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, the majority on Christmas Eve.

As scammers try to take advantage of tax payers at this time of year, HMRC is advising customers to type in the full online address www.gov.uk/hmrc in order to get the correct link for filing their self assessment return online securely and free of charge.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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