Stay informed with free updates

Simply sign up to the UK tax myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.

People who may not know they need to file a tax return for the first time are being warned to check their position and register for self-assessment by the deadline of October 5, or risk potential fines and penalties.

Those who may need to file a tax return for the first time include newly self-employed people, new landlords, new partners in business partnerships, those who earned more than £150,000 during the year, people affected by the high-income child benefit charge and those using online platforms to generate income.

Advisers are particularly worried about the latter group who include gig economy workers and people with so-called “side hustles” because they will also be affected by new platform reporting rules, that sparked panic earlier this year.

Tax experts say anyone using online platforms to sell goods, arranging short-term property lets or securing private hire or food delivery work should ensure they accurately report their earnings and register for a tax return, if required.

12.1mnThe number of self-assessment tax returns filed in the 2022-23 tax year

From next year, for the first time, HM Revenue & Customs will be able to cross check individuals’ declarations against data received from online platforms.

“It’s very important that if you are required to file for the first time that you meet the October 5 deadline to register with HMRC,” said Dawn Register, head of private client services at BDO, an accountancy firm. “Ignorance of the rules will not always be an acceptable excuse in HMRC’s eyes.”

Under regulations that came into effect on January 1, platforms such as Amazon, Airbnb, Deliveroo, eBay, Uber and Vinted are required to collect and report seller information and income to the UK tax authority. The first reports will be sent to HMRC by the platforms in January 2025.

Platforms will not be required to report the details of those using their sites or apps who make 30 or fewer sales a year and sell items for less than a total of €2,000 (approximately £1,700).

The rules which are part of an international reform agreed in 2020, came into force in a number of countries this year, and will mean data is shared internationally between tax authorities.

Experts at the Low Income Tax Reform Group, a charity, accused HMRC of not doing enough to make online sellers aware of the fact they may need to file a tax return and pay tax on their online trading income.

They called on HMRC to avoid a repeat of what happened earlier this year when reports of the new reporting rules caused widespread confusion and the misconception that a new “side-hustle” tax had been introduced.

Claire Thackaberry, LITRG technical officer, said time was “running out for HMRC to defuse this ticking time bomb”.

“The information that HMRC will receive from platforms will be presented by calendar year, therefore covering more than one tax year,” she said.

“This could make it more difficult to work out when tax is due. Many people will turn to HMRC for help. However, January is an extremely busy time for HMRC ahead of the self-assessment tax return deadline and this will make it harder to speak with someone.”

She urged HMRC to work with platforms and online sellers to help people understand and meet their tax obligations in time.

HMRC described LITRG’s points as “scaremongering”.

The tax authority added: “For people selling personal possessions online absolutely nothing has changed, so it’s deeply disappointing to see this scaremongering from LITRG.

“We’ve recently published and promoted guidance for online sellers and we run an extensive self assessment campaign every year, which reminds people to check if they need to file a tax return.”

The deadline for telling HMRC you need to file a tax return for the 2023-24 is October 5. Paper returns must be filed by October 31 and the deadline for submitting an online return is midnight on January 31 2025.

A MAN who’s racked up over 31,000 hours in the air has revealed a lesser-known holiday destination in Europe is one of his favourite places to visit.

Fred Finn, 84 is the Guinness World Record holder for being the most travelled man – his time in the air equates to one hour for every day he’s been alive – and among the lesser-known places in the world he recommends visiting is Georgia.

3

3

Advertisement

Having crossed hundreds of borders and flown in some of the most iconic aircraft of all time, including 718 flights on Concorde, the travel fanatic has a fair few recommendations when it comes to places to visit.

Fred’s travelled to all corners of the globe, but Georgia is one of the places in Europe he enjoys most.

He told Sun Travel: “People don’t really know about Georgia.

“Kutaisi has tremendous history and Batumi on the coast is like the Monaco of the Black Sea.

“The food is good, the dancing they do is fantastic. It’s got the highest mountain in Europe, it’s got villages and lakes. It’s also very hospitable there.

“And it’s the oldest wine producing country in the world, they’ve been doing it 5,000 years.”

The Saperavi grape is a native Georgian grape variety that is used to make many of the country’s most well-known wines.

Fred explained its a red grape that’s red or black the whole way through.

Not like grapes you get in the UK that are white in the centre.

He said: “This is what makes the wine superlative.”

Georgia also has a local drink called Chacha, a distilled white wine drink.

Fred explained: “It’s probably about 80 percent proof, but it’s actually quite pleasant.”

Georgia is considered a budget-friendly destination with cheap food and low-cost activities, especially compared to Monaco.

Ukraine was another one of Fred’s favourite lesser-known places to visit before the war started.

He said: “I love it because of its tremendous history and my family are also from there.

“It’s lots older than its neighbour that’s causing it a war – it’s 700 years older than Russia – so the history there is fantastic.

“Kyiv turned 1500 years old a month or so ago, I think it’s probably the most beautiful city in Europe. I love it.

“When Ukraine wins this war, it will be another nice place to go.”

Fred has now written a book called Sonic Boom where he shares the incredible journeys he’s undertaken over the years, as well as the evolution of commercial aviation and its impact on global culture.

The book is available for pre-order now here.

3

Former Chief Pilot and Director of British Airways, Al Bridger has shared how food on flights has changed through the years in his book Flavour of Flight: The Food and Drink of British Airways.

A WETHERSPOONS-obsessed couple has visited 500 Wetherspoons and they always buy the same dish.

Phil, 77, and Julie Fox, 74, challenged themselves over 15 years ago to sample all 809 of the pubs in the UK.

4

4

Advertisement

They reached a huge milestone with their 500th boozer – The William Adams in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk.

But Phil admitted it may be “impossible” for them to complete the challenge because they would have to visit the six boozers that are located in airport departure lounges.

They always get the halloumi wraps as they are their favourite.

Phil, a former newspaper production worker, said: “We nearly called it quits when we reached 500 but that wouldn’t have lasted long.

“It’s impossible to do it though because we would have to book holidays abroad, because there’s two at Birmingham Airport.

“So it’s a bit of a trek to go to Birmingham, just to fly to Spain for Wetherspoons.

“But we wrote ‘500’ on a piece of cardboard to prove to our family that we’ve actually done it.”

Grandfather-of-seven Phil originally came up with the idea in 2007, while drinking in his local ale house and said it has been a great way to see other parts of England.

But the pair originally set out to visit just 100 of the pubs, which are nicknamed “spoons.”

Phil, of Halifax, West Yorks., said: “We ran out of conversation and we were staring at each other, so I asked her how many spoons we had been to.

“I worked out we had been in maybe 70, so we decided to do 100.

“We then went for 200 and it’s carried on – it’s become a part-time hobby.”

Julie and Phil will plan trips to different parts of the UK so they can visit the pubs and will sometimes stay in a Wetherspoons Hotel.

Phil said: “We’ve stayed in the hotels, the ones we’ve stayed in are all quite nice.

“But we will often stay in a Travelodge or a Premiere Inn because of the costs, they are always cheap.

“We did London last year, so we went to eight pubs that all have the word moon in the title, so that was a nice holiday.”

The pair, who have five children between them, say their favourite pub is The Stamford Post in Stamford, Lincs.

He said: “We used to love the one in Keswick but we’ve got a new favourite.

“It’s called the The Stamford Post – we’ve been there a few times and even visited a few days ago.

“It’s an old newspaper office but it’s really, really nice inside – they modernised it and everything.”

Julie, a retired retail worker, and Phil both try and have something different every time they visit the boozers.

Phil prefers a IPA beer while Julie often goes for a lager such as San Miguel or Cruzcampo – but both of them love the halloumi wrap.

He said: “There is a good selection of beers, I’ve drifted towards the IPAs and they always have them.

“You go into a lot of modern pubs and they just have lagers, but Wetherspoons come at a good price as well.

“The food is good and my wife likes a beer, but she likes San Miguel and Cruzcampo.

“They are always introducing new things onto the menu, they are introducing a load of Korean things now, like crunchy chicken with coconut rice.

“We try all the food – we love the halloumi wraps and they are a good price.”

4

Advertisement

4

Stay informed with free updates

Simply sign up to the Social affairs myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.

MPs are to be granted a free vote on legalising assisted dying in the UK by the end of the year, after a bill to give terminally ill people “choice at the end of life” is presented to parliament.

Labour MP Kim Leadbeater announced on Thursday that she will table a private members’ bill later this month setting out proposals to grant eligible adults nearing the end of life the right to control their deaths.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously promised to provide time for a vote on the issue “by way of a private members’ bill”. As the first MP selected in a ballot to table such legislation, Leadbeater is guaranteed an opportunity to present her proposals for debate in the Commons.

Starmer, who has said he is “personally in favour of changing the law” on assisted dying, has committed to giving MPs a free vote on the issue, meaning they are not whipped by their party to vote a particular way.

In 2015, the House of Commons rejected a bill on assisted dying — which the NHS defines as “deliberately assisting a person to kill themselves” — when a bill was debated.

Assisted dying is currently illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

Across the UK, there is growing momentum behind attempts to change the law, with politicians in Scotland considering the introduction of legislation to allow assisted dying. Politicians on the Isle of Man and Jersey have both noted in favour of reforming the law.

Leadbeater’s bill will be formally introduced in the Commons on October 16 with a debate and vote on the legislation expected later this year.

“I believe that with the right safeguards and protections in place, people who are already dying and are mentally competent to make a decision should be given the choice of a shorter, less painful death”, the MP for Spen Valley said on Thursday.

She added that she would consult “widely” on the details of the legislation, noting the bill would “not put pressure on anybody to agree to an assisted death against their will”.

Leadbeater said the bill would “not undermine calls for improvements to palliative care nor conflict with the rights of people with disabilities to be treated equally”, and have the respect and support they are right to campaign for.

But some disability rights campaigners and medical figures remain opposed to attempts to change the law on assisted dying, saying those who live with terminal illnesses may feel pressured to end their life for fear of becoming a burden.

Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of campaign group Care Not Killing, said: “I would strongly urge the government to focus on fixing our broken palliative care system that sees up to one in four Brits who would benefit from this type of care being unable to access it, rather than discussing again this dangerous and ideological policy.”

If the law is changed, England would join European countries including Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as several US states, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in giving terminally ill people the choice to control how they die.

According to an Opinium poll published in March, on behalf of the campaign group Dignity in Dying, 75 per cent of people living in the UK support assisted dying.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying, said: “This is a historic opportunity to bring about real change for dying people; one that commands vast public support and one that MPs must grip urgently.”

SAVVY shoppers have rushed to Morrisons to grab an autumn must-have reduced from £84 to £10.

The essential item is perfect for the outdoors as the weather starts to cool down.

2

2

Advertisement

A bargain hunter posted the highly discounted outdoor standing heating lamp on the Extreme Coupoining and Bargains UK Facebook page.

The outdoor warming lamp normally retails for £84, but was reduced to a staggering low £10.

The original savvy shopper said: “Run to Morrisons“.

Fans of the product flocked to the Facebook comments expressing their need for the bargain buy.

One person said: “We could do with 1 of these out front with the kids.”

Another added: “Get running.”

A third said: “This would be good for the Halloween party hahaha.”

Meanwhile, Morrisons is holding a festive sale on chocolate tub faves.

Morrisons has introduced a two for £8 deal on Quality Street (600g), Celebrations (550g), Cadbury Heroes (550g) and Cadbury Roses (550g) tubs.

The offer is available in-store and online for one week only from October 2 – 8 for customers with a Morrisons More Card.

However do bear in mind that when prices are reduced by this much it’s usually in order for stores to clear excess stock, so availability will vary from store to store.

It’s always best to phone ahead to your local shop to check what they have available to avoid disappointment.

You can find your nearest Morrisons store using the locator tool on the website.

It always pays to compare prices so you know you’re getting the best deal.

It’s always a good idea to shop around to make sure you can find the best deals.

There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.

Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.

Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.

Price Spy logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and supermarkets.

Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.

Other ways to save money when you shop

Cashback sites have amazing freebies for new customers, such as a takeaway from Just Eat or a Benefit beauty product.

Free gifts can change regularly so do check online to see what is being offered before you sign up.

Look for cashback on everything

You can claim on things such as MOTs, insurance, train tickets and holidays.

It is worth looking around and what companies offer cashback schemes as you could be earning hundreds.

TopCashback reckons its average user makes £345 a year.

Save money at the supermarket

It’s a good idea to download apps Shopmium, Check-outSmart, Quidco ClickSnap, GreenJinn and TopCashback’s Snap and Save.

Check out what is available, pick it up in-store and upload a photo of the receipt to get your cashback.

Combine cashback offers with promotions

Double savings and maximise cashback by matching third-party offers from cashback sites with in-store and online promotions.

You can’t always use discount codes with cashback, but you can take advantage of sales and offers such as free gifts.

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

In 1882, the world’s first coal-burning power plant opened at London’s Holborn Viaduct. This week, Britain’s last coal-fired station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in the East Midlands shut down, making the home of the industrial revolution the first G7 country to end coal power. The UK’s experience highlights lessons, and pitfalls, for other developed countries — and over time for the likes of India and China, still adding coal-fired plants but committed to cutting carbon emissions long term.

Britain’s 21st-century path to zero-coal electricity was eased by events before the climate battle took off. The discovery of North Sea gas in the 1960s opened the way for the 1990s “dash for gas” by newly privatised generators. Gas provided a lower carbon emission bridging fuel that will supply Britain until at least 2030. In the 1980s, the Thatcher government closed dozens of UK coal mines after a tumultuous, year-long miners’ strike. Inefficiency, not green concerns, was the main argument, and the socio-economic impacts are still felt today. But coal producers were neutralised as a domestic lobby, unlike in Australia, the US or Germany.

EU legislation — while Britain was a member — played a part too, with a 2001 law aimed at curbing emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that cause acid rain and harm health. It forced big coal-burning plants to invest in expensive kit to remove pollutants or, by 2015, shut down. As developing countries are finding, coal’s polluting nature means demands for clean air dovetail with the climate fight.

But in Britain, Labour and Conservative governments alike deserve credit for setting long-term directions and backing them with policies to spur development of renewable energy — including putting a price on both air pollution and the carbon in coal. Renewables’ share of UK electricity has jumped from only 14.6 per cent as late as 2013 to 51 per cent last year.

UK electricity suppliers were from 2002 obliged to source an increasing share from renewable sources. “Contracts for difference” took over from 2017, with low-carbon generators subsidised if market electricity prices drop below an agreed supply price, but paying the state if the opposite happens. A carbon floor price set in 2013 also tilted the balance against coal. Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015 boldly committed to phase out coal generation within a decade, after being assured there would be sufficient alternative capacity to keep the lights on.

Critics suggest the fact that UK industrial electricity prices have doubled in five years, putting them among the highest in the developed world last year, shows the folly of its actions. The reality is more complex. Surging Europe-wide gas prices after Russia invaded Ukraine had a bigger impact since gas forms a higher share of the UK generating mix than in, say, France or Germany — and its wholesale prices are set by the most costly source needed to cover demand.

The government in 2022 launched a consultation on reforming the market to stop volatile gas prices setting the price for cheaper renewable sources. Doing so is vital to ensure Britain remains competitive and derives the benefit of its great shift to renewables.

The end of coal-fired power is, moreover, only a milestone on a continuing journey — not without risk — to a carbon-neutral power system by a target of 2030. Many fear the deadline is unattainable. Yet it will help to focus efforts on what is required, including ensuring that a grid heavily reliant on intermittent wind and solar power can balance supply and demand in real time, and building new transmission lines from often remote locations. Britain is not alone in confronting such tasks. But given its history, as in 1882, the rest of the world will surely be watching closely.