Articles by Kieran Isgin

Technology

HMRC warning as thousands of self-employed workers could be fined £100

Self-employed workers could face a £100 fine if they miss an upcoming deadline in just over a week. Every year, some customers of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are required to submit a tax return to ensure they're paying the correct amount of tax. This is particularly relevant for individuals who were self-employed as a 'sole trader' and earned more than £1,000, as well as those who were part of a business partnership. Some people may also need to file a tax return if they had to pay Capital Gains Tax upon selling or 'disposing of' something that increased in value, or if they had to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge without doing so through the PAYE system. While most people have until the end of January next year to file their tax return for the previous tax year, others are on a much tighter schedule, with only until the end of October. Those needing to submit a paper tax return must do so by 11.59pm on 31 October 2025. Bear in mind, if you haven't started filling out your paper tax return yet and aren't familiar with the process, it could be quite time-consuming. As such, it's not advisable to rush through the return on the deadline day as you might inadvertently miss it and incur a potential penalty. HMRC has the authority to impose a financial penalty for any late tax return. Starting with a fixed £100 charge, this can quickly escalate if ignored. If you neglect to submit your tax return within three months of the deadline, you'll be hit with additional penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900. After six months, this penalty increases to five per cent of the tax owed or £300, whichever is higher. After a year, an extra charge of five per cent or £300 will be levied - whichever is greater. HMRC guidance emphasises that these charges can be easily dodged by simply submitting your Self Assessment tax return promptly. If you haven't begun your paper tax return yet, or are unsure where to start, your initial step should be to download and print off an SA100 tax return form from HMRC. The sections of the form you need to fill out will differ greatly depending on whether you're employed, self-employed, or part of a business partnership. HMRC guidance indicates you may need the following to help you complete the form: Further advice on how to file your tax return can be found here.

Technology

The best time to spray weed killer to get the best results

With winter soon rolling in, you may not have paid much attention to the grass growing in your garden. While it can feel like more of a chore mowing your lawn throughout the colder months, not doing so can give weeds the opportunity to take over. This can lead to many plants in your garden missing out on essential resources such as sunlight, water, and other essential nutrients. This can also lead to the plants becoming weaker and even potentially dying off. Typically, weeds tend to grow throughout the early autumn, but you can help kill them off during this time with an effective weed killer, thus keeping your garden looking its best for the winter period. However, for the weed killer to work to its best efficiency, you should consider what time and weather conditions you're using the product. Weed killers often come in the form of a spray or liquid and use a mixture of potent chemicals specially designed to either prevent a weed from growing in the first place (pre-emergence) or kill them once they've already started growing (post-emergence). Which one you choose will entirely depend on whether you can already see weeds growing in your garden or if you want to prevent the problem firsthand. If you've not already sprayed a pre-emergence weed killer on your lawn by this time of year, you likely already have some weeds causing problems, in which case, you will need a weed killer that focuses on getting rid of weeds that have already begun growing. If you already have some weed killer on hand, you might feel the urge to run to your garden and start spraying the chemical without much thought. However, it's important to stop and think about the weather outside as certain conditions can prevent some weed killers from working properly. For example, if you spray it in the late morning or afternoon, you may find that there's more sunlight and heat. This can, overall, reduce the effectiveness of the spray as they won't have the time to be absorbed either through evaporation. Furthermore, if you spray the weed killer while it's windy outside, you may accidentally spray the powerful chemicals onto other plants, leading them to absorb it and potentially die off alongside the weeds. One study in particular that examined the use of glyphosate, a popular weed killer product, on giant ragweed found that it was least effective when applied at 6am and 9pm. However, it found that the chemical was far more effective when sprayed between 9am and 6pm. Similarly, a Cambridge study conducted in 2018 and 2019 found that weed killers such as glyphosate and dicamba were more effective from 'noon' to one hour before sunset. Keep in mind, though, that different weed killer products may be specially designed to be used at certain times and under certain conditions. Generally, if you read the back of the product, information will be provided on when it is recommended you use it.