UK crackdown on illegal waste sites

  Rogue operators handling waste illegally will have to pay landfill tax. From 1st April 2018, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will be able to prosecute these illegal operators where necessary. They could face large fines and risk a sentence of up to seven years in prison. HMRC estimates there are currently around 600 illegal […]

UK tax break for home solar panels and battery storage installations

Householders could receive a significant price cut when installing “qualifying” solar panels with battery storage technologies. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) told ELN a single indivisible supply and installation of solar panels with a battery in residential accommodation would be charged a 5% VAT rate – “on the understanding the battery is linked to the […]

UK oil consultancy director banned for not paying taxes

An oil consultancy director has been banned for not paying his taxes. Graeme Rogerson, who was the sole director of GKTD Limited, has been disqualified from acting as a director for five years after paying himself more than £379,000 up to January 2015 but not his taxes. HM Revenue and Customs was the company’s only […]

UK proposes huge VAT hike for solar panels

The UK Government has proposed a massive VAT hike for solar panels and wind turbines. The news comes as the European Commission said the UK’s legislation was not consistent with EU laws and referred it to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The UK currently applies the reduced VAT rate of 5% for […]

Centrica fights to keep £6m tax refund

The British Gas owner Centrica is preparing to fight a legal battle to keep a £6 million tax refund awarded to the company in 2011, it’s reported. Back in 2005 the Valuations Office Agency (VOA) set the business rates for gas-fired power stations in England and Wales but the owners of all 30 plants appealed […]

Energy companies accused of using loophole to cut taxes

Energy companies have allegedly cut tens of millions of pounds off their tax bills by exploiting a legal loophole, according to a joint investigation by the Independent on Sunday and non-profit group Corporate Watch. UK Power Networks, Electricity North West and Scotia Gas Networks are all accused of taking advantage of the “quoted Eurobond exemption” […]

Bomb scare spooks npower HQ

Energy supplier npower was spooked this morning when there was a bomb scare at its headquarters in Swindon. Work was temporarily halted and the entire workforce evacuated when a “suspicious package” arrived, prompting the supplier to call in the bomb disposal experts. A spokesperson at first told ELN that it turned out to be a […]