Latest news with #RachelHarris
Glasgow Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
M&S in HMRC row over Wimbledon strawberry and cream sandwich
Under HMRC rules, most cold food, including sandwiches, is zero rated for VAT, but many sweet treats are counted as luxuries, and the 20 per cent levy is added - and must be paid to HMRC by businesses. The £2.80 'game-changing' limited edition Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich is filled with the fruit and light whipped cream cheese on fluffy sweetened bread, the retailer said. And that's where the issue gets tricky, says Rachel Harris, on her Instagram account accountant_she: "Most food, including sandwiches, is zero rated for VAT, meaning that we as customers don't pay VAT, and the businesses who sell them get better margins by keeping the sales prices low. "But some food becomes taxable if it's classified as non essential, and this is things like confectionery and biscuits. So M&S are arguing that because it is packed like a sandwich, filled like a sandwich and is marketed like a sandwich, it is a sandwich, and so it should be zero rated for VAT. "HMRC says something counts as confectionary when it is sweet and eaten with your fingers. So the tax experts are arguing that the bread is actually sweetened and it's eaten with your fingers and is therefore confectionary, which should have 20% of VAT included in the price. "So we will be seeing this argument between M&S and HMRC in court." M&S said its latest creation was inspired by Japanese 'sweet sandos', or fruit sandwiches. M&S said: 'Inspired by the Japanese sweet sandos, recently spotted popping up in London's trendiest Japanese patisseries, our product developers have long dreamed of creating a dessert sandwich. 'With our exclusive Red Diamond Strawberries at their juiciest best, the time has finally come to create the ultimate strawberries and creme experience. More M&S news: 'From alfresco lunches, afternoon tea at home, summer picnics, courtside snack breaks or a sweet afternoon pick me up, the Red Diamond Strawberries & Creme Sandwich is your go-to summer indulgence, wherever, whenever. M&S Food first sold freshly made sandwiches in the 1920s, and expanded sales with pre-packed sandwiches in the 1980s. The retailer's food halls have sold four billion sandwiches to date.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ipswich Town Women to call Colchester home
Ipswich Town Women will play home games at Colchester's JobServe Community Stadium for the next two agreement will also see the club's men's under-21s play a number of games at the venue, which is 16 miles from Ipswich across the Essex border, in 2025/26 and 2026/ Women will play second-tier football for the first time in 2025/26 after winning promotion to the newly renamed WSL2 (Women's Super League 2) last season, having played home games at Felixstowe & Walton United for more than a deal will see upgrades to the pitch at the JobServe Community Stadium ahead of the new Harris, Town's Head of Women's Football, told the club website, external: "With the additional requirements and challenges following promotion to the second tier for the first time, it sadly wasn't possible to maintain the Martello as our home. We're excited to be playing our WSL2 games at Colchester, and we can't wait to welcome our fans to the stadium as we make the step up next season."Town Chairman Mark Ashton said: "We're excited for the possibilities available to us at Colchester and look forward to seeing as many of our fans there as possible supporting Joe Sheehan and his team."Following record crowds in each of the last two campaigns, the club intends to host the Women's team at Portman Road during the next campaign while work is continuing towards finding a permanent home in the Ipswich area.
Daily Mirror
18-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Alert that HMRC could investigate after 'watching your Instagram'
People might trigger a tax investigation if their 'lavish lifestyle' doesn't add up to what should be in their bank account People might not be aware that their social media accounts could be monitored and flagged if authorities notice they're living a lifestyle that their finances cannot support. The tactic is being used to ensure people are paying the right amount of tax. Rachel Harris, an accountant and tax expert, warned that people should be careful with their social media brags, as HM Revenue and Customs [HMRC] could easily be "watching your Instagram Stories." She said: "HMRC do a lot of work behind the scenes to understand who to investigate and when. One of the things that HMRC agents are trained to do is compare your income to your Instagram. "They're looking for something called lifestyle inconsistency. If you're posting online about luxury holidays and a lavish lifestyle, but your declared income doesn't match up, HMRC then have reason to investigate you. "They're trained to spot red flags like frequent travel, designer purchases and photos of property and assets that don't appear on your tax returns. HMRC combine what you post with the data that they already collect from your bank, your employer and your tax return." She added that people "could face an investigation" if the cash to fund this lifestyle doesn't add up to what you declare. The tactic isn't just limited to Instagram - it's all social media. The Mirror previously reported on a warning issued by tax barrister Andy Wood that HMRC's improved scrutiny of online behaviour may lead to potential investigations into your finances. He said: "HMRC has really ramped up its use of technology and data analytics to make sure people are paying the right amount of tax. Public social media posts are now being scrutinised, as they can provide evidence of suspected financial discrepancies. "HMRC is legally entitled to view and analyse any publicly available information on social media. This includes posts, photos, and videos that may suggest a lifestyle inconsistent with reported income or assets, evidence which can line up other findings and trigger investigations." What do I have to declare to HMRC? People might have to share certain information about their additional income with HMRC. This would be separate from what any employer already provides to the authority or not already included in your Self Assessment if you work for yourself. This may include money you earn from things like: selling things - for example at car boot sales or auctions, or online doing casual jobs such as gardening, food delivery or babysitting charging other people for using your equipment or tools renting out property or part of your home - including for holidays creating content online - for example on social media If you receive £1,000 or less from trading or casual activities between April 6 2025 and April 5 2026, you can use your trading allowance. This means you do not have to report your sales to HMRC. Use this free online tool to check if you should make a declaration. You can get help if you do not understand something about your tax by contacting HM Revenue and Customs.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Greaer Investment Allows Ipswich Town To Brink Of Women's Championship
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Ipswich Town players take a selfie on the pitch prior to The Adobe ... More Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester City and Ipswich Town at Joie Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images) At the end of the season, both Ipswich Town men's and women's teams could be heading into the Championship but for the women's team it will be the result of sustained investment. On Sunday, a 2-0 win over Gwalia United at the Martello Ground in Felixstowe moved Ipswich Town three points clear of their nearest rivals Hashtag United having played one game less. After years of coming close to promotion into the fully professional second tier of the English game, the Suffolk side know they now only require one win from their last three matches to secure the FA Women's National League title and a place in the Women's Championship next season. Yesterday, Ipswich Town released their accounts for the previous season. They revealed that investment in their women's team has increased by five times in the last two years and more than doubled in the past season. Part of that investment has seen the women's team recruit a new general manager, Rachel Harris from London City Lionesses, and assistant coach, Lauren Phillips from Southampton. Earlier in the season, planning permission was also submitted and approved for the club's training base at Playford Road to be redeveloped from 2025 into a state-of-the-art facility in time for the start of the 2026/27 season. The current main building at the training ground will be developed and refurbished to then be used by the women's teams on a permanent basis and a new hydrotherapy center, modernised gym, rehabilitation and performance locations will be constructed. For Kyra Robertson, currently captaining the side, the creation of something more mundane would be equally as important for the women's team. She told me 'I think just having our own area would be really nice." "Obviously, at the moment we share a lot of facilities so having our own dedicated area that's ours and probably one big, nice changing room, just so we can all really be together. We've talked about that a lot, how we are such a together team. I think the changing room is really somewhere you build the bonds with everyone. So yeah, I think that would be a nice part.' The club's record goalscorer Natasha Thomas added another two to her tally to ensure the win on Sunday and she was confident the club will this time get over the line. 'We know what we've got to do, we know how many games we've got left. So for me, until it's done , until we know that is going to be the case, we'll keep on providing the goals, we'll keep on providing the performance." "Even if we do that in the next game, or the second game, we'll perform until the end of the season. We want to ensure that we can get all the points on the board that we possibly can and we'll keep going from there.' MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Im A Celebrity star GK Barry, girlfriend of Ella Rutherford of ... More Ipswich Town, is pictured prior to The Adobe Women's FA Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester City and Ipswich Town at Joie Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by) The women's team has also been sprinkled by star dust during this campaign with their matches regularly being attended by television personality GK Barry, the girlfriend of striker Ella Rutherford. The Loose Women presenter was there again on Sunday, one of 1,013 fans in the small ground watching the game, inbetween graciously posing for hundreds of selfies with patience and good humor. Last weekend, when the club played only their second match at the club's main stadium, Portman Road, the team were watched by music legend, Ed Sheeran. His Mathematics tour are the principal shirt sponsor of the club and he visited the women's team changing rooms after the game to show his support with a video of the players joining him in singing 'Castle on the Hill' going viral on social media. Thomas told me 'it was just really good because you know how much he loves the club, so I think it's just him ensuring that he was with us as well as the men's first team. It was just nice to have him there. We had some pictures, got some autographs. We sung along with him and to be honest, it was such a good day and it really topped it off for us.' Head coach Joe Sheehan added that 'it's amazing. I'm fortunate I've met him previously so it was maybe a little bit different for the players today. I was quite pleased to just stand back and watch it because seeing our players spend some time with him and sing and whatever else, chanting or dancing, was great.' 'I think it's a really great feeling and he's incredible for this football club, the support he provides, and he's such a great guy, such a genuinely nice man, a real family man. Passionate about the region and the football club and he was delighted to come here and watch us, is gutted he can't do it more often, but his support is absolutely brilliant.' The captain of the men's side, Sam Morsy is also showing his support for the women's team. He told me 'it's been brilliant for them to be fair, they're doing amazing and they're on the same journey as us, they're progressing. Joe's a really good coach, and a good guy. He's always in and around the men's first team to probably see how he can develop himself. It's great to have them around and great to see them improving as well, and being on their journey.'
