The UK has seen a dramatic fall in net migration between 2015 and 2016, mostly due to the number of EU citizens leaving the country after the Brexit referendum. These departing EU skilled workers are leaving spots open for skilled workers from other countries. If you’ve ever thought about immigrating to the UK, now could be the perfect time to do so.

July 2017 is upon us and so is radical economic transformation! Months after the cynical cabinet reshuffle, with Malusi Gigaba coming in as Finance Minister, and ratings downgrades from all three ratings agencies, with S&P and Fitch rating South Africa as sub-investment grade, the Rand seems to be holding up remarkably well. So, what’s going on?

For those who wish to live and work in the UK there are two attractive visa options: The Tier 1 (Investor) and Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visas. These investment visas both have their advantages. Depending on your particular circumstances, either may be the perfect option to get you and your family over to UK.

If you’re a contractor in the UK, or you’ve thought about becoming a contractor, you’ve probably heard of IR35. Spoken about with equal parts fear and confusion, IR35 is legislation that aims to ensure that contractors in the UK are, in fact, contractors and not employees. What happens if you fall under IR35 as a contractor? Nothing good. Read on to find out what will happen and how you can protect your earnings from high taxes.

Getting hold of the UKVI can be difficult at times, especially when application volumes are high, like they are currently. To try to alleviate the pressure on their staff, the UKVI will be outsourcing all customer enquiries to a third party commercial partner, Sitel UK. The handover is happening on June 1, 2017, and will have a far-reaching and significant effect on all short- and long-term visa applications.

It’s been a while now since Pravin Gordhan was removed as Finance Minister, an event that triggered a series of downgrades by the international ratings agencies, Fitch and Stand & Poor, where our sovereign credit rating was relegated to sub investment grade or junk status. Well, Armageddon has not happened and many people seem confused as to why the Rand has not collapsed, but has in fact strengthened at times in the past few weeks.

If you have assets in the UK and are looking to sell, or have sold them, you may have to pay Capital Gains Tax (CGT). Taxable assets can be anything from second properties to certain types of shares. It’s difficult to figure out whether or not you are liable to pay CGT, but if you are, you’d best prepare, as the rules and requirements for this type of tax are complex.

It’s true – you can move to the UK with your partner if they hold a valid Ancestry visa. Many UK Ancestry visa holders don’t realise this, which is a shame because it is one of the best ways to live in the UK while you work towards full British citizenship.

Starting and running your own business in the UK is one of the most exciting and challenging things a person can do with their career. Unfortunately, what lies before every new business owner is a minefield of regulation and administration that can quickly turn excitement to despair. It might sound a bit daunting, but there are accounting professionals who can help you make sense of this regulatory maze. Let’s talk about how to find the right accountant and why your SME needs one.

As a payroll provider, it can be tricky trying to ensure that your clients’ employees receive the optimal pensions outcomes from auto enrolment. It’s not your job to know the ins and outs of complex pension funds and how they affect the retirement plans of those employees enrolled in those schemes. That’s why more and more payroll providers are turning to specialist financial advisers to help them choose an appropriate pension fund for their clients’ auto enrolment programmes.