From the Professional Accountancy team…... The Apply AI Strategy was launched in October 2025 by the European Commission. It aims to harness AI’s transformative potential by increasing and supporting AI adoption and integration across key industrial and public sectors, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Strategy encourages an AI first policy where AI is considered as a potential solution whenever organisations make strategic or policy decisions, taking into careful consideration the benefits and the risks of the technology.  The European Commission has also launched the AI Act Single Information Platform and the AI Act Service Desk to support implementation of the AI Act and to provide resources and tools regarding the AI Act requirements.           

All members are obliged to sustain professional competence in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Code of Ethics.  The Institute’s CPD regulations detail the quantum and nature of CPD which is considered necessary for members to undertake.  Renewal of membership serves as formal acknowledgement of compliance with CPD obligations. CPD Monitoring The Institute monitors CPD compliance via random and risk-based selection, across its membership population. If selected for CPD review, members are required to submit records of CPD undertaken during the relevant period. CPD Requirements and Approaches CPD may be pursued through three approaches: Input-based: Focuses on completing a set amount of learning activities. Output-based: Emphasizes demonstrated outcomes that reflect maintained competence. Combination: Integrates both input and output methods, balancing activity levels with measurable results. Further information regarding the CPD monitoring process and requirements can be found at Support & Guidance – Continuing Professional Development Should you have any queries please contact cpdmonitoring@charteredaccountants.ie

Last week the European Parliament adopted a resolution containing suggestions for reforms to the tax architecture to boost competitiveness while continuing to address tax avoidance and evasion. The resolution will feed into the ongoing work on legislative simplification, with a dedicated proposal of the European Commission expected to be released in early 2026.

The EU has published an updated list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions. While no new jurisdictions have been added to the list in Annex I,  Viet Nam has been removed from Annex II due to its successful implementation of the OECD’s BEPS minimum standard on Country-by-Country Reporting.  Annex II reflects the countries engaged in constructive cooperation with international partners.

The OECD Forum on Tax Administration will host a hybrid event on enhancing tax certainty on 31 October 2025 . The event will allow tax policymakers and administrations, business representatives, and other stakeholders to assess the tax certainty agenda and work towards further improvements in dispute prevention and dispute resolution. Registration for the event closes on 15 October 2025.

On 16 October 2025 the EU parliament’s subcommittee on tax matters will hold an Interparliamentary Committee Meeting on "The taxation of digital activities at national and international level, in light of ongoing developments at OECD/G20 level."

The Institute recently responded to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Finance Bill Sub-Committee inquiry into ‘Draft Finance Bill 2025-26’ which closed last week. The submission focused solely on the draft Finance Bill clauses which will restrict the scope of agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) from April 2026 and the disproportionate economic impact of these, especially in Northern Ireland (NI). The Institute is calling again for the Government to reframe this draft legislation ahead of April 2026, or alternatively, that the Government exclude NI from these changes. The Institute is scheduled to deliver oral evidence to this Committee in the Palace of Westminster next Monday 20 October. Our full response to this call for evidence will be published in due course in the Tax Representations section of our website, once the Committee has published its final report. The Institute’s response follows on from ongoing lobbying earlier this year when we wrote to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and responded to the related consultation. You can read more about the Institute’s work in this space since the Autumn Budget 2024 announced these changes via various stories in Chartered Accountants Tax News at the following links: https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/News/institute-meets-hmrc-to-discuss-the-autumn-budget-2024, https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/News/institute-tells-government-to-reframe-its-proposed-policy-changes-on-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief, https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/News/treasury-responds-to-institute-on-inheritance-tax-reliefs, https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/News/l-day-confirms-changes-to-key-inheritance-tax-reliefs-will-proceed-as-planned, and https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/News/institute-meets-with-local-government-to-discuss-april-2026-restrictions-to-iht-reliefs.

Last week the Institute was represented at an event in London ‘Remote work across borders: Navigating the legal and regulatory maze’ which discussed the complexity of working cross-border from a wide range of angles, including tax. In attendance was the Institute’s UK Tax Manager, Leontia Doran. Leontia was accompanied by Rose Tierney, the Institute’s representative from the NI Tax Committee and Tax Committee South cross-border and remote/hybrid working sub-group which was established in September 2024. Rose, a leading and well-known expert on this issue, co-authored the 2024 LEEF report commissioned by the ESRI ‘A study into the current conditions of the island of Ireland labour market, and challenges and opportunities for effective operation for workers and businesses across the island.’ Rose’s comments at the recent Centre for Cross-Border Co-operation all island labour market conference also featured widely in the media. At the event, Rose participated in a panel discussion with other experts. This included Bill Dodwell, former Director of the Office of Tax Simplification and now a non-Executive Director on HMRC’s Board, in addition to representatives from the ATT, the CIOT and other specialists. The panel discussed a range of case studies and the issues arising from modern working practices. The aim of the event was to highlight how wide ranging and complex the issues are from a tax, legal, finance, HR, data protection, insurance, and compliance perspective. The event has made clear that there is a need for the UK Government to recognise the complexities and consider policy changes to support cross-border working in a way that both embraces modern working practices and positively impacts the UK labour market and economy. Plans are also being developed to form a UK wide working group to lobby Government, in which the Institute is aiming to be a participant. What was also clear from the event is that these issues come into even sharper focus for cross-border workers on the island of Ireland. In effect, the issues that these workers have been facing for many years are now being faced by mobile employees across the globe. The Institute’s cross-border and remote/hybrid working sub-group comprises employment tax specialists in both the UK and Ireland and was set up last year to discuss and take forward the complex issues which arise from cross-border and remote/hybrid working on the island of Ireland. As part of its initial work, three key issues identified by the working sub-group featured in a recent letter by the Institute to HMRC’s new CEO JP Marks.

In this week’s miscellaneous updates: The latest HMRC Stakeholder Digest from 2 October is available, HMRC is holding a range of webinars for employers, these include a webinar later this month looking at phones, internet and homeworking expenses, and another in December which will examine expenses and benefits for employees with more than one workplace, HMRC’s Guidelines for Compliance team has published Help with Freeports — GfC14, and The Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent. This legislation allows councils in Wales to introduce an overnight visitor levy and requires the registration of all visitor accommodation providers in Wales.

In this week’s cross-border developments and trading corner, we bring you the latest guidance updates and publications. The most recent Trader Support Service bulletin is also available as is the latest Brexit and Beyond newsletter from the Northern Ireland Assembly EU Affairs team. HMRC has also sent more communications on the move to ICS2 and how to prepare, with documents specifically tailored to hauliers and carriers, intermediaries and agents and traders. Miscellaneous guidance updates and publications This week’s miscellaneous guidance updates and publications are as follows: Getting a customs guarantee, Check if you need a customs guarantee, Transit newsletters — HMRC updates, Section 21 — imports, Moving licensed goods into or out of Northern Ireland, Apply for a manual release of certain plant, animal and food products, Maritime ports and wharves location codes for Data Element 5/23 of the Customs Declaration Service, and List of customs training providers.

Chartered Accountants Ireland has responded to the International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB’s) request for information on the post-implementation review of IFRS 16- Leases. IFRS 16 came into effect in January 2019 and the IASB, in line with their due process procedures, are conducting a review of the standard to assess whether it is broadly working as intended for investors, companies, auditors and regulators. In its response to this request for information, the Institute’s Financial Reporting Technical Committee noted that IFRS 16 was “operating well for the vast majority of leases and that it has led to an improvement in financial reporting”. The Committee also highlighted some areas where the requirements of IFRS 16 remain unclear and where clarifications and additional guidance would be beneficial. Some of these areas include. Clarification in relation to some sale and leaseback scenarios, including sales in a corporate wrapper. Clarification regarding lessor accounting, including some scenarios where inappropriate accounting outcomes might arise. The impact that inflation may have on discount rates used, which is of particular relevance in today’s environment. Interaction between IFRS 9 and IFRS 16. Clarification regarding “in-substance fixed payments”, including the need for guidance regarding assets that generate nature-dependent electricity. The treatment of non-monetary consideration for leases (such as rental payments being based on potential produce from leased land).

Budget 2026 was announced by Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe on Tuesday to the general support of the business community and the juxtaposing ire of the opposition. The Institute’s view is that this Budget is one that balances prudence, thoughtful policy choices, and social support where it is most needed. The package announced is the highest projected public spending growth in the EU. So, it is not clear what more could be done while balancing the risk of intensifying inflationary pressures.  The Budget, of course, is as much a political balancing act as it is an Exchequer one. With that said, we are in the enviable position of running a projected Budget surplus of €10.2 billion this year and a revised projected surplus of €5.1 billion in 2026.  Total spending is projected at €117.8 billion, comprising €97.7 billion in current spending, €19.1 billion in capital investment, and a further €1 billion in unallocated resources. This is an increase of almost €11.4 billion when compared to the Budget Day estimate for 2025. The tax package for Budget 2026 is €1.3 billion, however the full year costs for the measures announced will be approximately €2.3 billion.  The notable omission from the tax package were increases to the income tax standard rate band and the universal tax credits. As I mentioned above, there is always a political dimension to policy making, and so we can reasonably expect a return to income tax changes as we move on into the election cycle. With that political nod made, putting more money by way of tax increases into people’s pockets against the backdrop of inflationary risk can be stood over from a policy perspective. It is not popular, but it is arguably prudent.  Instead, the Government has prioritised enterprise-focused tax changes. They have reinstituted the VAT9 for the hospitality sector, effective from 1 July 2026. They have shown their commitment to the Special Assignee Relief Programme and the Foreign Earnings Deduction, extending these key reliefs for a further five years to 31 December 2030. They have listened to our profession’s call for a targeted, time-limited tax-based lever to stimulate the supply of apartments by instituting VAT9 for the sale of completed apartments, effective immediately. And in a very welcome surprise, they have increased the lifetime limit for disposals of qualifying assets under the Revised Entrepreneur Relief by €500,000 to €1.5 million, effective 1 January 2026.   Clearly, there is much in Budget 2026 that I have received positively from a tax policy perspective. While a lean Budget in some respects, it is a courageous statement from a Government that is willing to make choices to steer the economy towards ever greater prosperity. The Institute, under the auspices of the CCAB-I can reflect positively on our engagement throughout the year with the Government and its institutions in supporting the tax policy agenda, having the hard conversations, and stimulating the ongoing discourse needed to arrive at reasonable choices.  For more information on Budget 2026, you can read our Special Budget Day 2026 Tax Newsletter. Gearóid O'Sullivan ACA CPA

IAASA has published an updated edition of its Compendium of Illustrative Reports. The update reflects the auditing standards and legislation in effect at 30 June 2025. The Compendium includes example audit reports for: Financial statements of a private company Financial statements of a private group Financial statements of a micro company Revised financial statements Abridged financial statements Financial statements of a qualifying partnership Financial statements of an industrial or provident society Financial statements of a friendly society Key changes in this edition include: An updated and simplified link to the description of the auditor’s responsibilities on IAASA’s website. Updated language in the auditor’s opinion section to refer to ‘material accounting policy information’, where relevant. This reflects changes to certain accounting standards and updates in the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Boards’ handbook. Inclusion of sample wording to reflect the requirements of S.I. No. 322/2023 – European Union (Disclosure of Income Tax Information by Certain Undertakings and Branches) Regulations 2023. For reports prepared under the Companies Act 2014, the auditor must include a statement whether the entity was required to publish a report on income tax information for the previous financial year. Updated legal references, amended terminology, and new footnotes within the example reports for industrial and provident societies and friendly societies, providing additional guidance for auditors on the content and format of their report. Auditors are encouraged to review the updated examples to ensure that their audit reports align with current requirements. The updated Compendium is available to download from the Auditing Standards Page of IAASA’s website

We set out below the remaining measures on excise measure, in addition to changes to the Vehicles Registration Tax and Carbon Tax. Carbon tax rate increase for propellant and other fuels In line with the trajectory set out in the Finance Act 2020, the carbon tax rate per tonne of CO₂ emitted for propellant fuels will increase from €63.50 to €71, effective 8 October 2025. This revised rate will be extended to all other fuels from 1 May 2026, continuing the Government’s commitment to climate action and emissions reduction through fiscal measures. The increase forms part of Ireland’s broader environmental taxation strategy aimed at incentivising lower-carbon energy use across sectors. Extension of Vehicle Registration Tax relief for electric vehicles The Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) relief for electric vehicles, originally scheduled to expire on 31 December 2025, has been extended by one year and will now remain in place until 31 December 2026. This extension encourages continued uptake of electric vehicles in line with Ireland’s climate and transport decarbonisation goals. Excise Duty increase on Tobacco Products Budget 2026 provides for an increase in excise duty on tobacco products. The duty on a pack of 20 cigarettes will rise by €0.50 (inclusive of VAT). Pro rata increases will also apply across other tobacco products, in line with the Government’s public health objectives and ongoing commitment to reducing tobacco consumption.

This year, as in previous years, a number of key reliefs for the agricultural sector have been extended. We outline these below in further detail. Accelerated Capital Allowances scheme for slurry storage The Accelerated Capital Allowances Scheme for the construction of slurry storage facilities by farmers has been extended for a further four years, now applying until 31 December 2029. Under this measure, qualifying capital expenditure on slurry storage buildings and associated equipment may be written off at a rate of 50 percent per annum over two years, compared to the standard write-off periods of seven years for farm buildings and eight years for plant and machinery. This accelerated relief continues to support investment in environmentally sustainable agricultural infrastructure by improving cash flow and reducing the effective tax burden on capital investment. Farm Restructuring Relief extended and expanded Finance Bill 2025 will provide for the extension of Farm Restructuring Relief to 31 December 2029, continuing support for farmers undertaking land consolidation and restructuring. In addition to the extension, the scope of the relief is being broadened to include: Commercial forestry land, and Non-commercial woodland/forestry, reflecting a more inclusive approach to land use within the agricultural sector. These changes will be subject to separate commencement orders, pending the necessary notification and approval from the EU Commission under State Aid rules. Further operational details will be confirmed in due course. Farm Consolidation Relief extended and scope expanded You can read a full update on the announcements under our Stamp Duty section here. Young Trained Farmer Stamp Duty Relief extended You can read a full update on the announcements under our Stamp Duty section here. Farmer’s Flat Rate VAT compensation revised for 2026 The Farmer’s Flat Rate Payment, which compensates unregistered farmers for VAT incurred on purchases, has been revised for 2026. The new rate will be 4.5 percent, down from 5.1 percent in 2025. This adjustment reflects the average VAT costs incurred by farmers, calculated using macroeconomic data compiled by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and Revenue over the preceding three years. The Flat Rate scheme continues to provide simplified VAT relief for farmers who choose not to register for VAT, helping to offset input costs without the administrative burden of full VAT compliance.

The need for a whole-of-government approach to tackle the ongoing housing crisis is well accepted by now. The Institute has called for tax-based levers to address the ongoing market failure in delivering affordable housing at scale and at speed. Today’s Budget includes some important changes to key reliefs as well as new measures which, if properly implemented and legislated, should have a positive impact on the construction of buildings and utilisation of land in Ireland. VAT on New Apartments You can read a full update on the announcements under our VAT section here. Residential Development Stamp Duty Refund Scheme You can read a full update on the announcements under our Stamp Duty section here. Deduction for retrofitting by landlords The tax relief available to landlords for qualifying retrofitting expenditure on rented residential properties has been extended by a further three years, now applying until 31 December 2028. In addition to the extension, two key enhancements have been introduced: Timing of relief: The deduction may now be claimed in respect of the year in which the expenditure is incurred, rather than being deferred. Scope of relief: The maximum number of properties for which a landlord may claim the relief has increased from two to three. These changes aim to further incentivise energy efficient improvements in the private rental sector. Corporation tax exemption for cost rental income The new corporation tax exemption for cost rental income will apply to rental profits derived from residential properties designated as Cost Rental to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing. The exemption will apply from 8 October 2025. Cost Rental is a tenure model established under Part 3 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021, aimed at supporting moderate-income households who fall outside the eligibility criteria for social housing. Strict eligibility criteria and operational rules apply to ensure transparency and alignment with the scheme’s objectives. Enhanced corporation tax deduction for apartment construction costs The enhanced corporation tax deduction allows developers to claim 125 percent of qualifying construction costs, subject to a cap of €50,000 in additional deductible costs per apartment unit. The measure is aimed at improving the financial viability of apartment development projects by bridging the gap between development costs and achievable market prices. Key features of the measure include: Deduction rate: Qualifying construction costs will attract a deduction of 125 percent, capped at an additional €50,000 per unit, equating to a maximum tax benefit of €6,250 per apartment. Ownership requirement: The developer must be the beneficial owner of the property at the time of completion. Project size: Relief is available for developments comprising 10 or more apartments. Eligible projects: Applies to both new-build and conversion projects, including changes of use (e.g. office or retail to residential). Timing: Relief is available for projects where a Commencement Notice is submitted between 8 October 2025 and 31 December 2030. Claim point: The deduction becomes claimable upon completion, evidenced by the signing of the Certificate of Compliance. Living City Initiative A number of enhancements to the Living City Initiative were announced today. The initiative supports the regeneration of older housing and commercial stock in designated Special Regeneration Areas. The key changes announced include: Extension of the initiative to 31 December 2030. Expansion of eligibility: The qualifying building age for owner-occupier and rented residential relief is increased from pre-1915 to pre-1975. New relief category: A tax deduction will now be available for the conversion of commercial properties into residential units, including ‘over the shop’ premises. Notably, no building age restriction will apply to this category. Increased relief cap for enterprises: Where works are carried out by businesses, the maximum relief available will rise from €200,000 to €300,000, in line with EU State Aid thresholds. Greater flexibility in claiming the relief will be introduced, with further operational details to be outlined in Finance Bill 2025. In addition, the scheme will be extended to five regional centres identified under the National Planning Framework: Athlone, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny, and Sligo. The process of mapping Special Regeneration Areas in these locations will commence shortly, in collaboration with the relevant Local Authorities. Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) Budget 2026 introduces further refinements to the RZLT framework, aimed at improving fairness and administrative clarity for landowners. Key updates include: Additional submission window: Landowners will be given a further opportunity to request a change in zoning for land included on the revised 2026 RZLT map. In certain cases, successful submissions may result in an exemption from RZLT for 2026. Exemption during planning appeals: A new exemption will apply where An Coimisiún Pleanála proceedings are initiated by a third party in relation to a grant of planning permission for a relevant site. RZLT will not apply while such proceedings are pending. Legislative amendments: Consequential changes arising from the Planning and Development Act 2024, along with technical amendments to ensure the RZLT legislation operates as intended, will be included in Finance Bill 2025. These measures aim to support landowners navigating zoning and planning complexities, while maintaining the policy objective of encouraging the activation of zoned residential land.

Chartered Accountants Ireland notes targeted actions to support business and the domestic economy, such as changes to Revised Entrepreneurs Relief, the extension of the Special Assignee Relief Programme, and an increased rate of R&D tax credit, noting the role these can play in enabling Ireland to remain competitive in attracting quality employment and investment. Cróna Clohisey, Director of Members & Advocacy, said: “Global economic uncertainty presented government with a trade off in Budget 2026, and it is clear today that VAT measures have trumped personal taxes in the need to protect employment.    “For the first time in five years, income tax credits and bands have not been adjusted for inflation—meaning many workers will face an unexpected tax hike in 2026. Wage growth will push more earners into the 40% tax bracket, while rising PRSI contributions further erode disposable income. This squeeze on take-home pay, despite no change in tax rates, will inevitably impact consumer spending.”  Missed opportunity to reduce the burden of compliance for business On Enhanced Reporting Requirements, Cróna Clohisey said: “It is really disappointing that no changes to Enhanced Reporting Requirements were announced today. The onerous real-time reporting of tax-free small benefits and expenses is a compliance burden on businesses and not addressing this today was a missed opportunity.” Balancing the cost of doing business Chartered Accountants Ireland advocates on behalf of almost 40,000 members, with Institute research showing that 77% of SME members reported increased business costs in the past six months, the largest being labour costs. While the VAT reduction for food, catering and hairdressing services will be helpful in managing costs for some businesses, it will not address the cost pressures facing SMEs across other sectors of the economy. Cróna Clohisey said: “While the reduction in VAT for certain hospitality services may offer some relief to businesses in that sector, it does not address mounting cost pressures across the wider economy. For example, businesses have already been impacted by the increase in Employers’ PRSI from 1 October 2025 with further increases expected each year up to 2028 – a direct increase in the cost of labour. A more sustainable approach to easing these cost burdens is needed.” Supports for business At a time when countries globally are sharpening their industrial tools amid greater competition for investment, today’s changes to the R&D tax credit demonstrate the government’s commitment to research and innovation. Gearóid O’Sullivan, Head of Tax, Chartered Accountants Ireland said: “R&D is an extremely valuable tool to boost economic resilience and drive growth and job creation in the economy, and today’s increase in the R&D tax credit rate to 35% is very welcome. We look forward to further detail in the coming weeks on the government’s research & development compass which we hope will lead to meaningful changes to the relief to address divergence with industry practices. “In terms of broader innovation and enterprise supports, we know that barriers to access and administration can disincentivise businesses from claiming, particularly for time and resource-constrained SMEs. Such barriers should be reduced in favour of efficiency wherever possible.” Addressing the infrastructure deficit Chartered Accountants Ireland has engaged extensively in recent years on methods to address significant deficits in the State’s crucial infrastructure, which represent a threat to ongoing economic growth and investment. Commenting on the tax measures for new build apartments, Cróna Clohisey said: “The VAT cut on new apartment sales coupled with the targeted corporate tax deduction for certain construction costs on the building of new apartments should help address supply challenges given it will be implemented in a time limited and targeted way. Viability of certain construction projects has been cast into sharp focus in recent months, with CSO data showing a drop of 24% in apartment completions from 2023 to 2024. Today’s measures will hopefully jumpstart construction on many sites that already have planning permission.”  

In this week’s cross-border developments and trading corner, we bring you the latest guidance updates and publications. The most recent Trader Support Service bulletin is also available as is the latest Brexit and Beyond newsletter from the Northern Ireland Assembly EU Affairs team. This newsletter highlights that the delayed EU entry-exit system (the digital border system for registering non-EU nationals travelling to the Schengen area for short stays) comes into force later this week on 12 October. Also covered are the announcements on EU-UK youth mobility made by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves at last week’s Labour Party Conference. The minutes of the June meeting of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement Domestic Advisory Group, which Chartered Accountants Ireland is represented on, have been published. And finally, you can also read more below about the implementation of ICS2 which, as covered last week, has been delayed to 31 December 2025. ICS2 further update HMRC has confirmed that traders who need more time to prepare for the move to ICS2 are able to continue to submit ENS (entry summary) declarations via Import Control System Northern Ireland (ICSNI) for movements until 31 December 2025. However, they are advised to continue to work with their supply chain to prepare for ICS2 and use this no later than this date. The message from HMRC is set out below:  “If you’re already using ICS2 you should continue to do so, or if you expect to be ready to migrate to ICS2 shortly you should continue preparations and migrate as planned.  As a reminder, you don’t need to make ENS declarations for parcels moving to and from consumers (i.e. private individuals) in Northern Ireland.  When physically moving goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland   Trader Support Service (TSS) users can continue to submit ENS declarations using ICSNI or the new ICS2 dataset if ready to do so. For movements from 1 January 2026 the new ICS2 dataset will become mandatory for all TSS users.  As a TSS user, you don’t need to register to use ICS2, as they will do this for you.     However, if you don’t use TSS to submit ENS declarations, you’ll have to register by 31 December 2025 to use the EU Shared Trader Interface (also known as the EU Customs Trader Portal) to submit safety and security declarations into ICS2. Visit GOV.UK Register to use the Import Control System 2 for more information.  You don’t need to do anything if you are already using ICS2, when moving goods by road (including roll-on roll-off movements) from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.   When sending or receiving goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland   If you are a business that sends or receives goods that move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you should:  speak with those who are physically moving your goods on your behalf, such as your haulier, freight forwarder or express operator to check whether they need to make any changes to their processes for ICS2  make sure that for movements arriving in Northern Ireland after 31 December 2025, your supply chain has the correct information, at the correct time, to keep your goods moving as smoothly and efficiently as possible   When sending or receiving goods moving from Great Britain to the EU  If you move goods from Great Britain into the EU, you may need to use ICS2 now depending on the country you are moving goods into. A list of all ICS2 territories and the date from which ICS2 becomes mandatory for road and rail movements is available at the bottom of this page: Guidance for the submission of an ENS for road and rail during the ICS2 and NCTS P6 derogation period.  If you are moving goods by transit you will need to meet safety and security requirements for the relevant system (ICS, ICS2 or NCTS6-TSADs) of the country you are moving goods into.  You must check with the customs authority of the ICS2 territory you are moving goods into for details on which systems to use and any specific ICS2 processes to follow (for example, use of the ELO system for movements into France).  Further information  You can find more information on:  Using ICS2 for movements into Northern Ireland - Make an entry summary declaration using the Import Control System 2 - GOV.UK  Using ICS2 for movements into the EU - Import Control System 2 (ICS2)  Using TSS - Sign up for the Trader Support Service - GOV.UK.”  Miscellaneous guidance updates and publications This week’s miscellaneous guidance updates and publications are as follows: Check if a business holds Authorised Economic Operator status, List of goods imported into Great Britain that are controlled, Authorisation type codes for Data Element 3/39 of the Customs Declaration Service, Country codes for the Customs Declaration Service, CDS Declaration Completion Instructions for Imports, Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) of the Customs Declaration Service, Currency codes for Data Element 4/10 of the Customs Declaration Service, Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (National) of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), Appendix 2: DE 1/11: Additional Procedure Codes of the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), and Valuing imported goods that are lost, damaged or defective.

In this week’s detailed miscellaneous updates which you can read more about below,  HMRC has launched a new HMRC manual finder tool, and new guidance and webinar dates for the 6 April 2026 changes to PAYE rules for labour supply chains with umbrella companies has been published. In other news this week: The House of Commons Library has published the research briefing Fuel Duty: Developments since 2022. This briefing refers to calculations performed by the Office of Budget Responsibility which indicate that freezing fuel duty rates cost the government approximately £100 billion between 2011 and 2024, A research briefing about the structure of Inheritance Tax (IHT) and the debates there have been about IHT in recent years has also been published,  The latest schedule of HMRC Talking Points live and recorded webinars for tax agents are available for booking. Spaces are limited, so take a look now and save your place, and Check HMRC’s online services availability page for details of planned downtime and the online services affected. New HMRC manual finder tool This new tool enables searching across all manuals, filtering by manuals or manual pages, and sorting of results, with the aim of letting users also see the latest updates more easily. The tool is available at the following link: Find HMRC manuals page. HMRC’s welcomes feedback on the new tool. The feedback route to use is set out in the banner at the top of this new page. Feedback can also be emailed to hmrcmanualsteam@hmrc.gov.uk. HMRC has also published a new tool which can be used to check if a claim for corporation tax overpayment relief can be made. This also covers how taxpayer’s can make the claim. Guidance and webinar dates for labour supply chains featuring umbrella companies: PAYE responsibilities From 6 April 2026, recruitment agencies (or, in their absence, end clients) will be responsible for deducting PAYE on payments to workers supplied via umbrella companies. HMRC published draft legislation for this on L-day on 21 July 2025. To support businesses and at the request of stakeholders wanting as much information as possible on how the legislation will work, HMRC has now published the associated guidance ahead of the final legislation. Note that this guidance is in draft and may change if there are any changes to the legislation before it receives Royal Assent. The guidance aims to provide detailed information on the changes which have been designed to tackle non-compliance in the umbrella company market. Agencies and other parties in labour supply chains can also register for one of HMRC's in-depth webinars on 7 and 21 October or 17 November to understand more about the changes and ensure compliance readiness. HMRC’s Employment Status Manual has also been updated to reflect these changes. Further guidance is also available here: Help with labour supply chain assurance.  

HMRC has asked us to share that its Agent Maintainer Team has a new postal address. The team, which forms part of HMRC’s Agent Compliance Team, is responsible for setting up new self-assessment agent records and amending those records. The new address which agents should use for postal correspondence is: Agent Compliance Team, HM Revenue & Customs, BX9 2BG.