Typically, the festive season is a joyous occasion and a time for celebration, but it can equally be an extremely busy and demanding time that often puts extra pressure on us whether socially, financially or emotionally.  For some, it is a time where they acutely feel the loss of loved ones and feelings of loneliness. The festive period can affect your mental health in many ways and can bring up feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, stressed. Our Thrive wellbeing team has compiled a list of tips to help you look after your mental health this Christmas. Realistic expectations It is easy to get carried away with the expectations of a perfect Christmas and everything that goes with it. However, this can cause disappointment and impact our self-esteem if it doesn’t turn out how we hoped. Be realistic about what you can expect from the festive season and avoid unhealthy comparisons with others. Create your own Christmas agenda for how you want to spend your time, focusing on a couple of things that are most important to you. Take a break The Christmas period can be the one time of year where we can truly take a break from the demands of day-to-day life. It is essential for our mental wellbeing to have some time-out to help prevent stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. Take this time to rest and restore your energy especially if you are feeling particularly drained. Make sure you set time aside to be by yourself if you need it and engage in activities that help you relax and unwind. Christmas is a time of compassion and giving, so why not indulge in some self-compassion and treat yourself. Reflect As the year draws to a close, you can quickly fall into the trap of thinking about everything you didn’t achieve and all those forgotten resolutions and goals. Try not to be too hard on yourself as you begin to reflect on the year that has passed. Accept the year for what it was and acknowledge the (big and small) things you have achieved and where you are now.   Say no Leading up to and during Christmas you can find yourself inundated with social engagements, invites, and being surrounded by people. If you are feeling uncomfortable or unsettled with the incoming invitations, the key is to give yourself permission to say no. You may want to limit your social interactions and while it is important to maintain some social connection it is imperative that you set clear boundaries with yourself on how much interaction you want to have. Balance your sense of social obligation against your need for self-care and time by yourself.   Healthy habits The temptation to overindulge is ever present at Christmas - the few extra tipples, lounging on the couch watching Christmas movies or over-doing it on the mince pies and rich food. Overindulging can cause your motivation levels to diminish and make you feel sluggish and not ‘yourself’. Alcohol may make you feel relaxed at first, but it is a depressant which can cause low mood and irritability. Strive to maintain some balance across the festive period if you can. Maintaining a relatively healthy diet and getting some exercise will give your mental health a much-needed boost. Get outdoors, wonder at the Christmas lights and decorations in your area or head out on a nature walk, it will do you a world of good. It can be quite difficult to maintain your usual routine over the holidays too. The best way to retain some semblance of routine and structure is keeping a healthy sleep pattern. Sleep is an essential component to not only positive mental health but also our physical health. Talk to someone The expectations of the festive season can take its toll and the pressure to have a good time can be overwhelming. How we feel can become all-consuming. If you are struggling it is important to talk to someone about how you are feeling. Your family and friends are your best support system, reach out to someone you feel comfortable disclosing your feelings to. If Christmas is a hard time for you, it's important to remember that you are not alone. Help is here if you need it. The Institute’s wellbeing hub, Thrive, provides an array of mental health supports to members and students. Whether you need a listening ear, wellbeing advice or professional counselling, we are here for you. You can contact the team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294 Merry Christmas!

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has updated their suite of factsheets addressing FRS 102. These factsheets provide additional guidance to assist with the application of FRS 102 and include three new factsheets. Of particular interest to preparers and other stakeholders will be the new factsheets published which address the new accounting requirements for revenue recognition and lease accounting (effective for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2026). In addition to the new factsheets, five factsheets have been updated and two factsheets (which related specifically to the 2017 Triennial Review) have been withdrawn. Following the additions, updates and withdrawals, there are now eight staff factsheets in issue which are available on the FRC website; Factsheet 3 – Statement of cash flows Factsheet 4 – Financial instruments Factsheet 5 – Property: Fair value measurement Factsheet 6 – Business combinations Factsheet 7 – Transition to FRS 102 Factsheet 8 - Climate-related matters Factsheet 9 – Initial application of the Periodic Review 2024 amendments Factsheet 10 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers Factsheet 11 – Lease accounting for lessees

The European Commission has closed three in-depth State aid investigations into transfer pricing tax rulings granted by Luxembourg to Fiat and Amazon, and by the Netherlands to Starbucks. Following judgments by the EU Courts, the Commission found that the tax rulings did not grant the companies selective advantages.

Income-based tax incentives for R&D and innovation (IBTIs), sometimes referred to as patent boxes, innovation boxes, or intellectual property (IP) regimes, reduce the tax burden on the income that firms generate from their innovation activities. They have become part of many governments’ tax supports policy toolbox, with more than half of OECD countries offering IBTIs in 2023. This blog highlights five need-to knows about these incentives, the key categories of IBTIs, and their use, design, generosity and cost to governments and draws on the latest OECD evidence in this area.

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual which explains some of the key definitions and terms used in the close company provisions in Part 13 TCA 1997. The guidance now outlines how, in certain circumstances, taxpayers can seek agreement from Revenue that the close company legislation will not apply to an Irish resident company where the ultimate ownership and control of the company is widely dispersed among a large number of investors in funds operated through a limited partnership structure (paragraph 1). The details to be submitted to Revenue for the request to be considered are also outlined in the manual. With effect from 2 December 2024, these requests must be submitted via the Revenue Technical Service in accordance with the procedures set out in its guidelines.

Section 840A TCA 1997 restricts the ability of certain companies to claim a deduction for interest payable on certain connected party borrowings to fund the acquisition of certain assets from other group companies. Revenue has published a new Tax and Duty Manual which provides guidance on interest on loans to defray money applied for certain purposes under section 840A.

Revenue has warned that it did not issue SMS (text messages) seeking personal information from taxpayers in connection with a tax refund or seeking credit/debit card details. Revenue never sends emails or text messages requiring customers to send personal information via email, text or pop-up windows. Anyone who receives an email or text message purporting to be from Revenue and suspects it to be fraudulent or a scam should simply delete it. Anyone who is actually awaiting a tax refund should contact their local Revenue Office to check its status. Anyone who provided personal information in response to these fraudulent emails or text messages should contact their bank or credit card company immediately. Further information is available on Revenue’s security page.

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual regarding the taxation of provisions and accruals to reflect recent changes in Irish generally accepted accounting practice (FRS 100 – FRS 105) published in September 2024 and to provide for some miscellaneous minor revisions.

Agents now have until 6 December 2024 to send HMRC details of their agent codes. In October HMRC emailed agents asking them to provide details of their agent codes by 8 November 2024 via an online form. Last week HMRC emailed a reminder to agents to submit this information which also advised that the deadline is now 6 December 2024.   The email contains details of how to find your agent code and how to complete the form. HMRC  advises that if an agent has already completed and submitted their information to ignore this reminder.   

Revenue has updated the Tax and Duty Manual which provides guidance on the interest limitation rule. Sections 8 and 9 have been updated to reflect the amendments to Part 35D TCA 1997, contained in Finance Act 2024, which deals with the interaction of the interest limitation rule with leasing transactions. It also provides further clarity on the operation of the long-term public infrastructure project exemption.

HMRC is hosting a Making Tax Digital (MTD) for income tax event at their Croydon Regional Centre office later this week on Thursday 5 December 2024. Read on for more details. Note that events are being planned across the UK with one to be held in Belfast in Spring 2025. Event details: Location: HMRC, 1 Ruskin Square, Croydon, CR0 2WF.  Time: 11am start – 3pm finish.  The event is for agents and software developers who have clients who will need to use MTD for Income Tax, to help you get ready for when it becomes a legal requirement from April 2026. At the event you will: Find out more about the testing phase, including the extra support on offer, Have access to hands-on support to sign up to testing, and Be able to ask HMRC your MTD questions. This event has limited spaces so if you are interested and want to attend please email mailboxmakingtaxdigital@hmrc.gov.uk to secure a space. By emailing HMRC, you are agreeing to be contacted by HMRC before, during and after this event.   

In this week’s miscellaneous updates, HMRC has published updated guidance on the abolition of the furnished holiday lettings (FHLs) rules. The latest Agent Update is available as is the most recent News and Information Bulletin both of which contain important guidance on filing 2023/24 self-assessment returns where overlap relief is being deducted as part of the transition year to the tax year basis. 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. The most recent minutes/notes from HMRC’s Guidance Strategy Forum are also available. And finally, check HMRC’s online services availability page for details of planned downtime and the online services affected.   Updated FHL guidance  HMRC has published updated guidance on the tax rules for the abolition of FHLs. The purpose of the updated guidance is to make clear that the intention is to remove the specific tax reliefs currently available for FHLs, hence there will not be changes to other rules. For example, holiday accommodation, whether previously qualifying as a FHL or not, will remain standard-rated for VAT.  Latest Agent Update  Agent Update: issue 125 is now available. Get the latest guidance and information including: reporting rules for digital platforms with the first reports due 31‌‌‌ January‌‌‌ 2025, completing self-assessment tax returns for student and postgraduate loan borrowers, self-assessment top tips for agents including guidance on basis period reform and a request to submit overlap relief applications early and preferably by 31 December 2024, using the payrolling benefits in kind service for agents, and  an update on the new requirements for safety and security declarations.