UK Government to fund HGV driver training programme for veterans
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will provide £100,000 in funding to the charity Veterans Into Logistics, to support veterans to become HGV drivers. The announcement is on top of the £25m of UK Government funding being distributed through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to charities to offer support to veterans across the United Kingdom. The grant has been provided to the charity Veterans into Logistics, which offers bespoke training for former military personnel who wish to pursue careers in HGV driving.
See: Government funds HGV driver training programme for veterans – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Plastic Packaging Tax update
The Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) was introduced on 1 April 2022. If you manufacture or import plastic packaging into the UK, you may need to register for PPT, submit a PPT return and pay any tax due.
As the end of the first quarterly accounting period for PPT approaches, HMRC shared some key reminders on completing PPT returns and payments.
- If you are liable to register or have already registered for PPT, from 1 July 2022 you must submit your PPT return and pay any tax due no later than 29 July 2022.
- Your PPT return needs to cover plastic packaging your business manufactured or imported into the UK, from when you became liable to 30 June 2022.
- You must keep accounts and recordsto support the information provided when you complete your quarterly PPT return.
- Your accounts must show how you have worked out the figures you submit on your PPT return, and your records must show the evidence to support these figures.
- You must keep your accounts and records for at least 6 years from the end of the accounting period, and record weight in tonnes, kilograms, and grams.
- You will need to pay any tax due through your online PPT account. You can pay via Direct Debit, BACS, CHAPS, Debit/Corporate credit card or Faster Payments.
- For a reminder of these steps and all return and payment dates for 2022-23, download the PPT flyer.
See: Plastic Packaging Tax – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Tax credits claimants have until 31 July to renew their claims.
Thousands of claimants are yet to renew their tax credits ahead of the deadline, with HMRC reminding them to do so by 31 July or their payments will stop.
Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support, so claimants must renew before the deadline to ensure they don’t miss out on the money they are entitled to.
Renewing online is the best option, and you can log into GOV.UK to check the status of your renewal.
See: Manage your tax credits – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Projects developing innovative carbon removal tech can benefit from UK Government funding
New developments in innovative technologies to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere will be taken forward by new government-backed projects across the UK – helping to create new green jobs and putting the UK at the forefront of this new industry.
The UK government announced last week that a total of 15 projects across the UK, from Edinburgh to Exeter, Swindon to Sheffield, will benefit from a share of over £54 million to develop technologies that remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere. This government support will encourage further private investment into the UK, the creation of new green jobs in these regions and help the UK meet its emission reduction targets.
The money will help projects further develop their greenhouse gas removal technologies, which include a machine that can pull carbon dioxide out of the air, a plant to convert household waste into hydrogen for use in the transport industry and a system to remove carbon dioxide from seawater.
