Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. The Government is being urged by both pension providers and banks to delay the April 2017 launch of the new Lifetime ISA as they are warning that they will not be ready to offer the savings product by this time. A new Lifetime ISA introduces a new type of savings account for adults under the age of 40. Individuals will be able to contribute up to £4,000 per year and receive a 25% bonus from the government. Funds, including the government bonus, can be used to buy a first home at any time from 12 months after opening the account, and can be withdrawn from age 60 completely tax-free. Further details of the new account, which is expected to be available from 2017, are as follows: Any savings an individual puts into the account before their 50th birthday will receive an added 25% bonus from the gove...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in West Wales) from the Carmarthen Journal and the Llanelli Star - Following two sell out performances in the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen, Cwmni Myrddin perform at the Ffwrnes Theatre in Llanelli this evening (Wednesday, September 14). They will be performing Esther, their new musical drama. The story, from the Old Testament, is set in Persia where racism and desire for revenge bring their own inevitable consequences. It’s a story which is relevant to our age and leads us to question whether Esther deserves to be celebrated as a heroine. Meanwhile, the ‘boys’ of Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir are getting ready for their annual concert at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli. The celebrated Pontarddulais soprano Adele O’Neill will be joining the choir for their much-awaited ‘annual’ concert at 7pm on Saturday, September 24. The other special guests joining Côr Meibion Llanelli will be Penrhyn Male Choir from North Wales. The two ch...

The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post. Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. www.philevans.co.uk ------------------------------------------ Mysteriously disappeared: To find new material, comedians and comedy writers constantly view the world from a different vantage point to most people. We step back and observe people’s peculiarities, quirks and attitudes. Then, through hours of concentration, inspiration and perspiration, we turn our observations into routines. The only way to tell whether they’re comedy gold or unfunny, self-indulgence is to perform them in front of an audience. Scary! And you thought being a comedian was easy. One major side-effect of constantly being an ‘outside observer’ is that it opens your eyes to things going on around you that other people have missed. For example, I bet you didn’t know that several years ago, while we all slept, the (relatively) sane world we grew up in m...

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. The Government has issued guidance and examples on the restriction of income tax relief for interest costs incurred by landlords of residential properties. The new rules, which are phased in from April 2017, only apply to residential properties and do not apply to companies or furnished holiday lettings. From April 2017 income tax relief will start to be restricted to the basic rate of tax. The restriction will be phased in over four years and therefore be fully in place by 2020/21. In the first year the restriction will apply to 25% of the interest, then 50% the year after and 75% in the third. The restriction may result in additional amounts of tax being due but will depend on the marginal rate of tax for the taxpayer. Basic rate taxpayers should not be substantively affected by these rules. A ...

The latest 'On Song' column (about the choral scene in West Wales) from the Carmarthen Journal and the Llanelli Star - The ‘boys’ of Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir will have a very special guest when they return to the stage at Ffwrnes Theatre, Llanelli, this month. The celebrated Pontarddulais soprano Adele O’Neill will be joining the choir for their much-awaited ‘annual’ concert at 7pm on Saturday, September 24. Adele’s passion for singing was inspired by her grandmother’s old records of the opera greats and the beauty and emotion of such voices. Adele’s singing talent was first spotted in her early years as she enjoyed various singing roles with regional societies before her singing career swept her to London, where she studied and graduated from the acclaimed Guildhall School of Music and Drama London under the tutelage of Professor Laura Sarti, the internationally celebrated Italian mezzo-soprano. Adele’s exciting singing career has seen her perform with a wealth of...

The latest Phil Evans column from the South Wales Evening Post. Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. www.philevans.co.uk -------------------- FORGET REMAKES, RE-BOOTS AND RE-IMAGININGS – GIVE ME THE ORIGINALS! I enjoy a good film either, at the cinema or at home on my giant 12-inch, black and white telly with its state-of-the-art on/off switch. Certain films, thanks to the rare alchemy of a first-class cast, script, direction and cinematography, can never be bettered – like “The Magnificent Seven”; “Mary Poppins”; “The Dam Busters”; “An American Werewolf in London” and “Ben-Hur”. It would take a foolish man to consider remaking any of them. Unfortunately, Hollywood is full of foolish men. All the above films are either being re-made or are ready to be released. The 1959 “Ben-Hur” won 11 Oscars and boasted an all-star cast, including Charlton Heston, Hugh Griffith and Jack Hawkins, plus dozens of familiar character actors in ...

The latest Clay Shaw Butler Money Matters column from the Carmarthenshire Herald. By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. Organisation is everything when it comes to keeping on top of your tax affairs, both in business and personal life. Having a reliable calendar is crucial to making sure you do not miss any important deadline dates. Here at Clay Shaw Butler, we have constructed a tax calendar to help you with key deadlines and milestones. Here are some of the up and coming events you need to be aware of - September 2016 Monday 19 PAYE, Student loan and CIS deductions are due for month to 5th September 2016. This deadline is relevant to employers who have made PAYE deductions from their employees' salaries and to contractors who have paid subcontractors under the CIS. Employers are required to make payment to HMRC of the income tax, national insurance and student loan deductions. Contractors are required to mak...