Tughans Solicitors

Investor Tax Reliefs

This note provides a summary of the different types of generous tax reliefs which are available to investors and “business angels” in the UK including an introduction to a new “investor relief” which was introduced by the Finance Bill 2016 BACKGROUND To stimulate and support entrepreneurship, HMRC offers a number of tax incentives for individual... Read More

Deus Lex Machina – Will Artificial Intelligence Technology Replace Lawyers Any Time Soon?

A couple of lawyers from Tughans were at a leading technology conference in Belfast last week and the discussion moved to the future of the legal sector and the potential for lawyers to be replaced by AI technology in the short to medium term. The host asked if there were any lawyers present in the... Read More

Dubious Intent

Time and money are the cornerstones of any construction project.  However, it is often the case that work on construction projects is started in the absence of any formal contract having been executed in the belief that this will save time and money.  Instead, parties use letters of intent in the often mistaken belief that... Read More

Short term lettings – Is it worth the risk?

The recent case of Iveta Nemcova v Fairfield Rents Limited will serve as a warning to residential property owners and tenants who are considering or are already granting short term lettings of their properties on platforms such as Air bnb.   In this case the tenant held a flat under a long term lease containing... Read More

A query about equal pay

“A female member of staff has complained to me that she believes she is earning less than her male colleagues for doing the same job. She wants me to give her details of their salary and move her pay to the same rate. What should I do?” Firstly, you should be careful about disclosing personal... Read More

Crowdfunding as an Alternative Source of Funding

Raising funds for a new venture can be both exciting and overwhelming, but with an extensive support infrastructure in Northern Ireland and an ever increasing choice of alternative funding options available, there is more support than ever for local businesses, whether at start-up or growth stage. A bank loan may still be considered as the... Read More

Spring is Coming

Between the 14th to 17th of March 2017 some 70 delegates from the NI property industry found themselves in the sunnier climes of Cannes to attend MIPIM, billed as the world’s largest property conference. They joined together to promote Belfast as part of Belfast City Council’s co-ordinated campaign to encourage further investment in the city.... Read More

Working ‘Round The Clock – rest breaks for agriculture workers

Employers can sometimes find themselves entering a very busy business period, with a pressing need for their workers to work longer hours or extra shifts to meet demand. This is particularly true of the agriculture industry, where changing seasons can mean a change in work patterns. However, in order to make a worker forego their... Read More

SEMC decision on removal of benefits for sub-10MW generation

  BACKGROUND TO CONSULTATION On 9 November 2016, Tughans issued a briefing note in respect of a statutory consultation on a proposal by the regulatory project team for the new Integrated Single Electricity Market for Ireland (I-SEM) which is currently expected to be operational from 30 September 2017. We noted that, if implemented, the proposals... Read More

How changes to EPC regulations in 2018 will affect your properties

In order to achieve the UK’s legislative targets, CO2 emissions from all buildings must be ‘close to zero’ by 2050. This implies, in the longer term, UK buildings will need to reach energy efficiency standards close to an “A” Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. In 2013, 18% of non-domestic properties were in the very lowest... Read More