Latest news with #560
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Over 800,000 families get up to £4,000 boost through HMRC scheme
Latest figures from the tax office show that in March 2025, 579,560 families in the UK used the scheme to save on their annual childcare bills - this is an increase of 81,770 families compared to March last year Over 800,000 households have received an up to £4,000 boost through HMRC's Tax-Free Childcare scheme. According to official data, 826,000 families received government top-ups towards their childcare bills worth £632million between 2024 and 25. However, thousands more families could be eligible for the scheme, and HMRC is urging parents to sign up now for the summer. According to recent data, around 800,000 eligible families are eligible but aren't currently using this benefit. The childcare scheme is an online account which parents and guardians pay into, and then they receive a top up payments from the Government. For every £8 you pay into the account, the Government will automatically add in £2 which you can put towards your childcare costs. Childcare allowed under the scheme must be a registered provider such as nurseries, nannies, after school clubs and play schemes. The scheme helps pay for childcare for children up to the age of 11 years, or up to 16 if the child has a disability. If you're eligible, you can get up to £500 every three months - up to £2,000 a year - for each of your children. If your child is disabled, you could receive £1,000 or up to £4,000. Latest figures from the tax office show that in March 2025, 579,560 families in the UK used the scheme to save on their annual childcare bills. This is an increase of 81,770 families compared to March last year. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's Director General for Customer Services, said: "Summer can be an expensive time if you have children. Whatever you're planning, Tax-Free Childcare can give your plans a welcome financial boost. Go to to start saving today.' To be eligible for the scheme, you must earn at least the minimum wage, for the equivalent of 16 hours a week. If you're in a couple, your partner must also earn this. Self-employed workers are also eligible if they earn this amount too. Both you and your partner also have to earn less than £100,000 a year to qualify. Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics For all you savvy savers and bargain hunters out there, there's a golden opportunity to stretch your pounds further. The Money Saving Club newsletter, a favourite among thousands who thrive on catching the best deals, is stepping up its game. Simply follow the link and select one or more of the following topics to get all the latest deals and advice on: Travel; Property; Pets, family and home; Personal finance; Shopping and discounts; Utilities. This scheme is open to working families so you will not be able to get this help if you are claiming Tax Credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers. However, there are some exceptions for those who are not working. For example, you may still be able to claim if one of you is working and the other gets Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). HMRC says it takes around 20 minutes to apply for the scheme and you can do this through the website. Once an account is opened, parents can deposit money immediately, so it is ready to be used whenever it is needed; and unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time. Going forward, you will need to make sure the detail on the account are up to date every three months to keep receiving the Government top ups. It's also important to note that each eligible child requires their own Tax-Free Childcare account. If families have more than one eligible child, they will need to register an account for each child. The government top-up is then applied to deposits made for each child, not the household.
AU Financial Review
13-05-2025
- General
- AU Financial Review
Tiffany gets serious about watchmaking
n 1900, when the ground was broken for the building of New York's subway system, Tiffany & Co took a small amount of dirt from the first shovel and encased it in the back of a pocket watch. The timepiece, studded with old-cut diamonds and suspended on a gold chain, was given to the daughter of then New York City mayor, Robert Anderson Van Wyck, and was sold by Christie's in 2022 for $US70,560 – around three times the pre-auction estimate.
Malay Mail
29-04-2025
- Malay Mail
Customs Dept seizes RM130,000 worth of meth disguised as tea packets at Miri courier service premises
MIRI, April 29 — The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has halted two attempts to traffic dangerous drugs totalling 4.08kg worth RM130,560 through a courier service company here. State Customs director Norizan Yahya said the department's Narcotics Unit conducted an operation around 9.30am on March 24 at a courier service premises at Jalan Miri-Bypass. During a screening of packages, the drugs sniffer dog detected a package suspected of containing dangerous drugs. 'A thorough inspection subsequently led to the discovery of two tea packages containing 2.04kg of methamphetamine — a dangerous drug, with an estimated value of RM65,280. The package was addressed to an abandoned, uninhabited house,' Norizan said in a statement today. 'The seized items were confiscated under Section 30(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.' He said a possible modus operandi of the syndicate was to use air courier services from Peninsular Malaysia to deliver packages to unoccupied addresses here. Methamphetamine is classified as a dangerous drug under Part III, First Schedule, of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Separately, he said the Narcotics Unit also seized another package during the same operation at the same premises, after the drugs sniffer dog detected dangerous drugs. He said the package contained two packets labelled as 'tea', which contained 2.04kg of methamphetamine valued at RM65,280. The package, addressed to an abandoned, uninhabited house, also contained food items. The seized items were confiscated under Section 30(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Both cases are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for trafficking. The Section provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment, and if the court imposes a life sentence, the offender shall also get a minimum 15 stokes of the cane. — The Borneo Post
Borneo Post
29-04-2025
- Borneo Post
Customs Dept seizes over RM130,000 meth packaged as tea sent through Miri courier company
The second package with drugs packaged as tea also contained food items. MIRI (April 29): The Royal Malaysian Customs Department has halted two attempts to traffic dangerous drugs totalling 4.08kg worth RM130,560 through a courier service company here. State Customs director Norizan Yahya said the department's Narcotics Unit conducted an operation around 9.30am on March 24 at a courier service premises at Jalan Miri-Bypass. During a screening of packages, the drugs sniffer dog detected a package suspected of containing dangerous drugs. 'A thorough inspection subsequently led to the discovery of two tea packages containing 2.04kg of methamphetamine – a dangerous drug, with an estimated value of RM65,280. The package was addressed to an abandoned, uninhabited house,' Norizan said in a statement today. 'The seized items were confiscated under Section 30(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.' He said a possible modus operandi of the syndicate was to use air courier services from Peninsular Malaysia to deliver packages to unoccupied addresses here. Methamphetamine is classified as a dangerous drug under Part III, First Schedule, of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Separately, he said the Narcotics Unit also seized another package during the same operation at the same premises, after the drugs sniffer dog detected dangerous drugs. He said the package contained two packets labelled as 'tea', which contained 2.04kg of methamphetamine valued at RM65,280. The package, addressed to an abandoned, uninhabited house, also contained food items. The seized items were confiscated under Section 30(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Both cases are being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 for trafficking. The Section provides for the death penalty or life imprisonment, and if the court imposes a life sentence, the offender shall also get a minimum 15 stokes of the cane. courier company Customs Department Sarawak methamphetamine Norizan Yahya
Gulf Today
06-03-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Dubai court orders woman to pay Dhs300,000 compensation to a real estate firm for breaching deal
The Real Estate Court in Dubai has ruled to terminate a sales and purchase agreement for a residential unit between a real estate development company and a European woman. The court ordered the removal of the unit from the records of the Department of Land and Property and its re-registration in the name of the company, and obliged the woman to pay compensation of Dhs300,000 to the company, with a 5% interest from the date of the final ruling. According to the details of the case, a European woman contracted with the company in March 2022 to purchase a residential unit in Marina area of Dubai for Dhs4,308,000, in addition to the real estate registration fees amounting to 5% of the value of the unit. It was agreed that the price of the unit would be paid in eight installments, with the last to be paid in February 2024. The contract also stated that the unit would be delivered after the full payment of its value, as it was fully constructed. The company clarified that it had complied with the terms of the agreement, registering the unit with the Department of Land and Property in Dubai, but the buyer breached her obligations by only paying Dhs1,033,000, distributed as Dhs861,560 as a contract deposit and Dhs172,360 as registration fees, while refusing to pay the remaining installments due. In the lawsuit, the company demanded the termination of the contract and the payment of the remaining amount of the unit's price, as well as compensation for the damages incurred due to the delay in paying the due installments.
