UFO Info Week-End

There is little to lose: the worst that can happen is

There is little to lose: the worst that can happen is you get charged interest on an underpayment. Many people need help with capital gains tax liabilities, partnerships, income from overseas, trust funds and benefits in kind.But employed people on pay as you earn (PAYE), with a few bank accounts, and a couple of share dividends should, say experts, be able to cope on their own. By 31 January, all self-assessment forms must be submitted, all calculations made, and money paid. Can you go it alone, and work out correctly what you owe? Or will you be forced to seek potentially costly professional help?

The Inland Revenue clock is ticking louder and louder.

Leaving the engine running to warm the car while you go back indoors to warm yourself up with a cup of tea is taking a huge risk, but it’s amazing how many people do it.”Some insurers believe up to one in 10 stolen cars are taken because they have been left unlocked with the keys in the ignition. Home Office statistics show nearly half of the 314,000 cars stolen each year are taken from outside their owners’ homes. One in eight of all car thefts involve the use of car keys.If you do not have a garage, the AA advises covering the windscreen with newspaper, cardboard or a shield to keep the frost off. Use a scraper or de-icer, or pour hot (not boiling) water on the windscreen.. The Inland Revenue clock is ticking louder and louder.

Car theft using the owners’ ignition keys is a fast-growing problem. Locks and immobilisers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so the only way to steal many cars is to use the keys. Thieves welcome icy mornings, when many people invitate their car to be stolen.”And if your car is taken while warming, you are likely to get a frosty reception from your insurance company. Ms Salmon said: “Most car insurance policies will not cover theft of your car if it has been left unlocked with the keys in the ignition, yet 14 per cent of motorists in our latest survey didn’t realise this. The AA warned this week that leaving your car running to warm it could invalidate your insurance. If a thief jumps in and drives away while you are back in your house, the insurer may turn down your claim.
Clare Salmon, managing director of AA Financial Services, said: “Just before Christmas, 15 cars were stolen in Manchester on one frosty morning, in each case because the engine was left running. Although demand for its products, from refuse sacks to packaging stretch wrap, has held up, so have the prices it has to pay for raw materials to make them.

Its dividend cover could be better, but it swears the full-year payout is not in doubt This makes its yield an enticing 7 per cent. British Polythene Industries British Polythene Industries has bagged a healthy profit since the company emerged from the stock-market doldrums last year. But after the latest trading update shareholders should not get too carried away. Asphalt volumes rose, thanks to increased highway maintenance and infrastructure work, and ready-mix concrete volumes were also up. Assuming no further major depreciation of the dollar, the recent slump in the share price makes the valuation interesting Buy.