Rather than a Christmas card, for the second year we thought a ‘Quiz of the Year’ might help pass some time with family and friends, in person or over zoom, this festive season. To all our clients, colleagues and friends, Merry Christmas from all of us at Wallace Quinn and here’s to, hopefully, a more straightforward 2022!
Click here for a printable version of the quiz.
Rules:
1. Have fun.
2. No smartphones.
3. 1 point for each answer in the main (calendar) quiz unless indicated.
4. There are 64 points in the calendar quiz.
5. In the event of any disagreement, the quizmaster’s decision is final. Unless that decision could lead to a major family argument, potentially ruining Christmas. In that case, a majority decision of all players should be used.
6. Fun team names are mandatory. Here are some suggestions: Professor Quiz Whitty, John Trivialta; Les Quizerables; Quiz Team Aguilera; Otrivia Newton John; Alternative Facts: Risky Quizness; Simple Minds; Quizard of Oz; Agatha Quiztie; Quizzy McQuizface; Quiztopher Bigwins; Hoof Hearted; No Game of Phones.
January 2021
Who is the world’s richest individual?
1 Rioters stormed which Washington building on 6th Jan?
2 Who became American Vice-President on 20th Jan?
3 The Debenhams brand was bought by which fashion company?
4 Who became the world’s richest individual, with a fortune of £136 billion, on 7 Jan?
February 2021
1 A Coup in which country on 1 Feb removed Aung San Sui Kyi from power?
2 On 19 Feb the UK Supreme court ruled drivers for which company had ‘worker status’?
3 Captain Sir Tom Moore died on 2 Feb. How many laps of his garden did he complete for charity?
4 A meeting of which parish council made a star of clerk Jackie Weaver when it went viral on Twitter in Feb?
March 2021
1 Container ship ‘Ever Given’ blocked which trade route on 23 Mar?
2 Which couple gave a revealing interview to Oprah on 7 Mar?
3 the murder of whom sparked debate about the role of police in UK society?
4 The UK Government commissioned a feasibility study into what controversial infrastructure project?
April 2021
How many breakaway football teams do you remember?
1 Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to win a Major tournament in which sport?
2 Prince Philip died on 9 April. On which Greek island was he born 99 years earlier?
3 Helicopter ‘Ingenuity’ took the first ever flight where on 19 April?
4 Who were the six UK football teams that tried to join a ‘European Super League’ in April? (6pts)
May 2021
1 Who represented the UK at Eurovision on 22 May and how many points did he get? (2pts)
2 A Ryanair flight was forced to land in which European country to allow Government forces to arrest a journalist on 23 May?
3 Who stepped down as Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament after the election on 6th May?
4 The cast of which popular 90s sitcom got together on screen for the first time for a reunion show and what was the name of the show’s Barista played my James Michael Tyler, who died on 24 Oct? (2pts)
June 2021
1 Alan Turing was immortalised on which denomination of UK banknote on 23 Jun?
2 Who took over as host of Channel Four’s ‘Countdown’ in June?
3 What was held at Cornwall’s Carbis Bay from 11-13 June?
4 What’s the name of the TV channel launched by Andrew Neil 0n 13 June?
July 2021
1 Which British City lost its UNESCO World Heritage status due to development of its waterfront?
2 Wally Funk finally made it to where alongside Jeff Bezos on 20 July?
3 The Covid delayed Olympic Games opened in which city on 24 July?
4 Which sporting event has an estimated 31 million viewers on 11 Jul, the 4th most watched event ever in the UK? And for three bonus points what are the top three most watched events in UK TV history? (4pts)
August 2021
1 Which member of the Rolling Stones died on 24 Aug?
2 US Troops pulled out of which country, 20 years after first going in?
3 Which ‘Ballon d’Or’ winning footballer left Barcelona FC after twenty years?
4 140,000 people signed a petition urging the UK Government to save Geronimo after he tested positive for bovine TB. What type of exotic animal was Geronimo?
September 2021
1 How old was Emma Raducanu when she won the US Open on 11th Sep?
2 El Salvador became the first country to accept what cryptocurrency on 7 Sep?
3 Which three nations upset France by setting up the AUKUS pact on 15 Sep? (3pts)
4 Sir Clive Sinclair passed away on 16 September. In what year did he launch his C5 electric vehicle?
October 2021
1 Which town was elevated to city status by the Queen, as a tribute to murdered MP Sir David Amess on 18 Oct?
2 The bankrupt flag carrying airline of which country made its final flight on 15 Oct?
3 The limit for contactless payment increased to what amount in the UK on 15 Oct?
4 On 6 Oct, the World Health Organisation endorsed Mosquirix, the first vaccine for what disease?
November 2021
1 COP26 closed in Glasgow on 12 Nov. What does COP stand for?
2 What was the name of the storm that caused severe damage to the power grid in Scotland?
3 Which Caribbean island became the world’s newest republic on 30 Nov?
4 In which country was the ‘Omicron’ variant of Covid-19 first detected on 9 Nov?
How many LadBaby hits can you remember?
December 2021
1 Which Downing Street staffer resigned hours after a leaked video talking about possible responses to Christmas parties?
2 Who won this year’s Formula One World Championship on the final lap of the final race of the season, and where was the race held? (2pts)
3 ‘Ladbaby’ released their fourth annual single looking to become the UK Christmas Number One. Name all four of their hits. (4pts)
4 WRITE YOUR OWN DECEMBER QUESTION TO COMPLETE THE YEAR.
Click here for the answers
Inheritance Tax and key from inherited property.
Each year, over £5 billion is generated through Inheritance Tax in the UK. This is a colossal sum and only set to increase given the events of the last 18 months. It is very important to realise that HM Revenue and Customs are first in line for their share of an estate before any beneficiaries receive anything!
In this article, we will discuss the potential Inheritance Tax contribution your estate might make to the UK exchequer.
There is a threshold for Inheritance Tax. It starts at £325,000 and it’s been at that level since 2009. That means if your estate is less than that, you will not pay any Inheritance Tax.
So, Will I have to pay Inheritance Tax is my estate is worth more than £325,000?
Your estate is made up of all of the assets, cash, property etc. that you own at the time of your death. From that figure, you take away any debts you have at the time of your death. That final figure is the value of your estate.
You might then think that, if my estate is worth more than £325,000, my estate will have to pay Inheritance Tax – currently standing at 40% of the amount over the £325,000 threshold.
However, there are a number of exemptions and allowances that mean you can pass on a lot more than the £325,000 threshold without your estate having to pay ant Inheritance Tax.
If you are married or in a civil partnership, anything that you pass to your spouse or partner is free of Inheritance Tax. Please note that if you are cohabiting but not married or in a civil partnership, you cannot benefit from this exemption. This means that if you have an estate worth, say, £450,000 which is split between the family home worth £300,000 and other property worth £150,000, if you left your house to your spouse or civil partner, there would be no Inheritance Tax to pay on the £150,000 balance of your estate even though the total estate is worth more than the £325,000 threshold.
In addition, if you have any unused allowance, this can be used by your spouse or civil partner (but remember, not by someone you are cohabiting with but to whom you are not married or in a civil partnership) when they pass away. That means if you pass your entire estate to your spouse or partner, it means your allowance of £325,000 remains intact. When your spouse or partner then dies, your unused allowance can be carried forward and added to theirs. That means that their Inheritance Tax threshold rises to £650,000 in their estate (your allowance of £325,000 plus their allowance of £325,000).
Your Family Home
There is also another allowance you can take advantage of in relation to the family home. If we follow the example above of leaving your home to your spouse or civil partner, when your spouse or civil partner dies, if they leave the family home to your children or grandchildren, they can then take advantage of an additional allowance. Both you and your spouse or civil partner are entitled to an allowance of £175,000 when the family home is left to a child or grandchild. Basically, that means that your total allowance is £500,000 and your spouse or civil partner’s allowance is £500,000, your children would have a combined allowance of £1 million of estate before any Inheritance Tax is payable. However, the nil rate band is not available if the total estate is worth more than £2 million.
There is also a “gift allowance” where you do not pay Inheritance Tax on any gifts you make to your children or other family members whilst you are alive. This allowance is available provided you survive for 7 years after making the gift. If you do die before the 7 years has passed, some Inheritance Tax will apply but the amount due will depend on how many years have passed since the gift was made. The value of the gift on which Inheritance Tax is paid reduces gradually from the third year onwards.
We would point out that we have given you a very broad overview of how Inheritance Tax works. Everyone individual’s circumstances are different and it is always best to ask for advice based on your own personal circumstances. If Inheritance Tax might be an issue, it is always better to act sooner rather than later.
If you do need advice in this area and wish to consider doing some estate planning, please get in touch with us.
If you’ve made a Will, congratulations! You join a select club of only 30% of the population in Scotland who’ve made a Will. However, having made a Will, what happens if your circumstances change? Things change over time. You may have been divorced or re-married. You may have a new grandchild. You might decide to change your executor. There are lots of reasons why you should review your Will.
It is important that any changes you wish to make are dealt with properly. Don’t be tempted to write a short note and place it with your Will. Doing something like that might cause more harm than good. You need to remember that a Will is a legal document. When you prepared your Will, it is likely it was created by a solicitor. It will have been set out correctly and properly witnessed. Don’t be tempted to write a note that might just undo a properly prepared Will.
Making changes to a Will
There are two ways you can change your Will. You can make changes by using a Codicil or you can make an entirely new Will.
A Codicil is a formal document that allows you to make changed to your Will. It is generally used for minor changes rather than major changes. It is important that you take legal advice to make sure nothing in a Codicil contradicts the remaining terms of the Will or introduced ambiguity that would cause difficulties when winding up your estate or, worse still, push your estate into intestacy.
You can, technically, have as many Codicils if you want. However, the more Codicils you have, the greater the risk of conflict, confusion and ambiguity.
When you wish to make major changes to a Will or if the changes you wish to make are numerous or complicated, the best option may be to create an entirely new Will. This means you will start with a clean slate and can set down your wishes in a clear, concise manner. The new Will also revokes (cancels) the previous Will and it is good practice to destroy the old Will to avoid any possible confusion.
The process of changing a Will is very straight forward, but we recommend it is done properly.
If your circumstances have changed and you need to update your Will, please get in touch with us. Of course, if you have not yet made a Will, it makes very good sense to prepare one. Get in touch with us now:
Wallace Quinn are delighted to announce we’ve chosen ‘S.M.I.L.E. Counselling’ in Livingston as one of our charity partners for the coming year. S.M.I.L.E. support young people with mental health issues through outreach counselling. The West Lothian based charity formed in 2015 and earlier this year moved into offices at the Wallace Quinn building in Fairbairn Place, Livingston. S.M.I.L.E. stands for support, motivate, inspire, lead and empower.
WQ Managing Director John Quinn meets S.M.I.L.E. founder Declan Harrigan
S.M.I.L.E. help people aged 11-24 who are struggling with how they feel. Their team aim to have a positive influence on the lives of those who are having problems at home or at school with anxiety, depression, anger and a range of other issues where talking to somebody can help. Their services include one-to-one sessions in person, on the phone, online or through various chat services.
Wallace Quinn have initially agreed to sponsor one of the counselling rooms at Livingston, with funding to keep it operational throughout 2022. We’ll also be working with S.M.I.L.E. with charity fundraising activities throughout the year.
one of the counselling rooms at S.M.I.L.E.
One of the top asks from S.M.I.L.E. to Wallace Quinn is introductions to like-minded businesses and individuals who may be interested in helping the charity through donations or other support – if you’d like to find out more, please get in touch to find out more, or visit www.smilecounselling.org.uk
Our support of S.M.I.L.E. is in addition to our long-standing support of St Andrew’s Hospice in Airdrie; we’ve been raising money to help the remarkable work at the hospice since we started our business back in 1990 and look forward to continuing our relationship for many years to come.
At Wallace Quinn, we’re used to meeting urgent and unexpected deadlines, but one member of staff recently took a call which really raised the stakes…
A Wallace Quinn Trainee Solicitor had to abandon his work when his partner went into labour.
Jonathan Poole had only been in the office for a few hours when the call came from partner Naomi on 24 August.
Jonathan grabbed his coat and rushed to collect Naomi and whisk her to hospital. Baby Isla was in as much of a hurry has her dad, arriving at 1.30pm weighing a healthy 10lb 12oz.
Jonathan said,
“One minute I was preparing paperwork for a house purchase and the next I was in the car cursing traffic and hoping I would be on time. I made it – just. Naomi was amazing and I’m over the moon to meet Isla.’
Jonathan and Naomi already have a son, Billy, who is two years older than his new baby sister.
Wallace Quinn Managing Director John Quinn said,
‘As an excuse to leave work early, it is certainly one of the best ones I’ve heard in thirty years of business! We’re all delighted for Jonathan and Naomi and wish Isla a warm welcome to the world’.
Isla and Naomi are now safely back at home and Jonathan has taken some paternity leave. With a new-born and a toddler at home, we hope Jonathan and Naomi manage to get any sleep they can in the coming weeks! Oh, and happy 40th birthday Jonathan as well!
The housing market is expected to remain solid for the next few months with price increases slowing but continuing overall well into the new year.
With many more people living AND working from home, many have begun to reassess what they need from a property, with outdoor space and home offices now high on the wish-list of property hunters.
Mortgage rates continue to be amongst the lowest they’ve been in 40 years, making the prospect of borrowing more to move home appealing to many buyers.
Wallace Quinn offer a full estate agency and conveyancing service, meaning a one-stop shop for every step of the house-sale process. We work with Keys Estate Agents and the ESPC to offer a top-class valuation and marketing service, with our in-house solicitors delivering a hassle-free conveyancing process. Our clients can expect us to:
- Provide a professional and accurate evaluation of the market potential of your property
- Arrange a suite of marketing materials to present your home in the best possible light
- Showcase your property on a variety of online websites to maximise its exposure to buyers
- Deal directly with potential purchasers on your behalf and arrange/host property viewings
- Use our years of experience to increase interest and excitement among buyers to help realise the best possible sales price
- Ensure that when a sale is agreed, the conveyancing process is thorough, quick and hassle free
If you’d like to have an informal chat on the potential of your property in the current market, get in touch by filling in the form below:
