In a statement issued this week, the Department for Communities and Local Government has outlined figures showing over 100,000 homes may be built on public land.

This ranges from housing 450 households at the former Erskine Barracks in Wilton, to small developments like a ten-home project at Leicester Frith Farm.

However, among the areas of land outlined this week, only one – the former Princess Marina Hospital in Northampton – names a target profession for the new residents, with 12 flats for junior doctors among the new residential properties to be built there.

Our Manchester accountants are used to dealing with the disruption that government schemes of all kinds can have on medical accounting.

We have plenty of experience with accounting for doctors, and will be watching these latest proposals for any likely implications on property tax and land ownership for new residents.

In particular, it remains to be seen who will own the properties once they are first built, as the government have proposed a “build now, pay later” scheme for developers to begin construction work without buying the land first.

The organisation surveyed nearly 12,000 Brits and found that one in ten are afraid to go to the dentist, not because of worries about drilling and filling, but because they just don’t know how much it might cost.

On top of those who don’t know how much dentists cost because they have not been to one in such a long time, a further 21% of those surveyed said that they know they can’t afford dental treatment.

Simplyhealth spokesman James Glover says: “During difficult financial times when every expenditure is scrutinised, perceived value for money for individuals is essential.”

He adds that 44% of the survey’s respondents admitted to putting dental work on their credit card, and 22% had received bills in excess of £300 for the work they had done.

Our dental accountants will be keeping a close watch on how the economy develops, and any impact the changing financial climate has on our dentist clients’ incomes.

Figures from the National Association of Estate Agents confirm the suspicion that healthy activity in previous months was spurred in part by FTBs trying to beat the end of the stamp duty ‘holiday’, which meant they paid less property tax.

However, the trading-up nature of the housing market means owners at all levels are likely to see reduced FTB activity filter through to their rung of the ladder, regardless of how much their own properties are worth.

For instance, in March, the average estate agent saw their number of registered sellers fall from 63 to 61, in contradiction to continuing evidence that properties listed for sale are finding buyers with relative ease.

NAEA president Wendy Evans-Scott says: “The slight drop in reported supply levels suggests some caution amongst sellers, who were waiting until the full facts of the Budget were established and how that might affect house prices.”

We are still witnessing the shake-out from the Budget in terms of property tax, but if you are planning a sale, our Manchester accountants can help you to determine what your exposure might be, and how it might impact on the ease with which you can complete the transaction.

With the rental market looking increasingly turbulent during the economic upheavals that have gripped the UK recently, you might find the earnings from renting out your spare homes do not outweigh the hassle.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents, for instance, reports that two fifths of its members have seen more rent arrears among their tenants in the past six months.

For the Greater Manchester region, ARLA spokesman Philip Chadwick says tenant demand on two and three-bedroom homes is high, so little haggling is taking place, but on larger properties there is greater supply and would-be occupants are trying to negotiate downwards on their rent.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Estate Agents reports first-time buyer demand for homes for sale is at its highest level since May 2011, accounting for 24% of the market in March 2012.

With this in mind, you might find it is easier to sell your rental properties and convert those assets into capital – something our property tax advice can help to make sure you maximise.

Both Manchester and Salford have been selected – along with London and Nottingham – for a scheme the Department of Health says is aimed at “improving patient choice”.

This gives patients the choice of which GP to visit, meaning they can attend a clinic close to their workplace if they prefer, rather than one close to their home.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley says: “This is part of a range of measures we are introducing to shift the NHS to put patients’ interests and desires at the heart of services.”

While the shift towards better services for patients is positive in principle, our Manchester accountants are keen to spot any impact the scheme has on doctors’ working conditions in the region.

For instance, by removing the direct link between GPs’ surgeries and their location, the pilot programme means population sizes are no longer an inherent indicator of how busy a particular clinic may be.

This makes workloads much harder to forecast, something we will be considering while accounting for doctors in Manchester and Salford over the coming year if any knock-on effect on income or working conditions should happen to arise.

According to a report from the Royal College of Physicians, acute medical patients’ profiles have “changed dramatically” in the past two decades.

However, the job functions of senior physicians – and particularly on-call doctors – have not kept pace with these developments.

Dr Kevin Stewart, clinical director of the RCP’s clinical effectiveness and evaluation unit says: “Traditional rotas are neither safe for patients, nor good for clinicians.”

The survey of more than 100 hospitals discovered that patient outcomes are improved by physicians remaining on call for more than one day at a time, and remaining present in the acute medical unit for more than four hours per day over the course of a full seven-day week.

Any shift in working conditions could raise issues with medical accounting, if it has a knock-on effect on earnings.

However, our Manchester accountants have a wealth of experience in accounting for doctors, and will be ready to adapt if working patterns change in the years to come.

The Nationwide House Price Index shows a 1% decline in prices in March, taking the overall market to 0.9% lower than at the same point in 2011.

With annual growth in negative territory, property tax takes some of the blame, as the approaching expiry of the stamp duty holiday had raised activity levels in early 2012 – but long-term effects are also a concern.

“In our view, the challenging economic backdrop is likely to continue to act as a drag, with house prices moving sideways or modestly lower over the next 12 months,” says Nationwide’s chief economist Robert Gardner.

With a new top level of stamp duty for homes sold for over £2 million, it is likely that some high-value properties will also fall in value as owners try to undercut the threshold.

As such, wherever you are on the housing ladder, the property tax landscape has changed significantly – and could continue to do so over the coming year.

If you need help understanding your position in light of this, contact our Manchester accountants and we can work out any stamp duty liabilities on property you intend to buy, and capital gains tax on homes you want to sell.

On property tax, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne introduced a 7% rate of stamp duty on properties worth over £2 million.

He also raised stamp duty on properties worth more than £2 million and bought through a company – this time to 15%, with immediate effect.

“If you buy a property in Britain that is used for residential purposes, then we will expect stamp duty to be paid,” he said.

However, our Manchester accountants can help you to understand the reliefs available to you elsewhere in the new Budget, in order to ensure you are not paying more tax than you need to.

For instance, if you are claiming more than £50,000 in tax relief in any one year, the Chancellor outlined plans to cap this at 25% of your income from next year.

With the widely reported drop in the top rate of tax – from 50p to 45p – there is some built-in relief, but ultimately the Chancellor expects to see taxes raised from the very wealthy rise by five times under the new regime.

If you are concerned about your exposure under the new Budget measures, our Manchester accountants may be able to help you balance your income and property portfolio to protect your wealth.

The union is opposing the viewpoint that the 50p rate of income tax should be removed, instead calling for measures to be introduced to prevent tax avoidance among “the super-rich”.

For instance, it notes that people with larger amounts of money may also have more sources of income – ranging from buy-to-let properties to shares and investments.

However, this also gives them more ways to escape paying income and property tax, as they can set up companies and trusts to manage their affairs.

Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, says many of the super-rich “are enjoying tax breaks worth more than nearly 8 million people earn in a year”.

If your income is over £150,000, the TUC estimates that tax relief available to you at present totals £15,000 per person, or £3.5 billion in total for those in the 50p tax band.

That, the TUC says, is more than the annual income of 31% of UK workers – and is money that should be put towards clearing the UK’s Budget deficit instead.

Whatever your circumstances, our Manchester accountants can help you to get your finances in order, and may be able to help you identify ways to reduce your outgoings due to tax.

Figures from Acadametrics and LSL Property Services show the north-west and the north of England are currently experiencing “the most severe decline in prices” nationwide.

In the north-west, the average annual change in house prices stood at -3.5% in the three months to February 2012.

While this can leave many properties worth less than you paid for them, there are ways to maximise the amount you receive when moving house.

Property tax is one such area – not in terms of stamp duty, but in terms of capital gains tax.

If you sell your home for less than you paid for it, you’ve made no gains – so there should be no CGT to pay anyway.

Meanwhile, stamp duty is having a significant effect on activity among first-time buyers, as the current stamp duty ‘holiday’ comes to an end.

Richard Sexton, director of chartered surveyors e.surv, comments: “The looming stamp duty holiday deadline has injected real urgency into the first-time buyer market.”

For those with larger houses to sell, this suggests that there may soon be greater levels of activity further up the housing ladder as those first-time buyers’ funds filter up the chain.