Jan 12

Businesses say hybrid working is here to stay

Less than 30% of firms expect their workforce to fully return to the workplace over the next five years, according to research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The survey of over 1,000 businesses found just 27% of respondents predict their employees will be fully physically present in the workplace over the next five […]

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Greater protection for businesses under new Ofgem proposals

Proposals to provide greater protection to UK small businesses on energy bills have been launched by the energy regulator Ofgem. Ofgem’s proposals will help to ensure businesses receive the highest standards of service and more clarity on the costs being paid to third party brokers. Ofgem said that it has listened to business groups, who […]

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Red tape, rising costs and regulation ‘holding back exports’

Red tape, rising costs and increasing regulation are holding back exports, a survey of UK businesses carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has found. Current customs checks and declarations present ‘barriers to exporting’, according to 49% of firms polled. An additional 40% of businesses said taxes and duties are other areas of […]

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Countdown for 5.7 million to file their 2022/23 self assessment tax return

With less than a month to go to the self assessment deadline 5.7 million taxpayers have been urged to file their 2022/23 tax returns by HMRC. HMRC data shows almost 6.5 million customers have already beaten the self assessment clock by filing their tax return. This includes 49,317 taxpayers who used the New Year holiday […]

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HMRC updates off payroll compliance guidance

HMRC recently updated its guidance on off payroll working compliance for employers. The new guidance sets out ‘practical steps’ for organisations to follow. It affects employers who are responsible for operating off payroll working rules and who engage workers who provide their services through their own intermediary. The guidance states that organisations should apply the new guidelines to ‘reflect the […]

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UK at risk of recession after economy shrinks

The UK is at risk of recession after revised figures showed the economy shrank between July and September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product, which measures the health of the economy, contracted by 0.1% after previous estimates suggested growth has been flat. Meanwhile, there was zero growth between April […]

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Spring Budget 2024 date confirmed for 6 March

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver the 2024 Spring Budget on 6 March, the government has confirmed. The Budget will include the government’s tax and spending plans as well as new growth and borrowing forecasts. It could be the last chance for the government to announce significant changes to tax policy before the general election. The […]

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Dec 07

Advisory fuel rates for company cars – December 2023

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published and took effect from 1 December 2023. The guidance states: ‘you can use the previous rates for up to one month from the date the new rates apply’. The rates only apply to employees using a company car. The advisory fuel rates for journeys undertaken on […]

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Rate of inflation falls as interest rates held

UK inflation fell to a two-year low while the base rate of interest was unchanged by the Bank of England for the second month in a row. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the UK’s rate of Consumer Price Index inflation fell to 4.6% from 6.7% in September. The ONS found that a small […]

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Real Living Wage to increase by 10%

The Real Living Wage is set to increase by 10%, the Living Wage Foundation has announced. The rate will rise to £12 an hour across the UK and £13.15 an hour in London. The increase will affect over 460,000 people working for 14,000 Real Living Wage employers across the UK. Unlike the National Living Wage […]

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Government agrees to crack down on crypto tax evasion

The UK government has agreed an ‘historic’ commitment with 48 countries to combat criminals using crypto assets to evade tax. The landmark agreement follows on from the UK’s tax deal made in 2021 to clamp down on corporate tax avoidance and ‘ensure the right tax is paid in the right place’. The new Crypto-Asset Reporting […]

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HMRC is ‘Making Tax Difficult’ with MTD programme

HMRC is ‘Making Tax Difficult’ for taxpayers as Making Tax Digital (MTD) adds to the burdens they face, according to a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The report says that HMRC has lost sight of the need to put taxpayers at the heart of changes to the tax system. The PAC says that […]

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Autumn Statement cuts won’t stop tax revenues rising to highest ever levels

The tax cuts announced in the 2023 Autumn Statement won’t prevent tax revenues rising to their highest ever levels, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. The IFS stated that announcing tax cuts in response to ‘highly uncertain’ changes in assumptions about the UK’s medium-term economic prospects ‘does not feel like a recipe for good […]

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National Insurance changes ‘ease burden on strivers’

The changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs) announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Autumn Statement will help to ‘ease the burden on strivers up and down the country‘, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Mr Hunt used his Autumn Statement speech to cut the main rate of employee NICs from 12% to 10% […]

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Chancellor makes Full Expensing permanent in Autumn Statement

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt used his Autumn Statement to make Full Expensing permanent for those businesses investing in IT equipment, plant and machinery. The Chancellor said he was aiming to stimulate economic growth and highlighted 110 measures for businesses in the Statement. Full Expensing was first announced in the March Budget and was scheduled to last for […]

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Autumn Satement 2023 Blog

Nov 23

Autumn Statement 2023

Further to the chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s delivery of the Autumn statement yesterday, we attach a summary of what he announced, please do note that some of the information contained will apply to England only. Click here to download Further guidance for Wales/Scotland/Ireland can be found on Gov.uk.

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Nov 06

Latest guidance for employers November 2023

HMRC has published the latest issue of the Employer Bulletin. The October issue has information on various topics, including: electric charging of company cars and vans at residential properties paying your PAYE Settlement Agreement reporting PAYE information when payments are made early at Christmas new guidance for employment businesses who use umbrella companies to employ […]

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Many firms still facing recruitment problems

Many UK firms are still facing hiring issues as a result of challenging economic conditions, according to a report from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). 73% of firms surveyed by the BCC reported having recruitment problems, with businesses in the hospitality sector the most likely to report challenges. The construction and manufacturing industries are also experiencing […]

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Hybrid and remote working here to stay

A large majority of UK business leaders plan to offer employees remote and hybrid working in the long-term, according to the Institute of Directors (IoD). A survey conducted by the IoD found that 84% of business leaders polled plan to provide office-based staff members with some degree of remote working. The IoD’s survey was conducted between […]

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Online platforms should sign up to Prompt Payment Code

Online platforms should commit to paying small businesses within a maximum of thirty days in line with the Prompt Payment Code, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB has set out a range of proposals to protect small business owners who use online sales platforms to ensure that small firms can make […]

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