Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 22 September 2026 showed the UK borrowed £18.3 billion in August 2026, up £2.9 billion on the same month last year. Increased debt levels were partly attributed to the impacts of inflation causing a greater increase in spending than receipts received from taxes and elsewhere.… Read more…

The government recently launched an overhaul of corporate reporting that it hopes will save UK businesses more than £450 million per year. As part of the changes, the government will replace paperwork reporting with digital systems and explore how AI can further drive efficiency. Simpler rules will make British businesses more attractive to investors, the… Read more…

In rules brought in under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, directors are required to verify their identity with Companies House or risk enforcement action and penalties. Since 18 November 2025, newly appointed directors must verify their identity before acting as a director. Existing directors are required to verify during a 12-month transition… Read more…

A recent report by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that whilst small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for 60% of employment and 51% of turnover in the UK private sector, only 21% of the total value of UK business loans are provided to SMEs and 54% of SMEs are not using external finance in… Read more…

Research carried out by insurer Simply Business has revealed that 47% of UK small business owners are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The latest figure represents a significant increase compared to 2025, when just 22% of firms stated they actively used AI. An additional 13% plan to start using AI in the next six to… Read more…

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released their latest estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity, and other employment-related statistics for the UK. Pay growth in the private sector fell to 2.9% in the three months to July, equalling the lowest rate since October 2020. The equivalent figure for the public sector was 6.3% largely… Read more…

Declarations of over than £1 million in capital gains from cryptoassets in the 2024/25 tax year were made by 240 individuals, according to data published by HMRC. The tax authority said the group accounted for a total of £717 million in cryptoasset gains during 2024/25. This data is published as part of HMRC’s annual Capital Gains… Read more…

On 28 September 2026, John Healey delivered his first speech as Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Labour Party Conference identifying ‘Backing Britain’ as one of his main priorities. Business was identified as being of key importance and the speech recognised the impact that cost pressures could have on growth. Jobs for young people was… Read more…