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… Read more…

Self assessment taxpayers must be on the lookout for scam texts, emails and phone calls from fraudsters, HMRC was warned. HMRC has received more than 130,000 reports about tax scams in the past year, with 58,000 of those offering fake tax rebates. With around 12 million people expected to submit a self assessment tax return… Read more…

The UK is on course to see its biggest tax rise in at least 50 years as a result of the freeze on personal thresholds and soaring inflation, according to analysis from the Resolution Foundation. The think-tank said taxpayers are set to pay over £40 billion a year by 2028, up from a forecast of… Read more…

The UK’s rate of inflation held steady in September while the nation’s economy grew the month before, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The ONS revealed that the CPI rose by 6.7% in the 12 months to September, the same rate as was recorded in August. The CPIH, which… Read more…

The Chancellor should cement the government’s commitment to small businesses in his Autumn Statement, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). The FSB has called for a strong stand against late payments; an extension to the 75% business rates discount for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses beyond March 2024; and training in new skills… Read more…

The majority of us will experience debt at some point in our lives. Whether a short-term loan for a specific purchase or a long-term mortgage, and everything in between. Unfortunately, due to the pressures of modern society and the effects of inflation, the cost-of-living crisis and a volatile economy, more people are experiencing higher levels… Read more…

The number of payments made with cash rose for the first time in a decade in 2022, according to data published by UK Finance. According to UK Finance, the total number of payments made last year increased to 45.7 billion from 40.4 billion in 2021. 50% of all payments in the UK were made using… Read more…

Less than 1% of small firms have benefitted from key local support schemes across England on net zero, according to research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Warwick Business School. The research has raised concerns over the reach and accessibility of the programmes as the UK’s 2050 target edges closer. Small businesses also… Read more…

HMRC has urged almost 430,000 young people with an unclaimed Child Trust Fund (CTF) to claim their cash. CTFs are tax-free savings accounts that were created for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. The government contributed an initial deposit of at least £250. Family and friends can contribute up to… Read more…

The government has been slow to recover losses of £1.1 billion from fraud and error in Covid grant schemes, according to MPs in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The latest PAC report found that after spending £22.6 billion on business support schemes during the pandemic, the government had only recovered £20.9 million of the estimated… Read more…