Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged to ‘invest, invest, invest’ to drive growth and ‘restore economic stability’ in the Autumn Budget. The Budget, which was Labour’s first in over 14 years and the first ever delivered by a female Chancellor, saw £40 billion in tax announcements.  Ms Reeves repeated her claims that the government had inherited a… Read more…

Business groups have reacted to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Autumn Budget speech. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said that the Chancellor ‘had difficult choices to make to deliver stability for the economy’. Rain Newton-Smith, Chief Executive of the CBI, commented: ‘A more balanced approach to our fiscal rules which prioritises capital investment should help to… Read more…

Over three million workers will receive a pay boost after Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the National Living Wage will increase from £11.44 to £12.21 an hour from April 2025. The 6.7% increase is worth £1,400 a year for an eligible full-time worker. The National Minimum Wage for 18 to 20-year-olds will also rise from £8.60… Read more…

Businesses have been banned from withholding tips or service charges from their staff under new rules that came into force on 1 October. All tips, whether in cash or by card, must now be shared between workers by law in Britain, with millions of workers such as those working for cafes, pubs, restaurants, taxi companies… Read more…

The government’s Make Work Pay Bill lacks a pro-growth element and will increase economic inactivity, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. The business group says that the legislation, particularly around day one dismissal rights, risks deterring small employers from taking a chance on someone who has had a significant period out of the… Read more…

The new Growth and Skills Levy must end the ‘cycle of policy failure’ in addressing Britain’s chronic skills shortages, according to the Resolution Foundation. The think tank says the government must get its design and implementation right if it’s to boost the number of apprenticeships after years of decline and ensure that Levy funds go… Read more…

More than 10,000 payments worth £12.5 million have been made through a new digital service to boost people’s state pension, HMRC has revealed. People have until 5 April 2025 to maximise their state pension by making voluntary National Insurance contributions (NICs) to fill any gaps in their NICs record between 6 April 2006 and 5… Read more…

HMRC has published the latest issue of the Employer Bulletin. The October issue has information on various topics, including: guidance for employers on RTI reporting obligations for payments made early at Christmas how salary sacrifice affects National Minimum Wage PAYE charge queries notice of change to effective date of new data requirements on employees’ hours the… Read more…

As the end of the fiscal year approaches, businesses must prepare for year-end accounting. This is a comprehensive and often time-consuming task, involving the review and updating of financial records, with the overall goal of ascertaining the financial health of the company. Whilst this may sound relatively simple, it can be fraught with potential pitfalls… Read more…

The Chancellor should use her Autumn Budget to make off-payroll working rules ‘fairer and more effective’, according to the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE). IPSE says that the rules, commonly known as IR35, are still causing significant disruption for businesses and public bodies needing to recruit freelancers and contractors for their operations.… Read more…