New laws to protect access to cash and help victims of financial scams were announced in the Queen’s Speech at the state opening of parliament on 10 May. The new Financial Services and Markets Bill will ensure the continued availability of withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK. The Bill will also enable the Payment… Read more…

HMRC issued 580 penalties totalling over £14 million for minimum wage offences during 2020/21, according to a report released by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The penalties given out for national minimum wage (NMW) and national living wage (NLW) offences have dropped by £4.5 million from the year before, which saw… Read more…

New company car advisory fuel rates have been published and took effect from 1 June 2022. 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 or… Read more…

A growing number of UK businesses are at risk of going under as costs spiral and Covid loan repayments become due, according to a report from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor. Although COVID restrictions have been lifted, some firms are still feeling the impact of disruptions to supply chains, and the price of energy and other… Read more…

No business owner wants to make their staff redundant, however at times it’s necessary in order to protect the company. The process is obviously very difficult for the employees involved but it can also take its toll on managers. This is particularly true as redundancies often involve staff who have been working for the company… Read more…

There are now more than a million workers missing from the workforce compared to pre-pandemic figures, according to a report published by the IPPR think tank. About 400,000 of these are no longer working because of health factors relating to the pandemic, including long Covid, according to the IPPR. The report suggests that unresolved, this ‘will… Read more…

HMRC has published the latest issue of the Employer Bulletin. The April issue has information on various topics including: Forthcoming deadlines Claiming employment allowance from April 2022 Student loans Coronavirus updates and information Official rate of interest Hybrid working. Small businesses are being invited to share their views of the tax system through the Tell… Read more…

Data published by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) shows that UK export growth has been effectively stagnant for the past year. The BCC’s quarterly Trade Confidence Outlook revealed that the proportion of exporters reporting increased overseas sales was 29%, whilst 25% reported a decrease. Manufacturers were more likely to report increased export sales than… Read more…

HMRC has launched a new one-stop online shop designed to provide taxpayers with information on the tax reliefs and financial help available from HMRC. In a new section of the GOV.UK website, HMRC has listed financial support available to ensure individuals are not missing out. There is guidance on relief for childcare and work-related expenses,… Read more…

HMRC has named two tax avoidance schemes and their promoters for the first time, advising anyone involved to withdraw from them as soon as possible to prevent the build up of large tax bills. Both schemes involve individuals working as contractors agreeing to an employment contract under which they are paid the National Minimum Wage… Read more…