Business rates reforms continue: What it means for you
The government has now published the legislation to deliver the business rates changes announced in the recent Budget. These reforms,…
Are you ready for new B2B parcel arrangements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
New arrangements will apply to business to business (B2B) parcels sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Windsor…
Stay safe during Black Friday season
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has reported that shoppers lost over £11.5 million to online criminals between November 2023…
Government proposes crackdown on “subscription traps”
The UK Government has launched a consultation to tackle so-called “subscription traps,” aiming to make it easier for consumers to…
New UKEF guarantee boosts opportunities for UK engineering, design and technical services firms
UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, has launched a new initiative aimed at helping British engineering, design,…
Inflation on the rise: What October’s figures mean for businesses
The latest inflation figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) for October…
Reduction in HMRC late payment interest rates
Following the Bank of England’s decision to reduce the base rate from 5% to 4.75%, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)…
Employer banned for hiring six illegal workers: A reminder to check right-to-work status
A recent case involving a former company director in Hartlepool and Guisborough underlines the importance of checking employees’ right to…
VOA to improve transparency on business rates valuations with reforms coming
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has announced plans to share more detailed information on business rates valuations, making the system…
Help for the high street: New powers for councils
Next month, councils across England will be given new powers to transform high streets by tackling long-term empty shops. Starting…
Make Work Pay: What are the next steps
Since coming into power, the Labour government has made its Make Work Pay plan a centrepiece of their policies. As…
Tax E-News – Autumn Budget 2024
On 30 October 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented her first budget to parliament. This was a budget intended to restore…
Stress awareness week reminders from HSE
Last week was Stress Awareness Week 2024. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) used the occasion to remind employers of…
ICO guidance on using AI for recruitment
As use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help with employee recruitment increases, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published…
CMA provisionally approves Vodafone and Three merger
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have provisionally concluded that with certain commitments the proposed merger of Vodafone and Three…
Funding granted to small businesses on rural transport projects
The UK government has awarded £1.2 million in funding to small businesses for projects to boost transport links in rural…
Financial markets approve of Trump winning the presidency
Immediately following the US election results and Donald Trump’s win, the dollar made gains against other currencies. The FTSE 100…
New “failure to prevent fraud” offence for large organisations
A new corporate criminal offence of "failure to prevent fraud" is set to take effect from 1 September 2025, following…
UK export opportunities in the Caribbean
Marking the second event of its kind, the UK-Caribbean Trade and Investment Summit was held in London last week. Organised…
Self-assessment tax returns: Counting down to 31 January
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have begun reminding taxpayers that time is ticking for getting self-assessment tax returns filed in…
Agricultural and business property relief: What happened in the Budget?
Changes to inheritance tax were announced in the Budget that have caused consternation to farmers and business owners across the…
Base rate drops to 4.75%
As had been widely expected, the Bank of England reduced the interest base rate to 4.75% last week. This was…
Autumn 2024 Budget speech: History in the making?
On 30 October 2024, Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget speech. As the first Budget speech ever delivered by a…
Businesses count the cost of increases to Employers National Insurance
As has been widely expected in the last few weeks, the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, made some significant changes to the…
National Minimum Wage increases for April 2025 announced
The government has announced the new National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates that will apply from 1 April 2025. These are…
Bus fare cap to increase to £3
Two days before the Budget, the Prime Minister announced that the cap for single bus fares would be increased to…
Employers now required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment
From 26 October 2024, employers were given a new legal duty to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of…
Protecting young people online: The ICO taking action on data privacy for children
In today’s digitally connected world, social inclusion has extended into virtual spaces, and young people are increasingly exchanging personal information…
Why staying up-to-date with your accounts is essential: Lessons from a recent insolvency case
In a recent court case, a company director from Bury was sentenced to prison for failing to comply with basic…
Autumn 2024 Budget speech: History in the making?
Good news for workers, but not so much for businesses On October 30 2024, Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget…
Employment Rights Bill 2024
Significant changes proposed to workers’ rights. The government published the Employment Rights Bill in October, which is intended to help…
Surprising drop in inflation for September
Will it lead to interest rate cuts? The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports each month on inflation and other…
New tipping laws
What employers need to know As of 1st October, the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act came into force that ensures…
Chancellor pushes for e-invoicing
Could that help or hinder your business? As part of a series of announcements made in recent weeks by the…
Having trouble with your banking?
A strong relationship with your bank is a crucial part of the success and stability of your business. You may…
Employment Rights Bill progresses and consultations are launched
Following the release of the Employment Rights Bill, its Impact Assessment was published last week showing that the new Bill…
New regulations of Buy-Now, Pay-Later proposed
The UK government has announced a consultation on new legislations designed to regulate Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) products. The forthcoming rules,…
How to handle communications in a cyber incident
If a cyber incident affects your business, the way you communicate with your staff, stakeholders, customers and perhaps the media,…
Construction firm director disqualified for eight years
Samantha Fairweather, the director of Essex-based Fairweather Construction Ltd, has been disqualified from serving as a company director for eight…
Cyber security for the legal profession
Law practices hold sensitive information and can often be the target of cyber attacks. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)…
Devon and Cornwall farmers warned about heavier rainfal
During the Environment Agency’s Flood Action Week, which ran from 14 to 20 October, they issued a press release urging…
New government grants to boost research on AI risks
Researchers in the UK are being offered new funding opportunities to explore ways of making society more resilient to the…
CMA issues warning to unregulated legal service providers amid consumer protection concerns
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is stepping up its efforts to protect consumers opting for unregulated legal services, such…
Chancellor reveals new investment bodies to boost UK growth
In her final speech at the International Investment Summit last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced two major initiatives aimed at…
£63 billion in new UK investments set to create 38,000 jobs
At the International Investment Summit, the UK government announced nearly £63 billion in new investments, which are expected to create…
Surprising drop in inflation for September
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have reported that their measure for inflation (Consumer Prices Index) fell to 1.7% for…
What will the Budget bring?
With the Budget coming on 30th October, speculation is increasing on what changes will be announced. The Chancellor and the…
Significant moment as coal power ends in the UK
In another significant industrial move, the UK’s last coal power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in the Midlands finished its operations at…
Primary steelmaking at Britain’s biggest steelworks comes to an end
Tata Steel closed its last blast furnace at Port Talbot in Wales at the end of September after more than…
Is your website compliant with cookie laws?
If you run a business with a website, you’ve likely seen those cookie consent banners asking visitors whether they’d like…
Are you complying with competition law? Reviewing the CMA’s latest warning
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has just published a new set of heat maps showing where businesses across the…
Solar power in the spotlight
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, along with a newly reactivated Solar Taskforce, is spearheading a major push to get more solar…
Employment Rights Bill 2024
The government has published the Employment Rights Bill, which is intended help deliver economic security and growth to businesses, workers…
Why business owners should start using KPIs to drive success
As a small business owner, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations and miss the bigger picture.…
UK economic growth figures revised: What it means for your business
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the UK’s economy grew by 0.5% between April…
New tipping laws: What employers and employees need to know
As of 1st October, new laws are in place to ensure that workers keep 100% of the tips, gratuities, and…
Make sure you claim your child benefit!
If you’re a new parent, congratulations! Apparently, around 2,000 babies are born on 26 September each year – more than…
Companies House introduces new financial penalties regime
Companies House have rolled out a new penalties regime as part of a broader effort to boost corporate transparency and…
New Compulsory Training for Door Supervisors and Security Guards
If you’re a door supervisor or security guard, or you employ them, you’ll need to be aware of some important…
Tax E-News October
Welcome to the October edition of Tax E-News. We hope that you find this informative. Please contact us if you…
Increase in warmth standards for rented homes
The government has announced new measures designed to improve the warmth of homes for renters and lower heating costs. As…
Have a Child Trust Fund? Time to check if you can claim your savings!
If you, or your child, was born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, there could be a savings…
New apprenticeship reforms: What they mean for your business
The government has announced some reforms to the apprenticeship system in England, which could bring some exciting opportunities for business…
HMRC reform: digital transformation and closing the tax gap
In line with the e-invoicing initiative we reported on elsewhere, the Chancellor also outlined broader reforms to modernise HMRC through…
Chancellor pushes for e-invoicing: What you need to know
The Chancellor unveiled a series of announcements last week that could have implications for UK businesses. One of the most…
Chancellor’s speech takes optimistic tone on economy
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, gave an important speech at the Labour Party conference last week, in which she appeared to…
Government cracks down on late payments: what you need to know and how to protect your business now
Late payments are a huge headache for small businesses across the UK, costing SMEs around £22,000 per year on average.…
Amazon ends hybrid work policy: Is it time to reconsider remote working?
Amazon has announced the end of its hybrid work policy, with corporate staff expected to be back in the office…
Inflation holds steady in August
The latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics last week show that inflation for the year to August…
Procurement Act 2023: Implementation delayed to February 2025
The government has announced a delay to the start of the Procurement Act 2023, moving the commencement date to February…
Check your National Insurance record: Are you missing out on your full State Pension?
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has recently reminded people to check and make sure they are not missing out on…
Chancellor backs new taskforce to support female entrepreneurs
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has pledged her support to the Invest in Women Taskforce, a new initiative…
Government to unveil new plans to tackle youth unemployment and long-term sickness
The government has announced plans to address the rising number of young people out of work due to long-term sickness.…
British Chamber of Commerce launches in Uganda
The British Chamber of Commerce has officially launched in Uganda, offering UK businesses new opportunities to expand into the region.…
Could UK Export Finance help your business to grow?
Kiverco, a family-owned business from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, has secured multi-million-pound contracts to export recycling machinery to Saudi…
UK economy flatlines again
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics last week show that the UK economy showed no growth in July…
Are you National Minimum Wage compliant?
As HMRC intensifies its crackdown on National Minimum Wage (NMW) noncompliance, it’s vital to make sure you don’t fall foul…
Risk Reduction Through Design Awards 2024/25: Celebrating workplace safety innovations
The Risk Reduction Through Design Awards 2024/25, sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Chartered Institute of…
Business Finance Week 2024: Free national and regional events available
Business Finance Week 2024 will run from 24 September to 2 October and includes a variety of national and regional…
New Labour Market Advisory Board: What it means for your business
On Monday, 9th September, the newly formed Labour Market Advisory Board, appointed by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP,…
SIA Changes: New requirements for door supervisor and security guard licences
Businesses providing security services and holding SIA licences need to be aware of changes affecting door supervisor and security guard…
New cooperation announced to tackle cyber crime
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the National Crime Agency (NCA) have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding…
Public sector procurement: Missed targets and opportunities for SMEs
A recent report by the British Chambers of Commerce and Tussell has highlighted the ongoing challenges the public sector faces…
Companies undermining the insolvency regime are closed down
In a recent case reported by the Insolvency Service, two connected corporate rescue firms, Atherton Corporate (UK) Ltd and Atherton…
Companies House online services to move to GOV.UK One Login
Last week, Companies House confirmed that their online services will move to the GOV.UK One Login beginning from autumn 2024.…
Barratt Developments’ profit drop sends ripples through construction and property sectors
Barratt Developments, the UK's largest housebuilder, has reported a significant decline in pre-tax profits, down by three-quarters for the year…
Plan 1 student loan interest rate to change to 6%
The Plan 1 student loan interest rate reduced to 6% (from 6.25%) from 30 August. This rate change applies across…
Norfolk and Suffolk declared a restricted zone for bluetongue virus
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has declared a bluetongue restricted zone across Norfolk and Suffolk following several confirmed cases of…
Lessons from the Labour Party’s reprimand on information requests
As a business owner or manager, it's important to respond promptly to information requests, especially when it comes to Subject…
Government crackdown on illegal employment: What business owners need to know
Last month, the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced a significant government crackdown on employers hiring migrants illegally. Overview of the…
PM aims to strengthen UK-Germany ties
Last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Berlin and Paris to boost UK economic growth and strengthen international relationships. The…
October budget to be “painful”
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, speaking from Downing Street last Tuesday, has said that the budget in October will…
Do you need to register for self-assessment?
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have issued a press release debunking some common myths about whether or not someone needs…
Adapting to change: Strategies for business success
The business environment is constantly changing and the ability to adapt to change is crucial for long-term success. Whether it’s…
September Tax E-News
Welcome to the September edition of Tax E-News. We hope that you find this informative. Please contact EOACC if you…
Don’t miss out on Winter Fuel Payments: Check your eligibility for Pension Credit
As a pensioner you were likely dismayed to learn that Winter Fuel Payments are now being restricted to those who…
New tool available to help create privacy notices
The Information Commissioner’s Office has launched a new tool that can help small businesses create a bespoke privacy notice that…
Extending Child Benefit payments: What you need to know
As GCSE results day approaches on 22 August 2024, many families are considering the next steps for their school-leaving children.…
Inflation increases to 2.2% in July
The Office of National Statistics has reported that inflation for July has risen to 2.2%. This is the first rise…
Evaluating a business idea: A guide for aspiring entrepreneurs
The economy is continuing to grow, according to the latest figures for the April to June quarter. Gross Domestic Product…