By John Walker on March 28, 2012
From April 1st business rates are set to rise by an average of 5.77% across England and Wales. Experts warn that the increase, coupled with the painfully slow rates appeals process to challenge business rates, is stifling business growth in the UK. The estimated total amount of savings due back to UK businesses from the [...]
Posted in Accounts, Business Support Services, Closing Down, Commercial Property Services, Cost Management, Employment Levels, England, Expansion, Financial Capital, Financial Services, Legal Advice, Loans and Finance, Notable Dates, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Reporting, Retail, Hire and Repair, Staff, Startups, Taxation, The Work Place, Wales | Tagged appeals process, business rates, Chief Executive of CVS, CVS, Don Baker, Mark Rigby, National Head of Rating at CVS, Valuation Office Agency (VOA) |
By John Walker on November 29, 2011
The Chancellor has today delivered his autumn statement to Parliament, alongside the publication of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s updated forecasts for growth and borrowing. He announced permanent reductions in spending to ensure that the UK meets its fiscal targets, using some of those savings in the short term to fund infrastructure investment to generate [...]
Posted in Accounts, Business Banking, Business Continuity Planning, Commercial Property Services, Cost Management, Critical Infrastructure, Distribution Channels, Down sizing / Retraction, E-commerce, Economic Cycles, Employment Levels, Financial Capital, Forecasts, Fundability, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Industrial Relations, Inflation, Insurance, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Monetary Policy, Morale, Organized Labour / Unions, Outsourcing, People and Players, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Procurement, Product Research and Development, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Staff, Startups, Taxation, Technology, Telecommunications, UK, UK Budget, Utilities | Tagged Air Passenger Duty (APD), Apprenticeship, Association of British Insurers, Autumn Statement, bank levy, Bank of England, Business Finance Partnership, Chancellor, Child Tax Credit, deficit reduction, enterprise, Enterprise Zones, free education, Free Schools, fuel duty increase, Infrastructure Investors Forum, infrastructure spending, Jobcentre Plus, Jobseeker’s allowance, Local Authorities, measures, mid-sized businesses, National Infrastructure Plan, National Loan Guarantee Scheme, OBR, Office for Budget Responsibility, Official Development Assistance, pension funds, Sector Based Work Academy, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), small firms, smaller businesses, Spending Review period, State Pension age, super-connected cities, tax relief, Work Experience, young apprentices, Youth Contract |
By John Walker on September 28, 2011
Institute of Directors
Commenting on Ed Miliband’s speech at the 2011 Labour conference, Miles Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:
We would like to know how Ed Miliband plans to identify and reward ‘good’ companies over ‘bad’ ones. In practice, we think he would find this neither straightforward nor desirable. He should have more [...]
Posted in Business Climate, Governance, Political and Economic Philosophies, Politics & Legislation, Taxation, UK | Tagged Institute of Directors, IoD, Miles Templeman |
By John Walker on January 20, 2011
Tribunal cites lack of ‘mutuality of obligation’ as key to ruling in favour of taxpayer.
A seven-year battle with the taxman has ended in victory for PCG member Mark Fitzpatrick.
The long running IR35 dispute reached a conclusion when a tribunal cleared Mark of using his limited company MBF Design Services (MBF) to avoid tax, in reference [...]
Posted in Accounts, Bristol (Area), Design and Photographic Services, Freelancers, Human Resources, Insurance, Legal Rulings, Outsourcing, Recruitment, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Taxation, UK, Vehicle Manufacturing | Tagged IR35, Mutuality of Obligation |
By John Walker on October 19, 2010
Advanced Computer Software Group plc (Advanced) has announced the launch of www.csr10.com, a ‘one stop shop’ resource about the Comprehensive Spending Review.
The Comprehensive Spending Review 2010, which will be announced on 20 October 2010, will deliver significant public sector budget cuts, forcing Government departments and public sector organisations to make spending cuts of up to [...]
Posted in Economic Cycles, Ideas and Innovation, Information Technology, Notable Dates, Politics & Legislation, Procurement, Product Launches, Public Sector, Public Spending and State Aid, Taxation, UK | Tagged Advanced Computer Software Group plc, Cloud Computing, Comprehensive Spending Review, Cost Cutting, cuts, finance, government reviews, trends |
By John Walker on June 22, 2010
Chancellor George Osborne announced today that the standard rate of VAT will rise to 20% from 4th January next year (2011).
This is one of his measures for accelerating the reduction of the nation’s deficit.
Other measures included:
2 year pay freeze for public sector workers earning over £21,000.
reducing tax credits for families earning over £40,000.
and what he [...]
Posted in Forecasts, Taxation, UK, UK Budget |
By John Walker on May 20, 2010
PCG (the professional association supporting freelancers, contractors and consultants) was established to fight the introduction of IR35, so today’s announcement that it is to be replaced will be welcomed by freelance workers throughout the UK.
It is a triumph for common sense over political dogma.
In the Coalition’s full programme for Government, published today (20th May) the [...]
Posted in Freelancers, Politics & Legislation, Professional and Business Services, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Taxation, UK |
By John Walker on March 25, 2010
The UK Treasury has released further information following the Chancellor’s Budget Statement (Wednesday March 24th 2010). The following is an excerpt from the notice that outlines the particular measures for supporting business and growth.
The Government took decisive action to support the economy during the financial crisis and its aftermath. As the UK emerges from [...]
Posted in Agriculture, Farming and Farming Support Services, Arts and entertainment, Bars, Critical Infrastructure, Education, Energy and Utilities, Environmental Issues, Financial Resources, Food, Drink and Tobacco Manufacturing, Food, Drink and Tobacco Retail, Food, Drink and Tobacco Wholesale, Forecasts, Grants and Funding Pronouncements, Lending and Borrowing, Loans and Finance, Media and Creative Services, Monetary Policy, Petroleum and Fuel Products Wholesale, Political and Economic Philosophies, Public Spending and State Aid, Real Estate Services, Regulation, Regulatory Compliance, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Skills and Training, Taxation, UK, UK Budget, Waste Management and Environmental Services | Tagged Accelerated Development Zones, Annual Investment Allowance, Better Regulation measures, Energy Market Assessment, Entrepreneurs’ Relief, Green Investment Bank, Higher Education Modernisation Fund, small business rates relief, The Treasury, Time to Pay arrangements, UK Finance for Growth, University Enterprise Capital Fund |
By John Walker on December 9, 2009
The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, introduced a temporary lower rate of VAT in last year’s pre budget report.
There was some speculation that he might have extended this reduction beyond the original term. However, in today’s pre-budget report statement to the House of Commons, he said:
I can confirm that VAT will return to [...]
Posted in Procurement, Professional and Business Services, Sales, Taxation, UK, UK Budget | Tagged Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer |
By John Walker on December 6, 2009
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Economic Forecast - December 2009
Ahead of the Chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today published its latest Economic Forecast. The business group, which calls itself “the National Voice of Local Business”, has made downward revisions to its GDP expectations for 2009 and 2010, but is more [...]
Posted in Economic Cycles, Employment Levels, England, Forecasts, Lending and Borrowing, Political and Economic Philosophies, Public Spending and State Aid, Scotland, Taxation, UK Budget, Wales | Tagged British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), capital investment, double-dip recession, GDP, international credit rating, labour market, public spending cuts |
World Business Report