Latest news and industry insights

Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered his Spring Budget 2024 speech on 6 March 2024. This potentially is the last budget before the next general election, which will need to be held before 28 January 2025. The Budget was designed to emphasise the government’s good achievements as well as to appear to lower taxes and curry favour with voters.

A new policy paper has been released by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment for sole traders and landlords.

With the tax year ending on 5 April, March is a good month to check whether sharing unused tax allowances with your partner could save you some money.

Value Added Tax (VAT) is a significant consideration for businesses. It impacts your cash flow, the amount of admin work needed, and even your overall profitability. One option available to businesses - with a VAT exclusive turnover of £150,000 or less - is the VAT Flat Rate Scheme (FRS), which offers a simplified approach to VAT accounting.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) has released a final draft of a new Code of Practice on requests for flexible working. The draft Code received consultation in 2023 and is now awaiting parliamentary approval. If it is approved, then the new Code is expected to come into force in April 2024.

With increasing supplier prices and economic uncertainty, managing your business’s cash and understanding its flow are now vital tools in maintaining resilience and being able to adopt flexible strategies for success.

New measures have been enshrined in law that will transform the student finance system, allowing colleges and universities to charge different fees for different courses for the first time and opening up opportunities for adults to study in a way that works for them.

From 1st October 2023 new fire safety legislation comes into effect. This will mean that many businesses and building owners need to check if and how this affects them to ensure they are complying with the regulations.

Innovation has generally been recognised as essential for value creation, both for individual companies and for the UK economy as a whole. The development of new ideas, processes, and technologies and their flow across different sectors is a significant driver of economic growth and productivity. Recently, innovation has also been identified as crucial to the transition of the economy away from fossil fuels and carbon-intensive business activities.