The multi-billion cost of zero hours changes will damage the UK jobs market, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned. It says the government’s Impact Assessment of its proposed changes to the rules around zero hours contracts shows that businesses will bear heavy costs, with the risk of pushing up unemployment and narrowing pathways […]
In what has been described as an ‘urgent challenge’, new figures have revealed that 75 per cent of self-employed people are not saving into a pension. The report also found the majority of people entering self-employment stop saving for their retirement – with younger workers worst affected Currently, only 25 per cent of self-employed people […]
Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers got ahead of the game by filing their Self Assessment return early in April, new figures have revealed. They show that more than 298,900 people filed between April 6 and 12 – the first week of the tax year. April as a whole set a record, with almost 740,000 submitting […]
When was the last time you carried out a full MOT on your pension? It is an area that can often get overlooked by savers as they focus on other areas including ensuring that they’ve taken full benefits of areas such as cash ISAs and that their tax situation is in good order. Pension experts […]
Networking is a valuable skill that helps you build relationships, make new connections, and can open doors to new opportunities. However, it can be difficult and many business people, no matter how experienced they are, can find it daunting. Here, courtesy of the King’s Trust, are some top tips and handy hints to help you […]
Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts hit £5.8billion in the first eight months of the 2025/26 tax year. That figure, revealed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)m is £84m higher than the same period 12 months earlier. And it continues a steady upward trend that has been witnessed for more than 20 years – a rise that […]
SMEs are missing opportunities to innovate, grow, increase productivity and contribute more to the wider economy by not making effective use of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new report. Research carried out among small business owners by Censuswide for Google revealed that 59 per cent of those questioned had paused “game changing” ideas, because […]
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is currently updating the values it holds for more than two million business and other non-domestic properties across England and Wales. These values are used to calculate business rates bills. The future values come into effect in April 2026, but there are actions you can take now to be prepared. […]
Just one in six landlords say they are fully prepared for the Renters’ Rights Bill, just months away from the legislation going live. More than a third have either not heard of it or don’t know what it means for them, according to a new survey of 1,000 property investors. Another 16 per cent have […]
Small business leaders are urging government action following the latest increase in unemployment. Official labour market figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), have shown the unemployment rate rising to 4.7 per cent. On top of that the number of people on payroll has dropped and wage growth has slowed. Policy chair of the […]
