Rachel Lloyd

NFT boom slows but on track for growth This year will be a record even though the pace of demand has fallen from its peak, research finds. Growth in the NFT market has been patchy after a series of demand spikes and will stabilise this year, according to blockchain data expert Chainalysis. Its research found […]

Lowest-paid workers given flexibility to top up their pay  The government will widen the ban on exclusivity clauses giving lowest-paid workers the choice to work multiple jobs if they wish. Britain’s lowest-paid workers will be given the flexibility to boost their income through extra work, under new plans set out by the government. The proposals

Five advisers banned and fined for causing losses to pension customers The FCA has prohibited five directors of financial advice firms from working in financial services and fined them over £1 million, after they caused significant losses to pension customers. The decisions follow an extensive 300-page judgement issued by the Upper Tribunal in which the

Chancellor backs small businesses to thrive and grow Chancellor underlines support for smaller businesses and their importance to the UK economy on visit to Ipswich. Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed small businesses as the “heart of our economy” on Thursday (12 May) as he set out how the government is backing firms to train and invest,

HubSync partners with Thomson Reuters The venture aims to drive automation and innovation in the public accounting industry. Tech integration specialist HubSync has joined forces with Thomson Reuters to collaborate on technology to simplify, automate and streamline processes across the tax and accounting industry. Under the agreement, HubSync and Thomson Reuters will provide royalty-free and

Government introduces law to protect access to cash The bill will ensure continued access to withdrawal and deposit facilities while providing increased safeguards to push payment fraud. The new Financial Services and Markets Bill, announced in the Queen’s speech at the opening of Parliament, will support consumers by protecting access to cash. The government said

Export growth now stagnant for 1 year as chamber sounds warning on trade A survey of more than 2,700 UK exporters has revealed that export sales growth has been effectively stagnant for the past year. The British Chambers of Commerce quarterly Trade Confidence Outlook showed the proportion of exporters reporting increased overseas sales to be

Home working tax relief warning Employees who have been claiming home office tax relief during the pandemic should review their tax codes to check whether HMRC has included the relief in their notice of coding. During the pandemic HMRC allowed anyone working at home due to the pandemic lockdowns to apply for the tax relief

Deloitte secures £15m HMRC contract Deloitte has secured a £15 million consultancy contract to help HMRC shape and deliver its Technology Sourcing Programme (TSP). The 12-month contract, which came into effect on 1 April 2022 and will run until 31 March 2023, will see Deloitte “work closely with the technology sourcing programme’s senior responsible officer

Insolvency Service tackles further Bounce Back Loan abusers The Insolvency Service has successfully secured restrictions against a gym operator and roofer after they falsely applied for Bounce Back Loans. In separate applications, Junaid Dar (31), from Birmingham, and David Michael Godderidge (40), from Tamworth, falsely applied for close to £60,000 from the Bounce Back Loan

HMRC starts to assess overclaimed SEISS grants HMRC is writing to taxpayers whose entitlement to the fourth or fifth Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant has been reduced by more than £100 following an amendment to a Self Assessment tax return made after 2 March 2021. From April 2022, HMRC is writing to taxpayers who it

Temporary insolvency measures ending, new law in place The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, which introduced various temporary measures to help protect companies affected by the lockdown restrictions during the pandemic has ended and the new “Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022” is now in place. Business leaders are being advised to seek professional insolvency advice to protect

New statutory code to prevent unscrupulous employers using fire and rehire tactics A statutory code on the practice of “fire and rehire” will clamp down on controversial tactics used by employers that fail to engage in meaningful consultations with employees. On Tuesday (29 March) Labour Markets Minister Paul Scully announced a new statutory code on

Australian investors commit £28.5bn in major economic boost for UK Leading Australian businesses announced major new investments worth £28.5 billion in projects across the UK. The announcement follows the Global Investment Summit hosted by the Prime Minister in October and the creation of the new Office for Investment and underlines the growing appeal of the

Cash a crucial part of payments mix, say small firms One in four small businesses in the UK still say cash is the most popular payment method among their customers, said Federation of Small Businesses and if the UK moved towards a cashless society, the small-business sector would suffer. FSB national chair, Martin McTague said

Businesses urged to boost cyber standards as a third suffer cyber attacks weekly Businesses and charities are being urged to strengthen their cyber-security practices now as new figures show the frequency of cyber attacks is increasing. Almost one in three businesses (31 per cent) and a quarter (26 per cent) of charities suffering attacks said

Working from home necessary to save fuel, says global energy watchdog Working from home and avoiding any business travel if an alternative can be found are two of the 10 recommendations the International Energy Agency has released as the global fuel crisis starts to impact. The recommendations released on Friday (18 March) have been made

New analysis shows £10k increase in small-business utility bills Small businesses will be paying more than £11,000 in electricity bills if the Chancellor does not provide relief in the spring statement, said the Federation of Small Businesses. The UK’s largest business group has laid bare the impact of spiralling utility and fuel bills on small

Post Office card accounts: switch now, says HMRC Tax credits and Child Benefit customers who receive their payments into a Post Office card account have just two weeks left to switch their accounts. About 6,800 Post Office card account customers, who receive tax credits, Child Benefit or Guardian’s Allowance payments, need to transfer their account

HMRC to mandate the format of claims for employment expenses From 6 May 2022 claims for income tax relief on employment expenses must be made on the standard P87 form. Robotics will accelerate the processing of the updated form, as long as claims don’t include attachments. Currently claims for income tax relief on employment expenses can be