HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has released new guidance that brings changes to the company car benefit calculations, as the Government looks to encourage greater use of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV). Under the new rules, if a ULEV has a CO2 emission figure of 1-50g/km, businesses will now need to provide the car’s zero-emission mileage, […]
Almost two-fifths of small businesses are looking to trade overseas
Despite the impact that Brexit has had on trade in the UK, a new survey conducted by YouGov has found that 38 per cent of small businesses are likely to trade overseas this year. The study, commissioned by Lawbite, found that of the 791 small businesses questioned two-fifths were planning to trade overseas, which scaled […]
National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates to increase from 1 April
The Government is pressing ahead with plans to increase the rates of the National Living Wage (NLW) and the National Minimum Wage (NMW) from 1 April 2021, while people aged 23 and 24 will be entitled to the National Living Wage for the first time. The NLW will rise from £8.72 an hour to £8.91 […]
Business rates review report delayed
The Government has announced that the final report of its fundamental review of business rates will be delayed and will be published in the autumn. It says that by then there should be greater clarity about the economic situation and the future of the public finances. The review was announced by Rishi Sunak at his […]
Vaccine rollout prompts SME optimism about prospects for 2021
New research has found that SMEs across the UK are feeling increasingly optimistic about their prospects for the rest of 2021, after the success of the vaccine rollout. The Barclaycard Payments Barometer research found that SMEs expect to grow their revenues by an average of eight per cent. London SMEs, meanwhile, expect to see revenues […]
Future Fund: Breakthrough to launch in summer 2021
The Future Fund: Breakthrough scheme, which is replacing the closed (to new applications) Future Fund scheme, will open in the UK around the start of summer.