Dividend Tax Rates Rising in April 2026: What Does It Mean for Profit Extraction? The recent Budget confirmed that dividend tax rates will increase from April 2026. The ordinary and upper rates of dividend tax will both rise by 2%. For many small and medium-sized companies, dividends are central to how owners pay themselves. With…
Autumn Budget 2025: What Does It Mean for Your Business? After weeks of speculation about what Budget 2025 would contain, the Chancellor was unexpectedly upstaged when the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) accidentally published their report revealing key policy measures ahead of the official announcement. Although the report was quickly withdrawn, the information had already…
FSCS Deposit Protection Limit to Rise to £120,000 from December The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has confirmed that the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) deposit protection limit will increase from £85,000 to £120,000 from the start of December. The new threshold applies per depositor, per PRA-authorised bank, building society or credit union. The PRA have…
UK Unemployment Rises to 5% as Job Market Shows Signs of Strain The UK unemployment rate has risen to 5% in the three months to September, the highest since early 2021, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase was slightly higher than expected and adds to signs that…
Budget Speculation: Are Tax Rises Looming? The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, gave a surprise ‘pre-Budget’ speech last week that appeared to pave the way for tax rises in the Budget on 26 November 2025. What did she say? The Chancellor’s scene setting speech outlined her priorities to cut NHS waiting lists, reduce the national debt, and…
Is It Time to Prepare Your Self-Assessment Tax Return? HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been reminding taxpayers that there are now fewer than 100 days left to file their tax return and pay any tax due for the 2024-25 tax year. The online filing deadline applicable to the majority of taxpayers is 31 January…
Minister urges businesses to take cyber security seriously The Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, has urged business leaders to act now to strengthen their cyber resilience, warning that cybercrime is one of the biggest threats facing the UK economy. Speaking at the launch of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) 2025 Annual Review, he reminded businesses…
Why Thinking Like a CFO Can Help You Shape Your Business For many small and medium-sized business owners, bookkeeping, payroll and VAT returns are seen as a necessary part of their routine. These tasks are essential, but in terms of shaping your business, they can only tell you what has already happened. It can give…
Preparing Your Business for Life Beyond You When Spotify’s founder Daniel Ek announced he would step down as chief executive, it made headlines. After nearly 20 years running one of Europe’s most successful tech companies, he’s shifting into a chairman role and leaving day-to-day control to two long-serving deputies. For most business owners, the sums…
Amazon to close UK grocery stores as focus shifts to online delivery Amazon is set to close all 19 of its UK Amazon Fresh grocery stores less than five years after launching the till-free sites in London. Five of the stores may be converted into Whole Foods outlets, another grocery brand owned by Amazon. The…