Getting Ready for Making Tax Digital With just 10 weeks or so to go until the new tax year, many businesses are preparing for the changes that Making Tax Digital (MTD) will bring. From April, sole traders and landlords with an income of over £50,000 will need to submit quarterly updates to HMRC. It is…
Starting 2026 with a Clear Plan for Your Business and Yourself The start of a new year is a natural moment to take stock of your business. You probably have ambitions for your business, but you also want it to help you reach your personal goals. Many business owners take out to periodically set priorities for…
Budget 2025: What Businesses Can Take from the OBR’s Verdict on Growth The latest Budget was packed with policy announcements, but according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), these policies will not really change the UK’s growth outlook over the next five years. Compared with the forecast it prepared in March 2025, the OBR…
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 Although the report was quickly withdrawn, the information had already…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…