Deadline for first Making Tax Digital quarterly update fast approaching
Are you ready to file? Sole traders and landlords that are required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) to report their earnings are due to send their first quarterly update by 7 August 2026. The quarterly update involves sending income and expenses for the first three months of the tax year to HMRC. After an […]
The New Government’s Economic Priorities: What UK Businesses Should Watch Before the Autumn Budget
Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on 20 July 2026, having entered Number 10 unopposed, and in a surprise move appointed John Healey, previously defence secretary, as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The earliest realistic date for the Autumn Budget is Wednesday 28 October 2026, with a Wednesday in November considered more likely. With the date itself […]
Andy Burnham’s new government, a balancing act
VAT reduction, cap on public transport and business rates cut announced Andy Burnham’s first days as Prime Minister have been marked by a flurry of announcements designed to show that his government intends to move quickly. Presenting himself as a leader focused on easing pressure on households and rebuilding trust in politics, Burnham has begun […]
Upcoming deadlines for SME reporting to HMRC
Dates for your diary PAYE Settlement Agreement The deadline for applying for a PAYE Settlement Agreement (PSA) or making any amendments to an existing PSA is 5 July following the first tax year to which it applies. PSAs are an agreement between an employer and HMRC. For example, for the tax year 2025-26, you will […]
Regulating for Growth: Will the New Regulatory Sandboxes Help Your Business?
Navigating regulatory red tape has historically been one of the steepest barriers to launching innovative products or pivoting a business model in the UK. Recognizing this friction, the government has introduced the Regulating for Growth Bill. This piece of legislation is designed to modernize the UK’s regulatory framework by legally elevating the “growth duty” of […]
Why every business needs a business plan
See how a business plan can help your business grow You have the idea, the energy, and maybe even your first customers. So why slow down to write a business plan? It can seem like something banks ask for, but not something that really helps you run your business. However, for small and growing businesses, […]
How an employer can use non-disclosure agreements
Guidelines from ACAS on NDAs Employers may worry about the use of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) following a series of press stories that have highlighted the abuse of the system. The agreement does have a place for businesses, according to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS). Companies can ask employees to sign an NDA as […]
The UK’s Growth Delivery Test: Why Business Confidence Matters More Than Ever
Throughout June 2026, business organisations increasingly focused on a single question: how can the UK convert economic ambition into measurable growth? Recent commentary from the British Chambers of Commerce and Institute of Directors suggests that while businesses remain cautiously optimistic about the future, confidence levels continue to be affected by uncertainty around investment, regulation, skills […]
Why Productivity Has Become the UK’s Biggest Business Challenge
While inflation, taxation, and labour costs often dominate headlines, a quieter issue is increasingly concerning economists and policymakers: productivity. During June 2026, the Office for National Statistics highlighted the importance of improving how productivity is measured, while business groups continue to identify productivity growth as one of the UK’s biggest economic challenges. For businesses, productivity […]
Pressure selling tactics ruled to be illegal
Emma Sleep taken to court for failing to address CMA concerns A High Court order has confirmed that Emma Sleep, a mattress seller, behaved illegally and broke consumer law by using misleading countdown timers, false ‘high demand’ messages and ‘discount claims’. Concerns were raised about Emma Sleep in 2022 over behaviour that misled shoppers and […]