Andrew Griffith tells Burnham to rule out Budget tax rises September 16, 2026 Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith will urge Labour to rule out further tax rises on businesses at next month’s Budget, as the Conservatives set out plans to cut the compliance burden facing small firms and the self-employed. In his first major speech since taking the role, Griffith will call on Andy Burnham and chancellor John Healey [...]
Did call centres cause Brexit? September 16, 2026 Over a generation, millions of ordinary interactions with government, utility providers, financial institutions and corporate giants became remote, standardised and procedural. Each individual change was introduced in the name of operational efficiency. But accumulated across a lifetime, they altered something more fundamental: our sense that an individual can make things happen, says Lucy Harris Did [...]
Former Formula 1 champion loses £1.4m HMRC tax bill appeal September 14, 2026 Former Formula 1 world champion Jody Scheckter has been forced to stump up £1.4m in unpaid tax after an appeal against an HMRC ruling on his buffalo farm failed in court. The 1979 F1 title-winner was forced to close the buffalo farm business in 2024 due to “significant increases in costs, a reduction in milk [...]
Over one million pensioners hit by higher income tax rates September 1, 2026 The number of pensioners paying the highest rates of income tax has doubled in the last five years as frozen thresholds drag more Brits into higher bands. The amount of pensioners paying income tax at 40 per cent or 45 per cent has surpassed one million this current tax year, according to a freedom of [...]
‘Big Brother’: HMRC agents to target mansions with ponies and pools August 31, 2026 HMRC agents are set to inspect homes with ponies, scenic views and balconies in order to value homes for the “mansion tax”. Officials will be sent to properties to consider architectural styles, numbers of bedrooms and whether homes have swimming pools or tennis courts before determining whether homes should be taxed at a higher rate. [...]
Jamie Carragher: HMRC petitions for Sky Sports star to be declared bankrupt August 27, 2026 HMRC has filed a petition seeking to have Sky Sports pundit and former England footballer Jamie Carragher declared bankrupt over an unpaid tax bill. The case was filed against James Lee Duncan Carragher by solicitors representing HMRC at the High Court in London yesterday, filings show. The 48-year-old is one of the faces of Sky [...]
Reform to slash HMRC officials’ pay if taxpayers wait too long August 26, 2026 HMRC officials would be fined and dismissed if they keep taxpayers waiting too long to deal with government services under a Reform UK government. If Nigel Farage becomes Prime Minister, customer services officers at the tax collector would have their pay tied to performance levels and be required to keep waiting times to below 30 [...]
John Caudwell and Stuart Rose blast ‘tax creep’ August 24, 2026 Billionaire political donor John Caudwell and retail bigwig Lord Stuart Rose have hit out at the “creep of taxes” hitting businesses across the country. The influential business veterans have joined a campaign led by entrepreneur group Helm calling on the government to “stop the creep of taxes on wealth creators”. A letter, which has been [...]
HMRC mansion tax inspectors to target homes for property valuations August 23, 2026 HMRC will send mansion tax inspectors to homes across the UK to determine whether homeowners should pay more tax under the new levy. The taxman will deploy valuation agents who will be able to demand entry to properties in order to assess whether they are worth over £2m and therefore fall under The High Value [...]
AIM-Listed Pulsar Group hit with High Court petition by HMRC August 18, 2026 Pulsar Group, a UK-based technology company listed on AIM, and its media matchmaking subsidiary, ResponseSource, face a winding-up petition from HMRC. The group, formerly known as Access Intelligence, provides SaaS solutions for the global marketing, public relations and journalism sectors. A petition filed with the London High Court on Friday named it. Additionally, ResponseSource, the [...]