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Inheritance tax enquiries surge to six-year high after HMRC clampdown Economics Tax authority probes into households’ inheritance tax returns have surged to a six-year high, after a government-led crackdown on avoidance and non-compliance. HMRC opened a total of 4,940 formal inheritance tax enquiries over the last financial year, according to new data obtained by chartered accountants Price Bailey, an 18 per cent increase on the previous [...]
Government should fix ‘stubbornly weak’ growth with policy test, industry body argues Business The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is calling on the government to break decades of low economic growth by introducing a new delivery test, as businesses continue to slash investment under the burden of mounting costs. In the BCC diagnoses, the UK’s growth problem is not a lack of potential but a failure to turn [...]
‘Twenty years of caution’: Banking industry ramps up efforts to fix ‘anaemic’ UK growth Banking The UK’s industry body for banking has stepped up its lobbying efforts for the government to improve “anaemic” growth figures and bolster the financial services sector. A new report published by UK Finance – the body representing around 300 firms that provide UK banking services – has issued a nine-point plan, which calls for “clear [...]
London local elections 2026: Who will win in Barnet? May 6, 2026 Labour faces a battle in defending Barnet in the local elections after recent surges in council tax and a flurry of defections since 2022. Barnet stands as a real test for both the Conservative and Labour party. What was traditionally a safe seat for the Tories flipped red in 2022 as Labour won the borough [...]
Lloyds fires bank tax warning shot as industry ‘ripe for cash grab’ April 29, 2026 Lloyds Banking Group has warned the Treasury not to look at the banks for a tax raid as the industry sets its sights on booming profits in 2026. The FTSE 100 giant beat profit expectations by a cool £200m in the first-quarter after booking £2bn. This was also followed up by an upgrade to its [...]
Nigel Farage: Reform will tax the banks even if they don’t like it January 22, 2026 Nigel Farage has confirmed Reform will slap a tax on the UK’s banking giants in the latest dramatic escalation of his party’s tensions with the City. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Davos, Farage said: “This will be tough for banks to accept but I am sorry – the drain on public finances [...]
Trade wars turn demand for global tax advisers in £50bn market November 12, 2025 The global tax advisory growth rate for 2025 is expected to nearly double last year’s rate, driven largely by the policies of the US President Trump’s administration, including trade wars and tariffs. According to a new report by research-led advisory firm Source Global Research, the market value for tax advisory services is forecasted to reach [...]
Tax row erupts as Reeves tells watchdog she will break manifesto November 7, 2025 The Labour government is split in a fresh tax row after Rachel Reeves reportedly told the fiscal watchdog she will raise income tax in her forthcoming Autumn Budget – a move that will break a key manifesto pledge. The Chancellor is said to have informed the Office for Budget Responsibility that an increase to income [...]
Banks set to escape tax raid from Rachel Reeves after lobbying November 6, 2025 Rachel Reeves is expected to avoid a cash grab on Britain’s banking titans in her forthcoming autumn Budget after the industry flagged concerns around international competitiveness. The Chancellor is understood to be hesitant on targeting the banks for a cash raid after a string of warnings from top industry chiefs on the impact on economic [...]
Autumn Budget: Reeves must avoid tax encore for retail, HMV boss warns October 29, 2025 Ahead of the Autumn Budget, City Reporter Samuel Norman sits down with top industry names for a Budget Briefing. This week, chief executive of HMV joins a chorus of warnings to give the retail sector some reprieve. As high street music retailer HMV breezes into the all-important golden quarter, boss Phillip Halliday is eyeing a chart-topper [...]