HMRC rejects nearly half of digital tax exemptions March 24, 2026 HMRC has rejected almost half of applications from taxpayers seeking exemption from Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. Figures obtained via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request by Saffery show that as of February 2026 more than 1,600 people had applied for exemption on the grounds of “digital exclusion”. Of those, 855 applications were [...]
Small businesses ‘dismayed’ at HMRC plan to tighten tax rules March 23, 2026 Small businesses are “dismayed” at the prospect of tax rules being tightened under new proposals set out by HMRC. The rules, which are subject to a consultation, would require close companies, which are defined as firms controlled by five or fewer individuals, to provide HMRC with details of all transactions between the company and its [...]
The UK founder exodus is not just about tax – it’s about tone March 23, 2026 Minus tax, the UK still has the fundamentals to nurture entrepreneurs, but it's presenting itself as a wimpish place to work, writes Sean Bannister.
Sunak urges rethink on taxing jobs as AI begins to reshape hiring March 22, 2026 Rishi Sunak has called for a rethink of how work is taxed, warning that AI is beginning to shift hiring patterns as companies weigh the cost of people against automation. Writing in The Times, Sunak said employers face immediate costs when hiring through national insurance contributions (NIC), while deploying AI carries no equivalent tax burden, [...]
One in five founders expect to leave UK in next 12 months March 19, 2026 A fifth of British entrepreneurs expect to leave the country in the next 12 months as confidence in the government sinks to a new low. Fresh data from the Entrepreneurs Network has revealed the growing fears of a ‘brain drain’ could be set to escalate with just over one in five founders pencilling in plans [...]
Zack Polanski’s economic agenda is dangerous…and popular March 19, 2026 There was a time when the Green Party was all about recycling, rewilding and veganism, but these days the economy forms the centrepiece of their pitch to voters. Yesterday their leader, Zack Polanksi, set out his party’s economic vision and he started with a diagnosis. He said people feel like they’re “running every day just to [...]
Today’s the day we finally get to hear the Chancellor’s plans for growth March 17, 2026 GDP growth in November was 0.2 per cent. It slipped to 0.1 per cent in December and we now know that by the end of January it had withered to zero. The British economy recorded no growth in the first month of this year. It was only a monthly reading and it may be revised [...]
Brits fleeing Dubai could trigger ‘surprise’ UK tax bills March 16, 2026 British expats returning to the UK from the Middle East over safety concerns as a result of the war in Iran could face “hidden tax costs”. The British expat population in the UAE is among the largest outside the UK, with estimates of 130,000 to 240,000 British nationals living and working in Dubai and Abu [...]
Brits remain in the dark over pension tax relief rate as deadline looms March 16, 2026 The countdown is on for the end of the tax year, but Brits are still in the dark over their pension tax relief, causing them to miss opportunities to boost their wealth. Almost nine in ten people do not know the rate of tax relief they receive on pension contributions, according to the latest research [...]
Scrap inheritance tax! March 16, 2026 Inheritance tax is burdensome, distortionary and barely raises any revenue. Get rid of it now says Kristian Niemietz If you work in Westminster, you treat protest marches as part of the background noise. I have been working in SW1 since the late-stage Gordon Brown era, and I have certainly seen my fair share of those [...]