Six tips to give your Isa a last-minute savings boost March 20, 2019 As the tax deadline creeps closer, by now you’re probably tired of the constant reminders to use or lose your annual £20,000 tax-free Isa limit. Perhaps you’ve been ignoring the prompts, putting everything off until now. You certainly wouldn’t be alone in doing so. In fact, looking at the past three tax years, wealth management [...]
Marshalls shares race to record high: What now? March 19, 2019 | City Talk Up 78 per cent since we backed them, the shares are still not expensive and the business is in great shape. Marshalls (LSE:MSLH) is an easy company to like. It makes things we all use on a daily basis, and it makes them well. Despite Brexit and a weak construction sector, its concrete paving slabs have [...]
Is the proposed ban on TV junk food ads before 9pm just another example of nanny state regulation? March 19, 2019 Is the proposed ban on TV junk food ads before 9pm just another example of nanny state regulation? Daniel Pryor, head of programmes at the Adam Smith Institute, says YES. When the government wants to treat TV ads for fruit juice like soft porn, you know something has gone horribly wrong. There’s no legal definition of [...]
HMRC demands professional services firms hand over information on clients suspected of tax evasion March 19, 2019 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued nearly 1,500 demands to professional service firms for more information on clients suspected of tax evasion, a law firm has found. The taxman issued 1,414 requests to accountants, lawyers and other professional services firms in the year up to 31 March last year for information on clients that [...]
Travelodge eyes expansion with 100 new hotels as turnaround delivers higher sales March 18, 2019 One of the UK’s largest budget hotel groups hailed its own turnaround plan this morning after posting a rise in revenues and plans for 100 new site openings seven years after being on the brink of collapse. Travelodge, which has lured more customers into its value hotels amid an economic slowdown, posted sales of £693m [...]
DEBATE: Could France overtake Britain for tech investment? March 18, 2019 Could France overtake Britain for tech investment? Kat Borlongan, director of the French Tech Mission, says YES. There are number of misconceptions around doing business in France. A language barrier and extensive bureaucracy have perhaps deterred investors from funding some of the best tech startups, specialising in everything from artificial intelligence to smart cities. But these [...]
Opinion: First time buyers purchasing new builds with the help of Mum and Dad are missing out on SDLT relief March 15, 2019 Stamp duty land tax relief for all first-time buyers for purchases up to £500,000: this was the pledge made by the Chancellor, Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, in the 2017 Autumn Budget. Given the usual stamp duty threshold is far lower than the average house price in London, this was a big win for first-time [...]
Opinion: Post-Brexit Britain should be open to the world and a foreign buyer tax sends exactly the opposite message March 15, 2019 House price growth is at its lowest rate in five years, according to the latest ONS statistics. While Brexit is clearly a contributing factor, stamp duty is the main culprit in the London market. It is therefore highly alarming that the government has decided to press ahead with divvying out yet another stamp duty burden. [...]
Just Group leads FTSE fallers after revealing £400m fundraising plans March 14, 2019 Retirement services firm Just Group has seen shares fall 11 per cent today after revealing plans to raise almost £400m to comply with new capital requirement rules as it unveiled a heavy loss before tax in 2018. The firm said it plans a debt offering of £300m and will raise a further £80m from an equity [...]
Spring Statement 2019: How investors can profit March 14, 2019 | City Talk By Jemma Jackson from interactive investor. There were no bunnies in the chancellor’s hat, but here are the ways investors can benefit this spring. As predicted, Brexit uncertainty torpedoed any chance of good news for the UK’s savers and investors in Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Statement. We hear there’s a ‘deal dividend’ of £26.6 billion, [...]