Invest in Isas like it’s 1999 March 28, 2019 The Individual Savings Account (Isa) is approaching its twentieth birthday, and since its inception it has been hugely popular. In the last tax year alone, 10.8m adult Isas were opened. But despite this popularity, have savers made the most of the opportunity? Big benefits When the Isa launched in 1999, it had an annual allowance of [...]
Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey pledges ‘aggressive’ action against absentee landlords March 28, 2019 Tory mayoral hopeful Shaun Bailey has said he will crack down on London's empty "ghost homes" if he replaces Sadiq Khan as the capital's mayor. Bailey has pledged to give more money to councils to levy empty dwelling management orders, which give them legal powers to take over unoccupied properties to use as housing. A review by housing [...]
Bellway hikes dividend as revenues jump despite Brexit knock on confidence March 27, 2019 Bellway posted a double-digit rise in revenues this morning, shrugging off fears of Brexit uncertainty as cheap borrowing, high employment and the government’s Help to Buy scheme all provided a boon for the housebuilder over the last six months. In its interim results for the half-year to to 31 January 2019, the FTSE 250 developer posted [...]
DEBATE: The Mueller report has cleared Trump of collusion with Russia – is this the end of his legal worries? March 26, 2019 The Mueller report has cleared Trump of collusion with Russia – is this the end of his legal worries? YES, says Sarah Elliott, chair of Republicans Overseas UK After two years and over $25m of taxpayer funds, the big conspiracy, perpetuated by the Trump-deranged media, that the 45th President was elected because of Russian collusion has [...]
Moss Bros wipes out dividend as it swings to a loss after ‘extremely challenging’ year March 26, 2019 Historic men’s tailoring firm Moss Bros moved into the red this morning, blaming a turbulent trading environment for its first losses in almost a decade. Shares tumbled more than five per cent in early morning trading. Read more: Joules boss Colin Porter to take on role as Moss Bros chairman The figures In its preliminary [...]
Irn-Bru maker AG Barr sees revenues edge up March 26, 2019 Irn-Bru maker AG Barr revealed a modest bump in annual profits and revenues this morning, shrugging off challenges from a new sugar tax and CO2 shortages but forecasting continued uncertainty in the months ahead. The figures In its full-year results this morning, the FTSE 250 soft drinks manufacturer said that revenue grew by 5.6 per [...]
Just Group completes £375m fundraising to meet new regulations March 25, 2019 Retirement services firm Just Group shares fell again this morning as it announced it had completed a £375m fundraise to comply with new capital requirement rules. The firm, which unveiled heavy 2018 pre-tax losses earlier this month, said it had issued £300m worth of bonds and raised an extra £75m via an equity placing. Read [...]
HMRC doubles number of investigations into apprenticeship levy underpayments March 25, 2019 The number of investigations by tax authorities into underpayment of the apprenticeship levy has more than doubled in a year. HMRC launched 84 investigations last year collecting an additional £6.2m, according to research by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young. Read more: Apprenticeship levels up on last year but still hampered by 2017 levy There is concern that [...]
Wetherspoon shares swing wildly as profit plunges March 22, 2019 | City Talk Five times the shares failed to make a break above 1,340p stick. Is it sixth time lucky for Wetherspoon? Alongside the usual diatribe against the Brexit process and the tax disparity with supermarkets, pub chain JD Wetherspoon (LSE:JDW) has fallen foul of higher costs, especially with regards to labour. This has impacted the bottom line [...]
Emojis are a better metric for national wellbeing than traditional data methods March 20, 2019 HMRC’s programme to make tax digital continues to roll out. Anyone with a small business will know about the imminent deadline of 1 April, when VAT returns become digital. Quick to seize an opportunity, several companies have developed software to ease the task. The digitisation of tax raises the wider issue of whether technology will [...]