Britain lost one pub a day in 2025 December 31, 2025 One pub a day closed its doors in 2025 as businesses were forced to battle mounting cost pressures and an increasingly heavy tax burden. Fresh analysis from global tax firm Ryan showed 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses in the last 12 months. Since 2020, nearly 2,000 pubs have closed for good, [...]
Tax crackdown in 2026: Why experts predict a wave of enforcement actions December 30, 2025 Under the Labour government, HMRC has shifted from a reactive to a highly proactive stance, and tax experts expect increased tax enforcement in the new year. The government has committed to invest an additional £555m annually in HMRC to boost tax compliance and transform its technology. The investment aims to raise an extra £5.1bn in [...]
Lawyers warn farmers: Labour’s U-turn on IHT threshold “not an all-clear” December 24, 2025 Lawyers warned that, despite Labour’s U-turn on the inheritance tax relief threshold for farms, many agricultural families may still be impacted, and significant tax burdens may remain for some estates. In a whiplash U-turn, the Labour government revealed on Tuesday that, after a year of backlash from rural communities, it would increase the Agricultural and [...]
Labour U-turns on inheritance tax raid after year of farmer protests December 23, 2025 The Labour government will raise the inheritance tax relief threshold for farms in another dramatic U-turn following a year of backlash from rural communities. On Tuesday, the Treasury and Department for Food and Rural Affairs said it would increase the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs threshold to £2.5m from £1m when it is introduced in [...]
Decluttering after Christmas? Tax expert clarifies rules for selling unwanted gifts on eBay and Vinted December 23, 2025 Not everyone is thrilled with their Christmas haul, after all, there are only so many novelty socks, scented candles, and mystery kitchen gadgets one household can handle before space starts to run out. Usually, as a result, apps like Vinted see a surge in activity around Christmas, with sellers hoping to offload unwanted gifts. [...]
Business confidence ticked up after Budget, Lloyds Bank says December 23, 2025 Business confidence inched up at the end of 2025, according to a new survey, as firms were brought some relief and clarity after the Autumn Budget. Lloyds Banking Group’s latest Business Barometer found business confidence etched up 10 points by the end of 2025 when compared with the beginning of the year. Half of this [...]
Private sector slump to drag on to Spring 2026, businesses say December 22, 2025 UK business leaders have warned that the sharp downturn in the private sector is likely to continue until Spring 2026, after firms put plans for future investment on ice in the run-up to the Labour government’s Autumn Budget. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) anticipates private sector output to fall in the fourth quarter after [...]
UK investors spooked by tax hikes on dividends and savings December 16, 2025 Rachel Reeves’ Budget decisions have raised alarm bells among DIY investors after they were hit with tax hikes and cuts to incentives, despite the Chancellor’s aim to push more funds into public markets. Over 70 per cent of investors said they were concerned about the increased basic and higher rates of taxes on dividends, property [...]
Big banks SME lending comeback slowed down by Budget jitters December 11, 2025 High street banks’ return to small business lending slowed in the third quarter of 2025 after the chaos on the road to the Autumn Budget dampened activity in the economy. Big banks dished out nearly £4.2bn in total loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the three months to 30 September – a level [...]
Rachel Reeves’ Budget was ‘monumentally mishandled,’ says London-listed bank December 11, 2025 A London-listed bank has given its scathing assessment of Rachel Reeves’ second Autumn Budget and warned of the impact it will have on consumer confidence. S&U – which was founded in 1938 and once known as Sports and Utilities – said the performance of its motor finance and property financing arms was “remarkably resilient given [...]