Treasury Select Committee chair slams dodgy maths on costs of scrapping the yearly tax return February 9, 2017 The chair of the influential Treasury Select Committee today questioned the figures which have been produced so far for the cost to businesses of HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) Making Tax Digital project. The taxman's landmark initiative, which will see people update HMRC on their financial details throughout the year rather than filling out a [...]
Candy brothers accused of subjecting businessman to campaign of abuse over loan deal gone wrong February 8, 2017 Property tycoons Nick and Christian Candy were brought to court today over claims they threatened a businessman over a loan deal gone awry. Entrepreneur Mark Holyoake, who is known for the now collapsed British Seafood importing business, is suing the brothers for £132m in damages in London's High Court. Holyoake, a former long-time friend of Nick [...]
Trio of ex-Barclays bankers convicted of Libor rigging due to face confiscation hearing tomorrow February 8, 2017 Three ex-Barclays bankers previously found guilty of Libor-rigging offences are scheduled for confiscation hearings in a London court tomorrow. Jonathan Mathew, Jay Merchant and Alex Pabon were convicted and handed jail sentences last summer in the third case brought to court as part of the Serious Fraud Office's ongoing Libor investigation. Former submitter Mathew is currently serving a [...]
Why Monte dei Paschi shares might get kicked from the blue-chip index tomorrow February 8, 2017 Monte dei Paschi di Siena's management board need to decide tomorrow whether it is going to reinstate its shares in the near future, or risk being kicked from Milan's blue-chip index. Shares in the troubled Italian lender have been suspended for trading since last December, when a private sector rescue plan, designed to pump €5bn (£4.3bn) into the [...]
Lawsuit gets turned up to 11 as Spinal Tap back together to sue Vivendi for $400m February 8, 2017 The band's back together: Members of mock rock group Spinal Tap have reunited to sue Vivendi. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner have joined a legal action brought by Harry Shearer, claiming the French media giant has failed to properly share profits since it bought the rights to the 1984 cult film This Is Spinal Tap. [...]
MPs add to calls for fairer overdraft charges February 8, 2017 MPs have today added to calls to urgently review overdraft charges, placing a cap on the amount lenders can levy if needs be. Rachel Reeves, the Labour MP who brought this morning's Westminster Hall debate, described some of the current levels of overdraft charges as "disproportionate with the offence you have committed", adding: "I don't [...]
We built it, they didn’t come: TSB to shut branches as more people bank online February 8, 2017 TSB is closing the doors on 29 of its branches, as people increasingly favour banking online. The challenger bank, which was spun out from Lloyds before being snapped up by Spanish Sabadell in 2015, said today some of its least popular locations are now serving fewer than 200 customers per week, pushing it to make the decision to [...]
Dipped into your overdraft recently? You might have been better off with a payday loan February 8, 2017 Bad news for anybody who has gone into their overdraft recently – you might have been better off with a payday loan. Research published today by consumer group Which? found charges from the big high street lenders could cost as much as 180 per cent of the amount borrowed. Customers needing as little as £100 could find [...]
Could it be Luxembourg for Lloyd’s of London? Insurance market narrows shortlist for post-Brexit hub February 7, 2017 Lloyd's of London is homing in on Luxembourg for its new EU camp post-Brexit. The insurance market, which will keep the majority of its operations in London, had narrowed its shortlist to five possible locations – Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. It has previously ruled out a move to Malta. However, the Press Association [...]
It’s not working out: MPs call for rethink of fraud squad’s blockbuster funding February 7, 2017 Funding for the fraud squad needs to be overhauled, as the agency now leans too heavily on financing intended solely for its mega cases, MPs have argued today. Stephen Timms, the Labour MP who brought this morning's Westminster Hall debate on the funding of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), remarked the agency had recently shifted "away [...]
