By: Maria Ward-Brennan

Senior Reporter Maria Ward-Brennan is a senior reporter focused on law and professional services. Contact her via email on maria.ward-brennan@cityam.com or X (Twitter) @MariaW_B

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Sweet relief: Ferrero’s Nutella biscuits remain VAT-free snack

October 28, 2025

A Tax Tribunal ruled in favour of Ferrero UK, stating that their ‘Nutella Biscuits’ are zero-rated for VAT, in yet another food battle HMRC has had over the bizarre tax rules around food. The case centred on whether the ‘Nutella Biscuits’ were “biscuits… partly covered with chocolate or some product similar in taste and appearance” [...]
British businesses lead the world in risk management

October 28, 2025

UK businesses lead global peers in risk oversight, with nearly eight in ten British businesses reporting that boards are directly involved, a figure significantly higher than global peers. According to Aon’s new ‘global risk management survey’, senior leadership in the UK is taking on greater responsibility for the risks their businesses face, as three-quarters of [...]
Massa £64m damages case against F1 and Ecclestone set for court this week

October 28, 2025

Legal action over the controversy of the F1 2008 crash, dubbed ‘crashgate’, is set for the English High Court this week, where a judge will hear allegations from Felipe Massa that the aftermath cost him the 2008 Championship. Brazilian driver Massa competed in F1 from 2002 to 2017, serving with several teams, notably Ferrari. During [...]
City watchdog accused of ‘massive overreach’ in motor finance clampdown

October 28, 2025

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has been accused of a “massive overreach” following letters sent to law firms and claims management companies (CMCs) requesting batches of information under the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers law. The FCA sent letters in August, seen by City AM, requesting information on the law firms’ motor finance services, [...]
Smuggling gangs likely to capitalise on tobacco bill, experts say

October 27, 2025

As the Lords debate Labour’s tobacco and vapes Bill, experts have warned it could hand a major victory to the same organised criminal gangs behind illegal smuggling. Labour’s proposed Bill, which started the committee stage at the House of Lords on Monday, would create a generational ban on tobacco sales and implement stricter regulations on [...]
EY UK bounces back with growth in most divisions but consulting lags

October 27, 2025

Big Four giant EY UK has seen a bounce back after its fee income grew by 2 per cent over the last financial year to £3.78bn, with the majority of its divisions seeing growth. The firm’s distributable profits before tax grew by over 3 per cent, from £653m in FY24 to £679m, while the giant also reported [...]
The compromising iPad photos that dragged a London quant trader to court

October 25, 2025

It’s never easy moving jobs in the Square Mile – especially for the higher ups. Once you reach a certain seniority, your employer frets over the threat posed if you jump ship – what strategic information you could take with you. That was true for a London-based quant firm called G-Research, after one of its [...]
Sheffield Wednesday enter administration owing £1m in unpaid tax

October 24, 2025

Struggling Championship club Sheffield Wednesday have filed for administration amid mounting financial issues under the stewardship of Dejphon Chansiri. Thai tuna tycoon Chansiri has owned the Hillsborough club for a decade but the Owls have been under pressure to pay staff for a number of months, and reportedly owe around £1m in unpaid tax to [...]
AI drives surge in fraud as criminals turn to more sophisticated scams

October 24, 2025

Fraud losses hit £629m in H1 2025, driven by new investment scams and record card fraud, as AI enables criminals to commit more sophisticated scams. For the first six months of 2025, there were over 2m confirmed fraud cases, a 17 per cent increase, according to trade body UK Finance, as criminals stole £629.3m, a [...]
Treasury’s LLP tax proposal could add £46,000 burden per partner

October 23, 2025

Law firms’ partners could face an additional £1.4bn in tax each year if the Treasury goes ahead with imposing a 15 per cent rate of national insurance contributions on LLPs. According to data provided by HMRC to UHY Hacker Young, partners of law firms made a total of £9.2bn in profits in the latest year. [...]

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Valentine’s Day: Fancy a romantic bowl of chocolate spaghetti?

By: Maria Ward-Brennan

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