Real tax reform is an impossibility until we shrink the size of the state April 4, 2012 EVERY year about this time, as the daffodils start blooming there is a call from some think tank, academic or economist for major tax reform. This year, it was Andrew Sentance, writing in The Forum. There are two responses that a politician can make to this. The wise but cautious one pays lip service to [...]
Canadian fund targets Goals transfer deal April 2, 2012 SHARES in Goals Soccer Centres leapt 24 per cent yesterday after an approach by a Canadian pension fund triggered hopes of a bidding war for the five-a-side chain. The stock pared its gains and closed up 16.28 per cent at 125p after the private equity arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan made a preliminary approach [...]
Give your finances a spring clean: A guide to tidying up all the mess April 1, 2012 SAVINGS Tom Stevenson, investment director, Fidelity WITH a new tax year approaching, the sun shining and a string of bank holidays ahead, spring is certainly in the air. Now is the perfect time for you to take control of your savings. The first step of any spring clean should be ensuring that your money is [...]
Advice for budding businesses April 1, 2012 ACCOUNTING ACCOUNTING is an unloved but essential discipline for entrepreneurs. Businesses that fail to keep the financial score are flying blind. Record and track your results to monitor your financial status. Measure sales, costs and working capital. Identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will keep your business on track, including orders, sales and gross [...]
War of words worsens as Laxey demands Alliance dividend rise March 29, 2012 THE ROW between Alliance Trust and activist investor Laxey Partners deepened yesterday as the hedge fund’s demand for a major hike in the dividend was dismissed as Greek-style economic management. Laxey received a withering response after it wrote to Alliance chairman Lesley Knox saying the fund will be in a position to pay larger dividends [...]
Smash open your Isa’s full potential March 28, 2012 INDIVIDUAL savings accounts (Isas) are a success story of financial marketing. Most are aware of them, many use them, and a great number understand their tax benefits. As the tax year ends on 5 April, everyone should now ensure they take full advantage. Despite Isas piercing the public consciousness, some investors don’t make the most [...]
The Budget sent mixed messages on tax certainty March 22, 2012 WE’VE had good news, bad news, and surprising news from the Budget. The UK looks attractive, partly due to financial tension in Europe. The question is whether the Budget added to or reduced the UK’s appeal as a place to do business. The answer, unsurprisingly, is mixed. The reduction of additional rate income tax from [...]
What was in Osborne’s red box: our quick summary March 22, 2012 THE ECONOMY/PUBLIC FINANCES The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that UK GDP will grow by around 0.8 per cent this year, the same rate as in 2011, up from its earlier forecast of 0.7 per cent. The beneficial effects of falling inflation are expected to be offset by uncertainty over the Eurozone and tighter [...]
Loopholes on home sale fee slammed shut March 21, 2012 AN AGGRESSIVE crackdown against stamp duty avoidance on high-end properties will begin today, as the government slaps a punitive tax on the sales of expensive homes that wealthy people put into companies’ names. Sales of properties worth £2m or more that are “enveloped” in a bid to avoid the tax, will now be hit with [...]
Osborne sets UK £1 trillion export target March 21, 2012 CONSERVATIVE backbenchers roared with delight as George Osborne unveiled a series of initiatives to boost businesses amid Britain’s flagging economic recovery. Their main wish had already been granted after the chancellor scrapped the 50p top rate of income tax but he also devised several moves on enterprise, investment and exports. Osborne announced a £200m increase [...]