HMRC to receive powers to enforce disclosure of assets September 19, 2020 HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will be given new powers that will allow it to force financial institutions to provide information about people’s assets. The firms will be required to pass on customer information if served with a “financial institution notice” by HMRC under new measures proposed in the next finance bill. It will mean [...]
Around 5m workers were furloughed in July amid uneven recovery September 18, 2020 As many as 5.3m people remained on the furlough scheme at the end of the July, although almost a million returned to their jobs on a part-time basis, the latest figures from HMRC showed. The furlough scheme became flexible in July, meaning businesses could bring employees back part-time. The government paid 80 per cent of [...]
Travelex creditors take £368m hit after pre-pack administration September 16, 2020 Unsecured creditors in troubled foreign exchange provider Travelex are set to suffer heavy losses after suffering a shortfall of more than £368m. The majority of the shortfall, around £319m, is owed to bondholders who took control of Travelex but whose identities are unknown, according to the Times. Last month PwC said a pre-pack administration sale [...]
Amazon continues jobs spree with 100,000 additional roles September 14, 2020 Amazon has said it is intending to recruit another 100,000 new jobs in North America this year, marking its fourth hiring effort in 2020 alone. The e-commerce giant has announced plans to hire a total of 208,000 new employees this year, after revealing 33,000 jobs for headquarters roles earlier this month and 175,000 new operations [...]
You’re required: Alan Sugar urges public to get back to work September 11, 2020 Business tycoon Lord Alan Sugar today urged Brits to “put on a suit, put on a dress and get back to work” amid rising calls to kickstart the faltering economy. Speaking to LBC radio, Sugar said people’s resilience meant “they get back, they recover, they get over it”. “If you do the right things which [...]
Amazon pays just £293m in UK corporation tax despite revenue bounce September 9, 2020 Amazon paid out less than £300m in tax to HMRC last year, despite raking in an extra £3bn in revenue. The e-commerce giant said it paid £293m in direct tax — meaning contributions paid directly to the Treasury through levies such as corporation tax and business rates — in 2019, rising by more than a [...]
Furlough scheme: UK looking at 27,000 potential fraud cases September 8, 2020 The UK’s tax authority is looking into 27,000 potential cases of fraud relating to the government’s furlough scheme. HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) probes have already led to an arrest of one person who has been suspected of fraud and there are a “number of active investigations”, according to the Prime Minister’s spokesman. HMRC’s top [...]
Worried about furlough fraud? Now is the time to check your claims September 7, 2020 When Covid-19 struck, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) introduced the furlough scheme at remarkable speed to help people and businesses through the pandemic. But when claims are made in a rush – and under huge pressure – mistakes are inevitable. Also, sadly, when a recession hits the likelihood of fraud tends to increase. That is [...]
Finablr to miss accounts deadline amid fraud claims August 25, 2020 Troubled payments business Finablr which is entangled in a fraud probe today said it would miss its deadline this week to publish its financial accounts. The Travelex-owner said on 23 June that it had changed its accounting reference date to 28 February, resulting in a deadline of 28 August to publish its financial statements. Finablr [...]
Lending through key UK coronavirus schemes tops £52bn August 18, 2020 Bank lending to struggling businesses through the government-backed coronavirus lending programmes has topped £52bn, figures today showed. The bounce back loan scheme (BBLS), under which the government backs 100 per cent of loans up to £50,000, has seen by far the most use. Treasury figures showed £35.5bn had been lent out through the programme by [...]