From stamp duty to the triple lock, Andy Haldane says bold Burnham leadership can usher ‘vibe change’ for UK economy
Government proposals to fix the NHS pension crisis still miss the mark August 14, 2019 It has been an unfortunate theme over recent years that public services have to reach crisis point before the government is stirred to take action. And here we have the mother of all crises (that is, the NHS crisis) made worse by a desperately confusing pensions system. When a tax rule is effectively stopping doctors [...]
Businesses vent fury at handling of Brexit after economy shrinks August 9, 2019 UK business organisations have condemned the continuation of Brexit uncertainty after it helped push the economy into contraction in the second quarter. They called for “decisive action” to turn the situation around. Read more: UK economy shrinks for first time in six years GDP fell by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter, data from [...]
Fall in super-rich ‘non-doms’ sees tax receipts fall August 8, 2019 The number of super-wealthy UK residents who pay no tax on foreign earnings in Britain has fallen to a record low, causing tax receipts to suffer, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed today. Read more: Freeports: Government plans tax-free hubs There were 78,000 non-domiciled taxpayers in Britain last year, down from 98,500 the year earlier, [...]
London Deutsche Bank trader charged in Germany for ‘VAT fraud’ August 7, 2019 A trader who worked at Deutsche Bank in London has been charged by German prosecutors for his suspected role in VAT fraud. A 48-year-old Austrian is “accused of having participated as a member of a gang in a VAT carousel” connected to €145m of evaded tax, a statement from the Frankfurt Attorney General’s office said. [...]
Mike Ashley-backed Goals Soccer Centres to delist from stock market after ‘improper’ accounting August 2, 2019 Goals Soccer Centres said today it will delist from the stock market after it discovered “improper behaviour” going back to 2010 that means it will be unable to file its accounts. The move will be a blow to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct which owns an 18 per cent stake in the company. Goals said today [...]
Credit Suisse back on track as second quarter profit soars July 31, 2019 Credit Suisse today said it is on track to meet its full-year targets after posting its strongest quarterly results in four years. The bank reported pre-tax profit of 1.3bn Swiss francs (£1.1bn) in the second quarter, up 24 per cent on the previous year. Net profit attributed to shareholders soared 45 per cent to 937m [...]
UK house sales plummet in June, held back by Brexit ‘ball and chain’ July 23, 2019 House sales crashed 16.5 per cent in June, as the property market took a “wait-and-see” attitude to transactions amid Brexit uncertainty. Monthly HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures showed British residential property sales fell to 84,490, more than one-sixth down on the same period last year. Read more: London house prices suffer worst plunge in [...]
MPs call for audit watchdog to reform after endorsing new chair Simon Dingemans July 22, 2019 An influential committee of MPs has called for radical reforms from Britain’s accountancy watchdog after endorsing the appointment of its proposed new chair. Parliament’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee (Beis) has given its approval for Simon Dingemans to take over as chair of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), but has urged the group to [...]
Number of employees enjoying job perks falls to 12-year low July 22, 2019 Corporate cost cutting has pushed the number of people receiving major job perks to a 12-year low, according to research. The number of employees who receive taxable job perks such as company cars, private medical insurance and staff accommodation fell 3.6m last year. Read more: Google UK employees earned £226,000 on average last year The [...]
Judge dismisses Credit Suisse claims in £239m banking bonus row July 19, 2019 A UK court has dismissed an attempt from Credit Suisse to recoup £239m that it paid as a one-off tax on bonuses, closing the curtains on a decade-long tussle that was sparked by the financial crisis. Read more: Dixons Carphone executives delay bonuses The Swiss multinational bank has lost a legal battle with HMRC over [...]