Brexit papers: Government positions on cross-border trading, Irish citizens, driving licences, mobile roaming charges and blue passports revealed September 13, 2018 UK driving licences may not be valid in the European Union in the event of a no deal, the government warned today, as part of its latest batch of Brexit papers. While EU driving licence holders will not be affected when they travel through the UK, Brits may have to obtain one of two different [...]
Events with a Greater Return: ICAEW Conferences September 12, 2018 What do a farmer, a charity chief executive and a managing partner at a solicitor’s firm all have in common? They all need talented accountants to help them make a success of their organisation. And these accountants can all benefit from the diverse portfolio of events offered by ICAEW, the membership body for 150,000 chartered [...]
Does your child have a forgotten £1,000 nest egg? September 7, 2018 Child Trust Funds (CTFs) were once a popular way to save for children. They were introduced in April 2005 to encourage long-term saving and give all children a financial boost by the time they reached 18. The government sent vouchers to parents of between £250 and £500 to give accounts a head start, and family [...]
UK house prices growth accelerated in August September 7, 2018 Annual house price growth picked up in the three months to August, growing by 3.7 per cent, compared to a 3.3 per cent annual rise in the run up to July, according to new figures released today by Halifax. With the average home costing £229,958, house prices remained steady month to month, ticking upwards by [...]
Minimum wage needs radical reform, says free market think-tank September 3, 2018 The UK's minimum wage structure should be simplified to just one or two different hourly rates for workers aged 18 and over, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) said today. The UK has five different minimum hourly wage rates, more than almost any other country. In a new report the IEA said the complicated structure [...]
Green Man Gaming lines up £100m London float September 2, 2018 Tech player Green Man Gaming is set to announce its intention to float this week in a listing that could be valued at £100m. The float is expected to reap rich rewards for Green Man’s backers which include lastminute.com co-founder Brent Hoberman, Zoopla boss Alex Chesterman and Moshi Monsters co-creator Michael Acton Smith. Read more: [...]
Celebrity tax avoiders banned from honours award list September 1, 2018 Celebrity tax avoiders have been banned from being awarded with knighthoods and other honours, it has been revealed. Nominees for the awards are judged by HM Revenue and Customs and the Cabinet Office, according to a memorandum of understanding, which states that "poor tax behaviour is not consistent with the award of an honour", The Times [...]
ISA saver numbers fall to lowest level since 2000 August 31, 2018 The number of savers using ISAs has fallen to an 18-year low as consumers seek alternative investment methods. New account numbers fell to 10.8m in 2017/18, the lowest number since 2000, according to new figures published by HMRC today. However, although there are fewer accounts, the amount of money being saved in ISAs has increased hugely – [...]
City law firm criticises HMRC’s use of informants to claw back receipts from tax evaders August 28, 2018 A city law firm has criticised HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for paying informants to provide details on possible tax evasion, saying there were "ethical risks" tied to the practice. RPC said the practice of paying informants opened up the risk of increased data theft as disgruntled employees with an axe to grind could be persuaded into [...]
House transactions slide lower amid ‘stagnant’ property market August 21, 2018 The number of houses being bought and sold edged further down last month, as fears of a stagnant property market continue to loom large. Residential transactions were 3.2 per cent lower in July 2018 compared with the same month last year, according to the latest data from HMRC’s property transaction statistics. Read more: There is [...]