Here’s what Brexit might do to your tax bill June 23, 2016 If the UK votes to leave the EU today, tax experts are advising that it could result in a shakeup to certain parts of the tax regime – although exactly how is not quite certain. Will a Brexit vote result in a complete overhaul of tax as we know it? While some taxation rules might be ripe for a [...]
London’s drinking hotspots outdid the rest of the UK in May June 16, 2016 Ahead of the annual summer drinking boom London's pubs and bars were buoyed in May, as sales at the capital's drinking holes outpaced the rest of the country. Like-for-like sales at pubs and bars in London were up 3.8 per cent, while the pub and restaurant sector as a whole grew by 0.9 per cent. "With a [...]
National Audit Office finds serious failings in procurement process of contract between UK Trade and Investment and PA Consulting June 10, 2016 The National Audit Office (NAO) has today slated both the government department and the consulting agency involved in a contract which saw the government being questionably charged for services. Among the report's criticisms are that UK Trade and Investment's (UKTI) governance of the procurement process for its contract with PA Consulting was weak, that the government department [...]
HMRC tells accountants it’s business as usual for routine tax planning June 8, 2016 The taxman has written to a leading accountancy firm to reassure it that it's business as usual for routine tax planning. Accountancy firm RSM, which has offices in the City, previously wrote in its weekly tax bulletin that it was concerned about a report that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) had published in May. The report [...]
BHS blamed for the collapse of supplier as Pretty Polly tights firm goes into administration May 25, 2016 An iconic clothing firm that supplied BHS has gone into administration, blaming its collapse on the high street retailer. Courtaulds makes and supplies branded clothing, including Pretty Polly tights; its collapse will result in the loss of 350 jobs at the company. CUK Clothing, which merged with Courtaulds in 2006, also went into administration. Read more: The BHS brouhaha [...]
Cold weather and early Easter hit the pub trade in April, according to CGA Peach’s Coffer Peach Business Tracker May 19, 2016 Pub sales suffered as a result of cold weather and an early Easter, according to figures from CGA Peach's Coffer Peach Business Tracker. Pub groups experienced a 2.7 per cent sales decline on the same month last year, undermining wider growth in casual dining trading, although restaurant groups registered a like-for-like trading increase of 2.5 per [...]
Listen: Women in the City – time to stop asking why, and start asking why not? May 18, 2016 Whose responsibility is it to put more women into top roles? At the launch of City A.M.'s Power 100 list, our digital editor Emma Haslett was joined by Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia, A Very Good Company founder Natalie Campbell, Tech City chief of staff Caroline Makepeace and RSM chief executive Jean Stephens to [...]
Suitors wanted: Investors circle as Austin Reed becomes the latest retailer to tumble into administration April 26, 2016 Austin Reed has become the second retailer to enter administration in as many days, following the collapse of BHS on Monday. Yesterday, AlixPartners’ Peter Saville, Kevin Coates and Catherine William-son were named joint administrators of the firm, after months of challenging market conditions and cash flow problems. Two names have emerged as potential rescuers of the [...]
RSM International boss Jean Stephens: Take the emotion out of equality and remember the facts – more diverse businesses just do better April 18, 2016 Jean Stephens is a woman who is passionate about diversity but, from time to time, she thinks it would be better to suck the emotion out of the often explosive subject and just face the facts: improving diversity in the boardroom could improve profits too. "Everyone has to embrace the fact that, by having diverse opinions [...]
The 32 best barbecue restaurants in America: From Austin to North Carolina, we take a foodie tour of the American South’s top grills March 7, 2016 The best way to see America is by car, and the best way to taste America is on a driving tour of the country’s most celebrated BBQ pits. On a three week, six state and 2,500 mile journey from Texas to the Carolinas, I went in search of the best BBQ in the American South, [...]