Coping with our confusing and expensive childcare system May 29, 2019 Childcare is notoriously expensive in the UK. For UK parents with two children, around 46 per cent of household income goes towards childcare – the highest of all OECD countries – while prices have risen three per cent in the past year, according to the UK’s Childcare Survey 2019. “With the cost of full-time childcare [...]
Goals Soccer Centres warns of weaker results amid accountancy blunder May 28, 2019 Five-a-side football venue operator Goals has warned that its 2018 and 2019 performances will likely be significantly weaker than previously expected in the wake of a major accountancy error. The embattled firm, which has been suspending its shares since March, said this morning it is forecasting both its 2018 and 2019 financial results to be "materially below expectations and [...]
Uber launches electric bike-sharing scheme Jump in London May 24, 2019 Uber today launched an electric bike-sharing service in London in the firm's latest attempt to expand its transport offering beyond cars. The ride-hailing app has rolled out the a pilot scheme of 350 bikes in Islington, with plans to expand into other London boroughs in the coming months. Read more: Uber facing £1bn VAT tax [...]
Property transactions dip in April as political uncertainty weighs on buyers May 21, 2019 Property transactions slipped slightly in April as political uncertainty hampered a traditional spring surge. Read more: How London house prices in every borough have performed in 2019 Residential property transactions fell 0.3 per cent month-on-month in April, but were up 0.8 per cent on last year, according to the latest figures from HMRC. The dip [...]
Taxman opens investigation into claims Uber owes £1bn in unpaid VAT May 19, 2019 HMRC has opened an investigation into Uber over allegations it owes around £1bn in unpaid VAT. Uber claims it is exempt from paying VAT because its drivers are self-employed and their earnings fall below the £85,000 threshold. However, HMRC is now looking into whether Uber is a transportation company and should therefore be liable to pay [...]
Logistics firm Wincanton raises profits despite fall in revenue May 16, 2019 Small cap logistics firm Wincanton boosted profits in its latest financial year despite slipping revenues, sending shares up 1.6 per cent to 260p in early trading. Read more: Wincanton cashes in on Brexit uncertainty The figures Profit before tax increased 6.3 per cent year on year to £49.3m in the 12 months to the end [...]
Royal Returns – Interactive Investor on funds and trusts fit for children May 15, 2019 By Jemma Jackson from interactive investor. Whilst the latest addition to the Royal family won’t want for much, it’s unlikely that any investments made on his behalf will be left to languish in cash. This contrasts with the majority of the nation’s Junior ISAs, where 70 per cent by number are in cash in the 2017/18 [...]
Embattled Goals Soccer Centres loses second CEO in two years May 13, 2019 Five-a-side football operator Goals Soccer Centres has confirmed that chief executive Andy Anson is stepping down after just a year in the job. Read more: Accounting errors cause Goals Soccer Centres to suspend trading Anson will take the role of chief executive at the British Olympic Association (BOA), where he has been a board member [...]
UK house prices: Experts warn of ‘volatile’ UK housing market after sharp April growth May 8, 2019 Experts today warned that volatility is affecting the UK housing market as Halifax recorded a sharp annual jump in house prices in April. Read more: UK house prices suffer fifth month of Brexit-hit growth UK homes are now worth an average £236,619 following the stark five per cent rise for the three months to April, [...]
Deutsche Bank scandal: Courts still chasing billions through tax scams and carbon credits May 7, 2019 Major banks enabled fraudsters to steal billions of pounds of public money through VAT scams, according to documents obtained by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. A decade later, tax authorities are still chasing the money through the courts. Traders in London facilitated the so-called “carousel” fraud by organised crime gangs in 2009, which involved the trading [...]