Gift Aid in the spotlight over value concern November 20, 2013 GIFT AID, one of the largest tax relief schemes available to charities, might not be good value for money in its current form – and the taxman does not have the figures to prove otherwise, according to the spending watchdog. The National Audit Office (NAO) said that while Gift Aid rebates have soared since the [...]
There is nothing worse than self-righteousness in business November 18, 2013 REMEMBER the righteous folk telling us that the problem with banking was all those nasty, profit making global corporations, with their horrid shareholders and especially those awful hedge funds? And that the answer was to encourage small, regional co-operatives, with their senior management drawn from a broader cross-section of the community to boost corporate governance? [...]
City Moves for 07 November 2013 | Who’s switching jobs November 6, 2013 Quantum Advisory The actuarial and benefits consultancy firm has announced the hire of Darren Wateridge as senior consultant and actuary. He has over 15 years’ experience in the pensions market. He was most recently at Aegon, where he worked in its corporate solutions division. CMS Cameron McKenna The legal and tax services company has recruited Keith [...]
We must not ignore the economic evidence on immigration’s benefits November 5, 2013 CONCERNS about immigration continue to gather strength. A recent poll by Survation for Sky News found that 67 per cent think the coalition’s attempt to reduce net migration to 100,000 per year does not go far enough. More than a quarter feel that immigration in the last decade brought no positive benefit to the UK. [...]
Treasury to tax overseas buyers of UK property October 31, 2013 GEORGE Osborne is considering a tax raid on overseas investors who own British property, it was reported yesterday, in an attempt to raise millions of pounds. The plan would require non-UK-based real estate owners to pay capital gains tax (CGT) on British property, according to Sky News. At the moment only UK residents pay the tax to HMRC. Many [...]
Utilities pay the biggest chunk of company tax October 31, 2013 ENERGY and water firms saw their corporation tax bills jump in 2012, HMRC figures showed yesterday, as the utilities sector paid more into state coffers than any other. Although the sector comes in for criticism for a perceived lack of contribution to wider society, it in fact paid £9.6bn in corporation tax 2011-12. That is [...]
The CBI boss on why political risk is now the biggest threat to business October 31, 2013 John Cridland tells Allister Heath and Elizabeth Fournier that investors are beginning to worry about the UK AFTER more than two decades spent inhabiting the CBI’s offices in Centre Point, the shockingly ugly high-rise just off Tottenham Court Road, John Cridland is on the move. When not kept busy preparing his submission to the chancellor [...]
HMRC collects just £780m from supposed £3bn Swiss tax deal October 28, 2013 THE TAXMAN has raised just £780m this year from a raid on Swiss bank accounts that was supposed to bring in £3.1bn, it was revealed yesterday. Officials from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) told the public accounts select committee it has collected a quarter of the amount expected to be raised by targeting Britons who avoid tax by hiding their [...]
Research shows huge gulf in UK jobs estimates October 22, 2013 THREE well-established surveys of the UK’s job market suggest that official figures may be overestimating UK employment by over a million jobs, according to research released by Markit last night. The huge divergence between estimates made by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and a number of other sources has opened up since 2010. The gauges [...]
Alliance Boots insists its tax arrangements are within law October 14, 2013 HEALTHCARE giant Alliance Boots today said that an attack on its tax arrangements is “extraordinary and disappointing”, insisting it complies fully and openly with local tax laws. A group of trade unions and anti-poverty charity War on Want have today issued a report claiming that Alliance Boots has avoided at least £1.1bn of tax since [...]