HMRC suspects big firms are underpaying £1.4bn due to workers’ false ‘self-employed’ classification August 1, 2022 The taxman suspects big firms are underpaying tax to the tune of £1.4bn, by classifying workers as ‘self-employed’ when they’re actually full staff. Leading law firm Pinsent Masons claims HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) suspects companies are classifying staff as self-employed to avoid making Employers’ National Insurance contributions. HMRC has been clamping down on the [...]
Exclusive: UK small businesses on high recession alert August 1, 2022 British sole traders and small businesses are battening down the hatches in preparation for a looming recession, exclusive research shared with City A.M. reveals. Over three quarters of small firms are fretting over the UK economy steering into reverse, according to fintech firm iwoca. Firms are scrambling to boost their cash reserves to help weather [...]
Currys told to ditch price lock by shareholder to increase margins July 31, 2022 Currys has been told to ditch its “price lock” commitment and make goods more expensive by a veteran hedge fund manager amid the cost of living crisis. Crispin Odey, who holds a substantial stake in the firm, said “freezers and washing machines are going to have to be more expensive as they are currently being [...]
Ringfencing risks driving up energy bills, warns Cornwall Insight July 30, 2022 The cost of ringfencing consumer credit balances will risk adding more costs to bills "at a time when consumers can ill afford them" says Cornwall Insight.
Headspace: Why imposter syndrome grips even the high-flying July 30, 2022 Each month City A.M.’s mental health columnist Alejandra Sarmiento writes about the Square Mile’s often-taboo subjects – and how you can deal with them Franz Kafka is best known today as one of the most influential writers of the 20th-century. The author of masterpieces such as “The Metamorphosis” and “The Trial,” Kafka was, in fact, [...]
‘The Great Resignation could be followed by a Great Redundancy,’ DWF chief says July 29, 2022 A downturn in the legal market could see widespread layoffs in the City’s top-ranking law firms, the head of London listed law firm DWF told City A.M. The lawyers that jumped ship in “big numbers” in pursuit of six-figure salaries in London’s most prestigious firms could soon be laid off, as the top firms make [...]
What is the “just transition” and why does it matter for investors? July 29, 2022 You’ve probably heard of the concept of a just transition in relation to climate change, but what does it actually mean? The transition to a low-carbon world is gaining momentum with a dramatic increase in the number of countries and companies that have made commitments to transition their activities to net zero. Around 90% of [...]
Exclusive: Pro-democracy activist Nathan Law labels HSBC a ‘cheerleader’ for Chinese Communist Party July 27, 2022 HSBC is “cheerleading” for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) campaign to strip away Hong Kongers’ human rights, Nathan Law, a pro-democracy activist, told City A.M. today. Law, a former member of Hong Kong’s parliament, accused Britain’s largest lender of putting profits ahead of taking a stand against Beijing eroding the city’s citizens’ freedoms through the [...]
Rishi Sunak under fire for ‘flip-flopping’ on tax after promising to cut VAT on energy bills July 27, 2022 Tory leadership hopeful Rishi Sunak has been accused of “flip-flopping” on tax after pledging to cut VAT on energy bills and interrupting his rival Liz Truss in two debates in recent days. It came after the Tory leadership hopeful unveiled plans to remove VAT from domestic energy bills for a year if the price cap [...]
Brits turn to criminality as living costs skyrocket: 15 people added to insurance fraud register every day July 26, 2022 Around 15 people are being added to an insurance fraud register every day amid concerns that more could be tempted into criminality as living costs rise. The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) said it has seen a 17 per cent increase in people being added to the Insurance Fraud Register (IFR). The IFR is a national [...]