According to UK Finance, gross lending to SMEs from the main high street banks reached £5.35 billion in the second quarter of 2026, the highest quarterly level recorded since the pandemic. Real estate and professional service firms drove much of…
According to the latest Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report, almost two in five small businesses in the UK suffered a successful cyber-attack in the last year, with each attack costing an average of £26,650. Globally, cyber incidents cause around 32 hours…
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST) initiated a ‘modernising corporate reporting’ consultation on 7 September 2026, which closes on 30 November 2026. Under the proposed overhauls, many medium-sized companies may be exempt from mandatory audits. This consultation…
The so-called mansion tax is already beginning to have an impact on the UK housing market, despite the surcharge not being due to come into effect until April 2028. Under the new tax, formally known as the High Value Council…
Reforms to the Benefits in Kind (BIK) system have continued to change in recent years, as the Government prepares to roll out mandatory payrolling. From April 2027, businesses will be required to payroll BIK, but this will now be a…
We are now just over six months away from the long-anticipated reforms to Inheritance Tax (IHT), which will see unspent pensions included within a person’s estate from April 2027. First announced all the way back in the 2024 Autumn Budget,…
While the 2025 Spending Review focused on long-term investment rather than introducing new taxes, the scale of spending suggests that future tax rises are likely. Where have the Government recently invested funds? The Chancellor pledged multi-year funding for health, defence…
The UK Government has confirmed that it will reduce green levies for energy-intensive industries. These cuts aim to drive growth in key sectors, such as manufacturing and clean energy. What are green levies? A green levy is an environmental charge…
57 per cent of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have warned of rising costs over the next quarter, according to Intuit QuickBooks’ latest Small Business Insights survey. Given this startling figure, all businesses should take care to manage cash flow…
The way families make Child Benefit repayments to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is changing. From the summer, many families will have the option to report their Child Benefit payments and pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) directly…