Latest news and industry insights

According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics, the main rate of inflation decreased from 3.5% in April to 3.4% in the year to May.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the Bank of England base rate at 4.25% following its latest review last Thursday.

If you're considering buying a property, especially as an investment, one of the key decisions you'll face is whether to hold it personally or through a limited company. This choice can have long-term tax, financial, and administrative implications, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

New data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that UK businesses are continuing to slow down recruitment, with job vacancies falling by 63,000 between March and May.

Last week, the Chancellor unveiled her Spending Review setting out how government departments will allocate money over the coming years. While much of the focus was on large-scale public services like the NHS and schools, there are some important signals here for businesses to take note of - both in terms of opportunity and outlook.

The UK’s economic growth is set to slow more than expected, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which has downgraded its forecast for 2025 to 1.3%, down from 1.4% earlier this year.

The government has published details of a new emissions cutting trial that could benefit UK pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels.

In its latest round of investigations, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have named 518 employers who have failed to pay the National Living or National Minimum Wage correctly to their staff.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released new guidance on how to properly retire old digital systems and devices – a process known as decommissioning. The guidance is aimed at IT teams, but there are useful takeaways for any small business that uses computers, software or online systems.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has recently updated its guidance on Employers’ Liability insurance - a useful reminder of the rules and risks around a business insurance that is legally required in the UK.

It’s long been said that putting all your eggs in one basket is risky. Many small business owners may fear that risk of becoming a reality.

There has been much media attention on the recent cyber-attacks affecting high street retailers. If you or your business is a customer of these businesses, you may have received communications alerting you to the fact that your data was included in the breach. If so, you may be wondering what you should do to protect yourself.

From next year, Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) firms will need to work within a stricter regulatory framework. Following last year’s consultation, the government has now laid legislation before Parliament to bring BNPL under formal regulation, aiming to end what’s been called the “wild west” of unregulated borrowing.

If you're a sole trader or landlord with annual income over £50,000, a major change is coming your way. From 6 April 2026, you may be required to keep digital business records and submit quarterly updates to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) under Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax.

At Autumn Budget 2024, we were promised a consultation on the tax treatment of predevelopment costs. However, following the Court of Appeal’s decision on a recent case, the government is postponing publication of the consultation while it considers the implications of the decision.

Amidst all the news about increased tariffs in the US, the UK government has announced a cut to zero in import tariffs on a range of 89 foreign products.