TAX Modest earners paying taxes designed for the wealthy The Daily Telegraph Analysis by the Taxpayers’ Alliance shows that modest earners are paying high tax rates originally designed for the wealthy. While the 40% higher-rate threshold – which kicks in at £50,270 –...

OUTLOOK Businesses brace for price hikes Daily Mail The Times Businesses are set to increase prices due to rising wage costs and higher employer National Insurance rates. According to the Office for National Statistics, 49% of companies with ten or more staff plan to...

TAX Stride: NI hike a ‘ticking time bomb’ The Daily Telegraph Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has warned that unless Rachel Reeves scraps changes to employers’ National Insurance, she risks a slowdown in economic growth. With a 1.2% increase in employers’ National...

OUTLOOK Over three quarters of business leaders pessimistic City AM Daily Express The latest Business Confidence Survey by the Adam Smith Institute (ASI)  reveals that over 77% of business leaders in the UK have "low" or "very low" confidence in the current economic...

OUTLOOK Government urged to support SME growth City AM The Government has been urged to support the growth ambitions of small and medium-sized (SME) manufacturers, as a new report from Make UK and Civitas suggests that achieving their targets could provide an £83bn...

EMPLOYMENT Rogue firms threaten UK workers' rights City AM MPs are urging changes to the Employment Rights Bill to prevent "rogue firms" from undermining reputable employers in the UK. The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee (BTC) pointed to the risk of the...

OUTLOOK Record number of bosses fear cost increases The Sunday Telegraph A study by the Institute of Directors (IoD) has found that some 89% of business leaders expect costs to increase in the coming year, with just 2% anticipating a fall. This is a record high, while...

EMPLOYMENT Goldman Sachs invests in apprenticeships BBC News Goldman Sachs has committed £1.5m to the West Midlands apprenticeship fund, aimed at enhancing workforce development for small and medium-sized businesses, charities, and social enterprises. The investment...

TAX Tax changes threaten family businesses City AM Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride has condemned proposed changes to business tax relief, warning that they could lead to many family-run businesses “shutting down or being forced to sell.” He has also highlighted concerns...

TAX Firms rethink their plans as taxes rise The Times The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has revealed that 82% of businesses are reconsidering their plans due to the impending rise in employers' National Insurance contributions. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has...