UK consumer confidence increases in final quarter of 2019 With retail sales decreasing in December and 2019 being the worst year for retail in 25 years it comes as a surprise that consumer confidence actually increased by 0.5% in the final quarter of 2019. As...
Retail sales on the rise After a disappointing end to 2019, British consumers began to spend again in January with sales volume increasing by 0.9% after December’s decrease of 0.5%. This increase in sales was much larger than that expected by economists and the...
For the first time in 25 years retail sales dropped in 2019 according to the leading UK retail industry body, total sales decreased by 0.1% compared to 2018. Sales during the Christmas period were particularly weak falling 0.9% in November and December (data from the...
Analysts are reporting that the number of shoppers purchasing on the high street has declined by around 10% over the past year in some cities across the U.K. Unsurprisingly, the main reasons cited are the continuing rise of online shopping along with concerns over...
For the first time ever, contactless payments have accounted for 50% of all debit card payments. Credit and debit card payments made in July grew 5.7% year-on-year increasing to 1.6 billion, and contactless payments on debit cards were used 647 million times alone....
The Chancellor Philip Hammond presented the last Spring Budget on Wednesday 8 March 2017. In his speech the Chancellor was keen to point out that he wanted the tax system to be fair, particularly in relation to the distinction between employed and self-employed...
Apprenticeship Levy update A new apprenticeship levy update has been issued (August 2016), stating that all businesses have until September to feedback on plans before the new rules are formally introduced next year. The government has ignored some businesses groups'...
Brexit: tax implications as the UK votes to leave the EU From the argument over selling bendy bananas to the threat of an emergency Budget, the EU referendum campaign has undoubtedly had its share of the headlines over the past couple of months. The biggest headline...
In April 2017 the way the government funds apprenticeships in England is changing, with the introduction of the new apprenticeship levy. The government first announced the new apprenticeship levy in the 2015 Autumn Statement, but has since provided additional details...
Are you ready for the forthcoming PAYE and employment tax changes? There are some very important changes to PAYE and employment tax rules due to come into effect from April 2016. It is important that as an employer you are aware of these changes and, if necessary,...
£11.4bn in R&D tax relief now claimed - are you missing out? HMRC has now published its most recent R&D tax relief statistics (2013/14), and the picture remains very positive. The statistics show that companies - both SME and multinational alike - are...
Welcome to our small business outlook 2015/16. Although not all small businesses have seen an improvement in their financial performance in the last 12 months, the picture is largely positive. The UK economy thrives on small businesses and, generally speaking, they...