Autumn Budget 2021: key business announcements

Business rates reform The publication of a long-awaited review of business rates brought with it a series of measures to adjust the system. This included a 50% cut to rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in 2022 to 2023, up to a cap of...

MTD will cost SMEs £25bn, says FSB

The Government's policy to modernise the UK tax system could cost the small business community £25 billion per year to cover admin costs, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Making Tax Digital (MTD) aims to simplify the tax process for individuals...

R&D spending hits £47.5bn in 2019/20

Businesses claimed an estimated £7.4 billion in R&D tax relief in the 2019/20 tax year, an increase of 19% from the previous year, Government data shows. This corresponded to £47.5bn of R&D expenditure from those businesses, 15% higher than last year. The...

Calls resurface to abolish business rates

The Labour party plans to scrap business rates and hike the rate of the new digital services tax to build a level playing field between high street shops and online stores, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves told delegates at the Labour conference on 27 September 2021....

Business rates threaten 4 out of 5 retailers with closure

A survey by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggests business rates are having a "devastating impact" on the retail sector, with 83% of retailers saying they are likely to close their store unless rates are reduced. In its survey of "leading retailers", the BRC...