News

August 27, 2026

Cost of business crisis for British SMEs

UK businesses are facing a “cost of business crisis”, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Its new cost-stack calculator shows government policy alone has pushed up an average firm's expenses by 70% over the past decade, adding roughly £827,000 a year in costs for a typical mid-sized business. About a quarter of the rise stems from the increase in employer National Insurance contributions, with the higher minimum wage and mandatory pension auto-enrolment also major contributors.

August 26, 2026

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax first quarter statistics published

Under Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, sole traders and landlords with income of more than £50,000 have been required to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC since 6 April 2026.

August 5, 2026

Employment Rights Act 2025: Employers concerned about new unfair dismissal protections

Acas, the workplace expert, have carried out research to find out which changes in the Employments Right Act 2025 are the hardest for businesses to adopt.

August 3, 2026

HMRC contacts self-employed people about National Insurance gaps

HMRC is writing to some self-employed individuals whose National Insurance (NI) records may contain gaps that could affect their State Pension.

July 30, 2026

HMRC launch Advance Tax Certainty Service for major investment projects

A first-of-its-kind service for the UK has been launched to provide tax certainty to businesses planning to invest in major projects.

July 29, 2026

External examiners mark HMRC’s performance as ‘Poor’

The latest annual report from the Charter Stakeholder Group remains highly critical of HMRC's service performance, with scores either stagnant or deteriorating across most standards. Alongside poor scores for responsiveness and ease of use, the report highlights overwhelmingly negative feedback on Making Tax Digital (MTD).