HLAS

Fines are to be more than tripled for employers and landlords who allow illegal migrants to work for them or rent their properties, in the biggest shake up of civil penalties since 2014, the Home Secretary announced last week. The civil penalty for employers, which was last increased in 2014, will be raised to up to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach from £15,000, and up to £60,000 for repeat breaches from £20,000. For landlords, the fines will increase from £80 per lodger and £1,000 per occupier for a first breach to up to £5,000 per lodger and [...]

The UK government has launched a £40 million fund to spark local digital revolutions and unlock 5G benefits across the UK. Local and regional authorities can apply for a share of the multi-million-pound fund, designed to accelerate innovation in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, transport, agriculture, and public services, helping to create better connected places across the UK. The cash boost will create 5G Innovation Regions by awarding funding to areas that can demonstrate how they will drive the development and adoption of 5G and other technologies. This will make sure communities in towns, cities and rural areas across the UK [...]

The Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) is a voucher-based scheme that provides eligible businesses with support towards the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints. All businesses can use it to help provision chargepoints for their staff or fleets. Charities and small accommodation businesses can further use it to provision chargepoints for their guests or visitors. The grant covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of: £350 per socket; or 40 sockets across all sites per applicant – for instance, [...]

The £15 million UK Space Agency funding will support the research and experimental development of space-based instruments, aimed at supporting a range of environmental services, which could include meteorology, climate monitoring, environmental management, agriculture and urban planning, and improving scientific knowledge. The UK government considers the UK to be a world leader in Earth Observation (EO) tools, technologies, and data use. This funding will help to accelerate the development of promising UK EO technologies which could be flown on satellites in the next few years. The National Space Strategy in Action report, published in July, set out the government’s plans for how [...]

Listed below are a number of live HMRC webinars that will give the self-employed an understanding of key taxes that affect them. The webinars are free and last around an hour. Capital Allowances for the self-employed Tue 15 Aug at 11:45am Record keeping for the self-employed Tue 15 Aug at 1:45pm Residential property income for individuals - an introduction Tue 22 Aug at 9:45am Construction Industry Scheme for contractors Tue 22 Aug at 11:45am Residential property income for individuals - expenses, and deductions Tue 22 Aug at 1:45pm Car expenses for the self-employed Wed 23 Aug at 9:45am Construction Industry [...]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regularly issues safety updates, some of the latest are listed below. Improving general ventilation in the workplace Employers must make sure there is adequate ventilation in enclosed areas of their workplace. Help bust the myths on portable appliance testing Portable appliance testing (PAT) is the examination of electrical appliances and equipment to make sure they are safe to use. HSE’s Dust Kills campaign continues HSE’s Dust Kills campaign urges employers and those working in construction to be aware of the risks from exposure to silica and wood dust. For updated safety alerts and notices [...]

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee announced an increase to the Bank of England base rate from 5.00% to 5.25% on 3 August 2023. HMRC interest rates are linked to the Bank of England base rate. Because the base rate has changed, HMRC interest rates for late payment and repayment will increase. These changes will come into effect on: 14 August 2023 for quarterly instalment payments; and 22 August 2023 for non-quarterly instalments payments. See: HMRC late payment interest rates to be revised after Bank of England increases base rate - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Motorists can opt for digital vehicle tax reminders rather than having to wait for a paper reminder to drop through their letter box. The change comes as part of DVLA’s new Driver and vehicles account service, which was launched on GOV.UK last week. The new service, which allows motorists to easily access their driver and vehicle information in one place, has been launched as a public beta and DVLA are asking motorists to provide feedback to help develop the service. The Driver and vehicles account is easy-to-use, secure, and it takes around 5 minutes to sign up. Once an account has been [...]

The UK government has a webpage with guidance to help businesses identify and prepare for the hazards and threats that may disrupt their operations. Being more prepared and resilient could give a competitive advantage to your business. The actions you take to make your business resilient will depend on your circumstances and the risks you are comfortable taking. Having assessed these, only you can decide how much time, and possibly money, you want to invest in increasing your resilience. These suggested actions will help you get started: Do a business resilience health check to help you understand how to make [...]

With continuing inflation in the UK, many of us and our businesses have been put “off track” in the short to medium term. The Bank of England recently increased interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 5.25 per cent. The rise was as expected by economists in view of the latest data showing annual inflation at 7.9 per cent in June which is four times higher than the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target. Inflation is a problem for most of us. Savers find that the value of their cash is being rapidly eroded. At 10% [...]