HLAS

Updated ‘finding and choosing a private COVID-19 provider’ guidance sets out what an individual should know before they look for a private provider or book a test. The guidance includes information on: minimum standards; UKAS accreditation; the provider lists published on GOV.UK; and what the government are doing to protect consumers. The provider lists published on GOV.UK are of providers that have demonstrated compliance with the government’s minimum standards for the type of commercial COVID-19 testing service they offer. The lists are not exhaustive. Some providers have decided to opt out from being published on these lists. See: Finding and [...]

The government is bolstering consumer rights, strengthening the enforcement powers of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), and supporting consumers in resolving their own disputes without having to go the courts. Plans include making it clearly illegal to pay someone to write or host a fake review, so people are not cheated by bogus ratings. The government is consulting on a new law against: commissioning someone to write or submit a fake review; hosting consumer reviews without taking reasonable steps to check they are genuine; or offering or advertising to submit, commission or facilitate fake reviews. There will also be clearer [...]

HMRC has issued a press release to confirm that more than 142,000 taxpayers have used HMRC’s online ‘Time to Pay’ facility to spread the cost of their self-assessment tax bill since April 2021. The self-assessment deadline for 2020/21 tax returns was 31 January 2022 but, this year, HMRC gave taxpayers until 1 April to pay any tax owed and not face penalties. Individuals who were unable to pay in full but had a tax bill of under £30,000 could use the online Time to Pay service to spread the cost into manageable monthly instalments. Those who owed more than £30,000 [...]

HMRC have recently published details of the promoters of two tax avoidance schemes that purport to allow workers to maximise their take home pay. HMRC wants employers and employees to understand that these schemes (involving individuals agreeing an employment contract and working as a contractor) do not work and is warning potential users to steer clear of the schemes or exit them. Use of the published schemes could leave users with big tax bills. This is part of a general crackdown by HMRC on the use of “umbrella” companies and managed service companies to sidestep the IR35 (personal service company) [...]

As the 2021/22 tax year has now ended, employers need to carry out the following end of year procedures: Provide your employees with their P60 annual summaries by 31 May 2022; Prepare forms P11D for employees’ expenses and benefits by 5 July 2022; Update your employees’ payroll data for 2022/23, in particular their new tax codes; and Update your payroll software for 2022/23 if you haven’t already done so. Here is a link to the HMRC guidance: Payroll: annual reporting and tasks: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Please talk to us about your payroll – we would be delighted to help!

The government has confirmed planned changes to The Highway Code, responding to a public consultation, continuing to pave the way for safer, more efficient travel. The changes to the code will help ensure the first wave of technology will be used safely, explaining clearly that while travelling in self-driving mode, motorists must be ready to resume control in a timely way if they are prompted to; such as when they approach motorway exits. The plans also include a change to current regulation, allowing drivers to view content that is not related to driving on built-in display screens, while the self-driving [...]

Businesses can find ways to help with the situation in Ukraine by answering calls for specific aid and goods and working to find solutions for those fleeing areas affected by the war. The Homes for Ukraine scheme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety, including those with no family ties to the UK. Phase One of the scheme allows sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family to stay with them in their home or in a separate property. Individual sponsors will be asked to [...]

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will run a Digital Growth Grant competition over Summer 2022. Bids will be invited to address identified market failures and accelerate the growth of tech start-up and scale-up ecosystems across the regions and nations of the UK. The successful bidder will be awarded up to £12.09 million to be spent over two financial years; 2023/24 and 2024/25. Further detail on the grant objectives, eligibility and application process will be published in Summer 2022 when the competition opens for applications. The detailed grant specification is currently being developed in consultation with the [...]

In the Office for National Statistics (ONS) latest labour market overview, they state that the number of job vacancies in January to March 2022 rose to a new record of 1,288,000. The ONS also state that the unemployment rate for December 2021 to February 2022 decreased by 0.2 percentage points on the quarter to 3.8%. What is clear from the latest survey is that job applicants are still calling the shots and employers are still struggling to recruit. There are a number of actions you can take to make your business attractive to new staff. In addition to reviewing your [...]

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated the war in Ukraine will severely set back the world economy and the UK is predicted to have the slowest growth in the G7 and across Europe’s main economies at 1.2% for 2023. Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director Washington, DC Comments “The pandemic turned our lives and economies upside down, and it is not over. The continued spread of the virus could give rise to even more contagious or worse, more lethal variants, prompting further disruptions. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, devastating for the Ukrainian economy, is sending shockwaves throughout the globe”. In economic [...]