HLAS

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses of all sizes and sectors. The awards can provide: excellent marketing opportunities and press coverage worldwide recognition as an outstanding British company increased turnover and international trade a boost to staff morale, and also to partners and stakeholders The awards are a self-nominating process and are free to enter. The application period is currently open and will close on 8 September 2021. See: The Queen's Awards for Enterprise - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There is now a link to the online application for adding more jobs or employers to your grant agreement (grant variation). The Kickstart Scheme employer prospectus has also been updated and can be found here: Kickstart Scheme - A guide for employers (publishing.service.gov.uk) The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Employers of all sizes can apply for funding which covers: 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a [...]

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is seeking responses on their draft international data transfer agreement (IDTA) and guidance, which replace Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs). The ICO's IDTA and associated documents form part of a wider UK package to assist international transfers, including supporting the government's approach to new adequacy assessments of third countries. The consultation is split into three sections: proposal and plans for updates to guidance on international transfers transfer risk assessments the international data transfer agreement The ICO is also asking for views on any relevant privacy rights, legal, economic or policy considerations and implications. Your responses will help them [...]

Employers have a legal duty to protect employees’ health, safety and welfare. Understanding the signs of drug and alcohol misuse (or abuse) will help you manage health and safety risk in your workplace. The Health and Safety Executive website has step-by-step guidance to help you manage drug and alcohol misuse at work. This includes advice on how to develop a drugs and alcohol policy and what you can do to support your employees See: Managing drug and alcohol misuse at work - Overview - HSE  

Prepare for new rules for transporting goods to or through Europe using cars and trailers, vans and HGVs from 2022. The rules are part of the UK’s deal with the EU (The Trade and Cooperation Agreement). The new rules will affect you if you transport goods using: cars and trailers vans or other light goods vehicles (for example, if you run a European courier service) heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) The new rules mean that you might need: to register some journeys within Europe on an online service from 2 February 2022 a vehicle operator licence if you use vans or car and [...]

The UKCA marking replaces the product safety labelling the UK previously used while a member of the EU, such as the CE mark. Businesses will have an additional year to apply new product safety markings for most products placed on the market in England, Scotland and Wales. The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking allows the UK to have control over its goods regulations, maintaining the high product safety standards expected in the UK. Recognising the impact of the pandemic on businesses, the UK Government will extend this deadline to 1 January 2023 to apply UKCA marks for certain products to demonstrate compliance with product safety regulations, rather than 1 January 2022. See: Businesses given more time to apply [...]

A new digital renewals service that reduces bulk renewal time for IP rights from 5 days to 5 minutes has now been opened up to all customers by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO). Customers who need to renew a registered design can do so online. Customers can also renew up to 1,500 IP rights - including combinations of patents, trademarks and designs - in a single digital transaction. The IPO say that they will bring forward these design principles to their One IPO Transformation Programme, which will provide a single, integrated system for all registered IP rights. See: Renew a [...]

With children starting to go back to schools and nurseries in September, and more employees going back to work full time due to the withdrawal of CJRS support, they may need to start thinking about childcare. HMRC have issued a reminder that there is support available for families towards their childcare costs. If they haven’t already done so they should set up a “Tax-Free” Childcare Account to help pay towards the cost of childminders, breakfast and after school clubs, nursery fees and approved play schemes. For every £8 an eligible family pay into the special account the government adds £2, [...]

If you are notifying HMRC of a decision to opt to tax land and buildings, you are normally required to notify HMRC within 30 days. The 30 day deadline was temporarily extended to 90 days to help businesses and agents during the pandemic, but that temporary extension has now ended for decisions made from 1 August 2021 onwards. Supplies of land and buildings, such leasing or renting out a property, are normally exempt from VAT. This means that no VAT is payable, but the person making the supply cannot normally recover any of the VAT incurred on property expenses. However [...]

HMRC have recently updated their guidance on accounting for VAT on goods imported from outside the UK which, since Brexit, includes the European Union. Businesses registered for VAT in the UK can account for import VAT on their VAT Return for goods imported into: Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) from anywhere outside the UK Northern Ireland from outside the UK and EU Businesses can also account for import VAT for goods moved between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that are declared into a customs special procedure, when they are removed from that special procedure. You do not need HMRC [...]