HLAS

Switching payroll provider mid-year Are you dissatisfied with your payroll company, yet you are worried about switching to a new one? It is understandable, given how much time and effort it takes to hand your payroll duties over in the first place. But, what if we told you that switching is not all that difficult? In this blog, we address 3 myths about switching payroll companies; we hope you find it useful! Myth 1: You can’t switch part way through a year While it is possible to switch payroll support part way through a tax year, you must be extra [...]

The provision of free face coverings for all transport operators between 21 April 2021 and 31 December 2021, to be used as a contingency supply for passengers and workers. To protect public health and facilitate passenger compliance with face coverings guidance, the government is providing free face coverings to transport operators, which are to be used as a contingency supply by passengers and transport workers. The purpose of this scheme is to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The scheme has been extended to 31 December 2021. See: Free face coverings to transport operators scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What you need to do when you travel to England depends on whether you qualify as fully vaccinated or not. To qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England, you must have been fully vaccinated with a full course of an approved vaccine under: the UK or UK overseas vaccination programme the United Nations vaccine programme for staff and volunteers an approved programme in one of the countries or territories listed on the website listed on the website below. You can still travel to England if you do not qualify as fully vaccinated but you must follow different rules. There are also different rules if [...]

From 4.00am today, the remaining 7 destinations on the red list; Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela have been removed. Passengers returning to England from these destinations are no longer be required to enter hotel quarantine. The red list and quarantine hotel policy remains in place and will continue to act as a crucial line of defence against the importation of variants of concern. The government will review the red list every 3 weeks and will impose restrictions should there be a need to do so to protect public health. Delta is now the dominant variant in most [...]

UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £8 million for projects to work on the development of the digital security by design (DSbD) software ecosystem. This funding is from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. The aim of this competition is to fund a range of projects that work to enrich and expand the Digital Security by Design (DSbD) software ecosystem prior to the availability of commercial hardware. Projects will leverage the DSbD Technology Hardware Prototype (also known as Morello Board) to work on a focused area within a selected and specified software stack or Operating System (OS) or [...]

Round 8 of the UK Games Fund is now open. Round 8 is specifically designed to help early-stage games development companies registered at the time of application. Successful applicants can expect to be awarded a grant of £6,000. Funding will be provided in three £2,000 tranches over three months (January to March 2022) to support the development of an interactive digital entertainment concept and associated funding proposal. The idea is to provide companies with a certain degree of ‘breathing space’ to allow for further focus on the pitch for possible future funding from the UK Games Fund and beyond. After [...]

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ended on 30 September 2021. 14 October 2021 was the last date to make a claim for September. For claim periods from 1 November 2020, HMRC may accept late claims or amendments if you have: Taken reasonable care to try and claim on time. A reasonable excuse. Claimed as soon as your reasonable excuse no longer applies. A reasonable excuse could include: your partner or another close relative died shortly before the claim deadline you had an unexpected stay in hospital that prevented you from dealing with your claim you had a serious or life-threatening [...]

The Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) is now accepting third call applications. The SIF programme focuses on delivering longer term, cutting-edge innovation across the seafood sector, and helping to take innovative ideas from early-stage research to commercial viability. The programme includes: primary producers onshore supply chains marine and diadromous fisheries marine and land-based aquaculture The programme excludes: freshwater fishing recreational fishing This call is open for feasibility studies only. The maximum funding available is £50,000 for projects with a duration of up to five months. Successful third call feasibility studies will be eligible to apply for larger R&D funding following completion of [...]

Allow plenty of time for posting and post items and gifts for Christmas early, particularly for International deliveries: Friday 17 December 2021  – Royal Mail Bulk Mail Economy Saturday 18 December 2021 – 2nd Class, 2nd Class Signed For, Royal Mail 48 Tuesday 21 December 2021 – 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For, Royal Mail 24, Royal Mail Tracked 48 Wednesday 22 December 2021 – Royal Mail Tracked 24 Thursday 23 December 2021 – Special Delivery Guaranteed See: Get ready for Christmas 2021 | Royal Mail Group Ltd

Before last week’s Budget we already knew that corporation tax would increase in 2023 and that there will be a 1.25% rise in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from April 2022 paid by employers, employees, self-employed and for those with share dividend income.  Personal allowances are frozen until 2026 and we are told these rises are to are to pay for Covid-19 measures and reform of the social care system. The tax burden as a percentage of UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is now at its highest level since the 1950’s according to the Office for Budget Responsibility. The "scarring assumption" [...]