HLAS

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) have announced the suspension of two business rates agents. These are Rateable Value Experts and Re-Rates UK. The VOA have not specified the exact reasons for the suspension and have simply said that they are investigating a potentially serious breach of their agent standards. While the suspension is in force, the VOA won’t work with or accept any information from the two agents. This is likely to cause difficulties for any customers that they are representing, and so the VOA have written to customers that are affected. As part of the announcement, the VOA have [...]

The UK government has announced contracts worth over £289 million to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to 131,000 homes and businesses in some of the country’s most remote locations. This initiative is part of the government’s Project Gigabit programme, which aims to modernise broadband infrastructure nationwide. The contracts will focus on regions such as: The Dee Valley, Isle of Anglesey, and Shropshire Hills. Parts of North and Southwest Wales, Herefordshire, Devon, Somerset, Essex, North East England, and Worcestershire. Project Gigabit: An overview Project Gigabit is designed to bring high-speed internet to hard-to-reach areas where commercial providers have traditionally faced challenges. Currently, over [...]

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds co-chaired the first meeting of a new Steel Council last week. The Steel Council’s purpose is to help secure the long-term future of steelmaking in the UK. The new Council will feature regular meetings with trade union leaders, industry experts, devolved government representatives, trade associations and steel sector leaders such as CEOs from Tata Steel and British Steel. The government plans to launch their Steel Strategy in the Spring and the Council will help with this both before the launch and afterwards. Gareth Stace, Director-General of UK Steel said: “This [steel] strategy is a once-in-a-generation opportunity [...]

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to bring benefits across many industries, including healthcare diagnostics and consumer technology. However, as its applications expand, so too do concerns about its accuracy and potential for misuse. Two recent examples—the use of AI in detecting ovarian cancer and its controversial implementation in summarising news—highlight both the transformative potential and the risks of AI. AI in early cancer detection Ovarian cancer is notoriously difficult to detect in its early stages. Early intervention is critical for improving survival rates, yet current methods rarely identify the disease before it spreads. A breakthrough by Dr Daniel Heller and his [...]

Last week, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) set out its initial plans for the new digital markets competition regime. The regime is designed to support the UK’s tech sector and is underpinned by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. This Act received royal assent in May 2024 and came into force on 1 January 2025. The purpose of the regime is to prevent very large, typically global, tech firms from using unfair advantages to shut out smaller businesses. Following an investigation, which can take up to a maximum of 9 months, the CMA has the authority to designate [...]

With the 31 January Self-Assessment tax return filing deadline fast approaching, HM Revenue and Customs issued a press release last week noting that 5.4 million taxpayers are yet to complete their return. Interestingly, more than 24,800 people filed their return on New Year’s Day, while a further 38,000 submitted theirs on 31 December. Meanwhile, 310 taxpayers filed their returns between 11 pm and midnight. Missing the 31 January deadline can result in an initial late filing penalty of £100. If you need assistance with your tax return or are unsure whether you need to complete one, please give us a [...]

Tax measures taking effect in April mean businesses face rising wage costs in 2025. As a result, many businesses are considering whether price increases could help them manage the financial impact without losing customers. High Street retailer Next recently announced a price increase of 1% on some clothing items to help offset an anticipated £73 million rise in staff wages and taxes. Their strategy and decisions provide some useful insights. Why wage costs will increase Wages are rising due to changes announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget, effective from April 2025, including: An increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions from [...]

The government has announced that it will provide an additional £5 million of support to Bradford, which is the 2025 UK City of Culture. The funds, which bring total support provided to £15 million, will be used to help in delivering a programme of events and support a legacy of cultural regeneration. It is expected that 6,500 jobs will be created in the area as a result of Bradford being UK City of Culture. Around 1,000 events are being organised for 2025. These are expected to attract an additional 3.3 million visitors to the area, and it is anticipated that [...]

Recent immigration enforcement activity has highlighted the importance of employers ensuring their workers have the right to work in the UK. With thousands of enforcement visits, numerous arrests, and significant fines being issued, businesses that fail to fulfil their responsibilities face serious repercussions. Crackdown on Illegal Working Immigration Enforcement teams have been focusing on sectors known to employ workers without the right to work, such as car washes, nail bars, supermarkets, and construction sites. Between July and November last year, thousands of visits were conducted across the UK. In London alone, these visits resulted in 770 arrests, with nearly 1,000 [...]

The start of a new year is often when entrepreneurs begin planning for a new business venture. To assist with this, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published guidance to help entrepreneurs address data protection from the outset. The ICO offers an e-learning platform featuring videos and advice tailored to small organisations. This resource, available online, is well worth exploring. In addition, the ICO provides two useful online tools to simplify data protection compliance: Privacy Notice Every organisation that handles personal information must explain why it collects the data and how it is used. This is typically done via a [...]