HLAS

Unregulated Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) agreements will fall under full regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority(FCA) from 15 July 2026. For the first time, BNPL lenders will be required to meet the same standards as other consumer credit providers. With almost 11 million UK adults using BNPL in 2024, according to an FCA survey, this represents a significant regulatory shift. The reforms are designed to introduce clearer protections for individuals who rely on BNPL regularly and who may be at risk of taking on commitments they cannot afford to repay. What Protections Are Being Introduced? Once the rules come [...]

Small Business Britain has created an online hub dedicated to providing businesses with practical, beginner-friendly resources that can help with getting started in using artificial intelligence (AI). The hub contains jargon-free guides and video walkthroughs on subjects such as: What even is generative AI? Can AI save me time? How to write a prompt How to keep a personal voice An online course, the AI for Small Business Programme, is also available on the site. This six-week online course is designed to help small business owners unlock AI’s potential in their own business. There are also webinars and a session [...]

The Government has published the draft secondary legislation for the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which is due to go live on 1 January 2027. This represents an important development for UK businesses importing affected materials. What Is CBAM? CBAM has already been introduced in the EU and will apply a carbon price to certain imported goods in order to reduce the risk of “carbon leakage”. This refers to the concern that emissions-intensive production simply shifts overseas when the UK tightens its own environmental standards. UK importers of goods from the aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen, and iron and steel [...]

The Cycle to Work scheme continues to attract interest from employees and employers alike who are looking to optimise their salary package and potentially benefit from a tax break. Below is an overview for businesses considering introducing a scheme or reviewing their existing arrangements. The Basic Structure The scheme allows an employer to provide a bike and eligible safety equipment tax-free to their employees. This is often done in conjunction with a salary sacrifice agreement, under which the employee’s gross pay is reduced for a set period to cover the costs. The salary sacrifice arrangement means the employee pays less [...]

The Spring Statement will be delivered in Parliament on 3 March, giving an update on the state of the UK economy and the Government’s financial outlook. Unlike the Autumn Budget, the Spring Statement is unlikely to be used for major tax decisions. For businesses, it is a useful event as it may set the tone for the months ahead and could give early indications of future tax and spending pressures. What the Spring Statement Is The Spring Statement is built around the latest set of economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility(OBR). The OBR publishes forecasts twice a year [...]

With just a few weeks to go until the beginning of a new tax year, a new round of tax changes will take effect from April 2026. While many people won’t see a significant difference in their day-to-day tax position, there are some areas that are worth keeping on your radar. Below is an overview of some of the changes you may wish to be aware of. Dividend Tax Rises The tax rates for dividends are rising from April 2026. The basic rate and higher rates are each increasing by two percentage points to 10.75% and 35.75% respectively. The dividend [...]

A leading think tank has criticised the fiscal rules used by the Chancellor to determine the government’s tax and spending plans. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has suggested that reducing complex public finances to a simple pass-or-fail measure risks missing the bigger picture. The Treasury, meanwhile, has stated that the rules help to keep borrowing costs down and support long-term investment. Which perspective is right when it comes to managing the country’s finances could be debated indefinitely. However, the IFS proposal introduces an interesting concept that many businesses are already applying successfully. The IFS Proposals The IFS is advocating [...]

The UK’s unemployment rate has risen again, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In the three months to December 2025, unemployment increased to 5.2%, up from 5.1% in the three months to November. This represents the highest rate in almost five years. At the same time, annual wage growth has eased to 4.2%, marking its slowest pace in close to four years. Taken together, slower wage growth and rising unemployment point towards a cooling labour market. Businesses Responding to Higher Costs Part of this slowdown may be linked to increased employment costs. The 2024 [...]

A new campaign has been launched to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to take some simple, practical steps to protect themselves from the most common cyber-attacks. The main drift is that basic cyber hygiene still prevents the majority of incidents. According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025, 43% of businesses and 30% of charities reported having experienced some kind of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. Across the UK economy, cyber threats are estimated to cost £14.71 billion each year. For many businesses, a single major attack could be enough to put trading at risk. [...]

According to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics, UK inflation eased to 3% in January, down from 3.4% in December. Lower food, fuel and airfare prices appear to have been the biggest contributors to the reduction. It’s important to remember this doesn’t mean prices are falling; they are just rising more slowly. Businesses still dealing with higher wages, energy and supplier costs will know that firsthand. The combination of softer inflation and a slowdown in wage growth has increased expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates again when its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) [...]