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Losing access to any of your digital accounts can be very stressful, and if it’s an account you need for work this can be doubly the case. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) produces guidance that can help the self-employed and sole traders as well as any individual recover a hacked account. First, how can you tell if you’ve been hacked? Sometimes it’s obvious because you are unable to log into your accounts or an unauthorised purchase or money transfer’s been made. But other telltale signs include: changes being made to your security settings, receiving messages or notifications from your [...]

The Home Office have reported that the Prime Minister has set out tough new actions that will provide better protection for the high street and crack down on retail crime. Assaulting a retail worker is going to be made a standalone criminal offence that could result in being sent to prison for up to six months, a fine of unlimited amount, or a ban. Criminal Behaviour Orders could be used to bar offenders from visiting specific premises. Breaching an order might result in a maximum five-year prison sentence. Causing grievous bodily harm with intent may even result in a life [...]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued a safety notice about the manufacture, storage and carriage of thermites and thermite containing articles. Thermites are a type of pyrotechnic composition that produces intense heat and molten metal. In use, they can reach temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius, which makes them useful in welding, metal cutting, demolition, mining and special effects applications. HSE has identified that thermites, and thermite containing articles, that should be described as Class 1 dangerous goods (explosive) are instead being transported as either non-dangerous or as Class 4.1 dangerous goods (flammable solids). This misclassification can result [...]

For accounting periods beginning on or after 1 April 2024, a new merged scheme for research and development tax credit comes into force. The new merged scheme replaces the old RDEC and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) schemes. The new scheme reduces the amount of benefit that would generally have been received under the old scheme. Loss making R&D intensive SME companies can also benefit from additional support through Enhanced R&D Intensive Support (ERIS). Broadly speaking, if a company’s R&D expenditure amounts to at least 30% of its total expenditure then it may qualify as R&D intensive. HMRC has published [...]

It has been a difficult winter for many farmers with flooding and extreme weather damaging agriculture and property and equipment. Some farmers have suffered uninsurable damage to their land as a result. A Farming Recovery Fund has now been opened by the government to support these farmers. The Rural Payments Agency are directly contacting eligible farmers to let them know about the support and how to make a claim. Grants of between £500 and £25,000 are available to eligible farmers. Initially the fund will be opened to areas where the Flood Recovery Framework has already been activated. Affected areas are [...]

Prior to the tax year starting each 6 April, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), will issue new tax codes to employees, usually where there is a change of tax code. These tax codes, a series of letter and numbers, allow employers to deduct the right amount of tax to be deducted from each employee when the payroll is run. That is, unless the tax code isn’t correct. Therefore, it pays to check that the tax code has been calculated correctly. The tax code notice usually sets out what has been included. For instance, it will usually include a person’s annual [...]

A new consultation has been launched to find out how the law could be updated to make it easier for organisations to apologise more when they make mistakes. Many organisations are reluctant to apologise because they are concerned that it will be interpreted as an admission of fault. However, an apology is often needed by a victim so that they can get a sense of closure and feel they can move on with their lives. This is a case of legal concerns preventing what all parties would like to happen for the victim to feel better. The Compensation Act already [...]

New Disability Confident guidance has been published to help managers recruit, retain, and foster the progression of disabled people and those with health conditions in the workplace. The Disability Confident scheme is voluntary and helps employers make the most of the opportunities that can come from employing and developing disabled people. The new guide has been produced jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Its objective is to help employers and employees get the most from the Disability Confident scheme, boost disability employment and reduce the disability employment gap. [...]

As accountants, we understand the importance of leveraging technology to drive efficiency and innovation in business operations. In this article we will introduce you to the concept of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and the transformative power it could have for your business. Now, you might be wondering, what exactly is generative AI? In simple terms, generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content, such as images, text, or even music, based on patterns and examples it has learned from existing data. Think of it as a creative assistant that can help you generate new ideas, [...]

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have confirmed that Child Benefit rates increased on 6 April 2024. A family with one child will now receive up to £1,331 a year and up to £881 a year for each additional child. Payments are made to families on a 4-weekly basis and paid directly into their bank account. Families with ongoing claims do not need to do anything as the payment amount will be automatically increased. Parents with newborn babies need to make a claim online to start receiving Child Benefit. Claims can only be backdated by a maximum of three months. See: [...]