Despite a strong stock market, investors are increasingly pessimistic, but is this really just a defence mechanism, asks Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown
This article, the twelth in our series on the Companies Act 2006, will focus on the categories of company outlining the various size criteria for different groups such as micro-entities, small and mid-sized companies
Following on from the Carillion collapse another large outsourcing company, Capita, has signalled it needs to reorganise its finances after issuing a profits warning and announcing plans to sell off non-core business and raise up to £700m in a rights issue, after which its share price fell 30%
Spontaneous taxes like the proposed latte levy and disposable plastic bag levy are not designed to collect revenue but rather change current behaviour, says Yvette Nunn CTA of Berkeley Associates, warning that these so-called taxes are beginning to gather momentum, but are not the answer to wider problems
The so-called Coalition Group set up to develop specific corporate governance rules for large privately owned companies to improve transparency will be chaired by James Wates, chairman of the Wates Group but the final measures will only be voluntary for companies
The Fundraising Regulator has launched a three-part consultation on the code of fundraising practice, with the aim of improving standards in relation to online fundraising platforms, complaints handling and the telephone preference service (TPS) assured certification
Despite signing up to government commitments to prompt payment, HMRC is getting slower at paying suppliers and organisations, its most recent data reveals
One in five FTSE 350 companies faced significant shareholder dissent at company AGMs over the past two years, but the longer term trend shows a drop off in challenges since the peak in the aftermath of the financial crisis, according to research by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)
HMRC has clarified its guidance on changes affecting pension scheme administrators that reclaim tax relief using the relief at source (RAS) method, as a result of the introduction of the Scottish rate of income tax (SRIT)
As the number of cryptocurrency holders grows along with their values, Calum Fuller examines what it means for practitioners and the potential tax implications for clients
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has been branded ‘useless’ by a Parliamentary joint committee investigating the collapse of Carillion, while the regulator’s chief executive has called for wider powers of investigation, and suggested more needs to done to encourage competition for audit work
Although there are no plans afoot to update HMRC’s tax treatment of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, HMRC has moved to clarify its position on the virtual currencies, reports Calum Fuller
In a regular timetable update for HMRC's Making Tax Digital, CCH Daily sets out the key dates for the start of VAT quarterly reporting for those above the £85k threshold and the subsequent year end reconciliation tax report. Full rollout of quarterly reporting has been delayed until 2020/21 tax year at the earliest. This list will be updated regularly to reflect any changes to reporting requirements
The Treasury is calling for a review of inheritance tax (IHT), stating that it is too complicated and needs simplification for the 3% of estates affected
The UK government and the Welsh government have confirmed they have completed preparations for the introduction of the first Welsh taxes for almost 800 years, which will see stamp duty land tax (SDLT) and landfill tax replaced by land transaction tax and landfill disposals tax in Wales from 1 April 2018
There has been sharp rise in the number of cyber-attacks against financial services companies reported to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which were up by more than 80% last year
A Scottish scrap metal dealer who failed to pay more than £200,000 of VAT he charged his customers, has been jailed for 18 months, after he was investigated by HMRC
In the wake of its investigation into KPMG’s auditing of collapsed construction company Carillion, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has written to the boards of companies in the sector warning them of the need to pay particular attention to accounting issues, including going concern, risk and viability reporting, and their business models
HMRC needs to reform its current plan on how to deliver the ongoing 250 projects in its portfolio after the tax authority is expected to add another 50 to its workload due to Brexit, says Bill Dodwell, partner and head of tax policy at Deloitte
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is to investigate KPMG’s auditing of collapsed Carillion, which went into liquidation at the beginning of the year putting thousands of jobs and major government infrastructure projects at risk
The use of company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) to avoid bankruptcy is growing as retailers look to restructure to avert entering administration. Jessica Walker, partner and Amy Halsall, trainee solicitor at Mayer Brown explain how restructuring plans like this work
The Big Four accountancy firms have been told to provide MPs on the joint inquiry into the collapse of Carillion with details of all payments received for work for Carillion over the last 10 years, reports Sara White
Royal London is challenging MPs to take action over a proposed tax change announced at the autumn Budget which the insurer claims will result in some 11 million individuals paying an increased rate of tax on some endowments and whole of life plans
Taxpayers who receive letters from HMRC regarding their self assessment avoid calling the support number provided due to previous bad experiences with customer service, while others say the letters take too long to ‘get to the point’, according to HMRC research
Accountex is launching a one-day accounting conference and exhibition in Manchester, Accountex Summit North, on 6 March 2018 for accountants and finance professionals
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has published an updated work plan for the year, which shows it plans to publish an updated conceptual framework in March 2018, and is expecting to release a number of exposure drafts in the first two quarters
Senior executives in insurance are to be held personally responsible for misconduct, as part of plans to extend the senior managers and certification regime (SMCR) later this year, the Treasury has confirmed
With the deadline for exiting the EU now just over a year away, the government has sought to reassure businesses about the UK’s ambitions for an implementation period following Brexit, in order to ensure an orderly departure
Restructuring specialists at Quantuma have helped save 73 jobs at I-Vapo Ltd, a Cambridgeshire-based electronic cigarette company that had run into cashflow difficulties, via a rescue deal
The Charity Commission has removed two trustees and disqualified an individual from trusteeship after uncovering a series of failings at the charity Peacetrail, including a failure to account for at least £92,110 – nearly 50% of the charity’s total expenditure
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has commissioned PwC and a leading academic to look into whether some companies are repurchasing their own shares to artificially boost executive pay
A roundup of current consultations from HMRC, including Making Tax Digital for VAT, rent a room relief, royalties withholding tax, Making Tax Digital interest harmonisation and sanctions for late payment
Download the HMRC CGT indexation allowance for November 2017, RPI Index for December 2017 and HMRC rates of interest, and the current stamp duty land tax (SDLT) and land and buildings transaction tax (LBTT) rates, and more