Meaningful Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU are unlikely to commence until after the French and German general elections, according to former European Council president Herman van Rompuy

The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) have launched an introductory guide to help public sector organisations implement integrated reporting to improve accountability

Margrethe Vestager, EU competition commissioner, has made clear that she plans to defend the decision to order Apple to pay €13bn (£11bn) in back tax to the Irish government, which is the subject of an appeal by both the technology firm and Ireland, and has indicated she hopes publish the specific details of the ruling soon

The Baldwins Accountancy Group, which has been on a rapid expansion track over the past year, has added two accountancy practices in Shropshire and Gloucestershire to its portfolio

The trial has opened in New York of Maurice ‘Hank’ Greenberg, the former head of insurance group AIG, over civil charges relating to an accounting fraud which took place some 16 years ago

Seventeen home care workers employed across the London Borough of Haringey are taking care company Sevacare and the council to court in a dispute over the non-payment of the minimum wage in the sector’s biggest ever legal claim

Global corporations are increasingly wealthier than many countries, with Walmart, Apple and Shell richer than Russia, Belgium and Sweden, according to research by the campaigning group Global Justice Now, which found that 69 of the world’s top 100 economic entities are corporations rather than countries in 2015

The presiding judge for a three member arbitration panel, set up to decide the £1.4bn tax demand from Indian tax authorities on Vodafone, has been identified and an announcement is expected soon

Parliament should be consulted on plans to invoke Article 50, the mechanism to start the exit process from the EU, according to a report from the House of Lords Constitution Committee

The government has confirmed it is to appoint a small business commissioner who will provide help and advice to businesses, including on payment disputes, and is strengthening the voluntary code for large suppliers, although it has stopped short of enforcing a 30-day payment rule

Bishop Fleming’s head of tax, Andrew Browne, warns of the dangers for UK companies planning to set up EU subsidiaries following the vote for Brexit with potential tax implications and uncertainty about the future relationship with the EU until the negotiations get underway

The UK’s leading law firms are moving away from merging as a favoured growth strategy because of the financial, reputational and cultural risks associated with failed mergers, and instead are investing in technology and team moves to boost profitability