Companies

Business | Consultation on alternative funding sources for SMEs

Responding to SME financing shortfalls and lack of support from the banking sector, the government has launched a four-week consultation to gauge feedback on how to help match SMEs that have been rejected for loans by high street lenders

31 Mar 2014

HR | CABA reports 17% spike in demand for help from ACAs

There has been a sharp increase in the number of younger accountants approaching the Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association (CABA) for support over the past year, according to the charity’s annual impact report.

31 Mar 2014

Accountancy Firms

HR | Scottish SMEs split on benefits of independence

Half (48%) of small business owners in Scotland think that independence would be a negative step for their company and over 90% have already decided how they will vote in the September referendum, according to research by Ingenious Britain

31 Mar 2014

Business | Businesses plan £200bn investment, says Deloitte

The UK’s biggest businesses are preparing to invest up to £200bn in the next two years suggesting that the economic recovery is getting stronger, according to research from Deloitte

31 Mar 2014

HR | FD salaries up 5% on 2013 to £105k, says FD Direct survey

The average salary for finance directors has hit £105,000 with the majority receiving a mixture of salary and performance related bonuses, rising to £130,000 for the top jobs.

28 Mar 2014

HR | Accountants unproductive for 40% of their time

Getting on for half of the accountancy sector’s time is not spent on productive work, although productivity levels are in line with international averages, shows research from Oxford-based iOpener Institute

28 Mar 2014

Accountancy Firms

HR | ICAS launches start-up guide for entrepreneurs

ICAS has launched a business start-up guide providing advice and support for people planning to set up a new business

28 Mar 2014

Finance | EU non-financial reporting rules will affect Accounting Directive

Proposals to introduce non-financial and diversity reporting requirements for large companies with 500-plus employees have been approved by the EU Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), subject to approval in the European parliament by MEPs

27 Mar 2014

Finance | Social housing sector needs to improve governance, says GT

The social housing sector needs to improve standards of transparency over governance and financial reporting, according to a review by Grant Thornton

27 Mar 2014

| Grant Thornton replaces Deloitte as Interserve auditor

Mid-tier firm Grant Thornton is to replace Deloitte as auditors for outsourcing group Interserve, bringing its share of the FTSE 250 audit clients to six.

27 Mar 2014

HR | Drop in gold price forces pawnbroker Albemarle into administration

One of the country’s largest pawnbrokers, Albemarle & Bond Holdings, has gone into administration owing more than £35m

26 Mar 2014

Accountancy Firms

Finance | Derwent switches audit to PwC from BDO

PwC is to take over the audit at Derwent London, the FTSE 250 property developer, displacing mid-tier firm BDO

21 Mar 2014

Tax | PAC calls for transparency on government tenders

Open-book accounting (OBA) should become standard practice for all major government contracts to ensure greater transparency and better management of deals with suppliers, according to a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on private contractors and public spending

19 Mar 2014

Finance | Big data not a priority for beating fraud in business, says EY

Companies are failing to do enough to analyse the ‘big data’ from their financial systems to reduce fraud risk and improve anti-bribery compliance, according to research by EY

19 Mar 2014

Tax | Law firms debate capital injection as LLP tax rules change

Plans to reform the taxation of LLPs will hit law firms hard as they consider whether to call for an injection of partner equity, reports Rachel Fielding

13 Mar 2014