FSB calls for more competition in the banking sector
The FSB is asking the government to do more to encourage competition in the banking sector. There have been concerns that the current lack of competition could lead us back into recession.
Contractors may have to wait longer for settlement
Rather than reversing the trend for late payments, a new directive from the EU could actually make matters worse, according to the FPB.
Have you considered a contractor pension yet?
It was recently reported that many people are not prepared for the day to day financial changes that take place on retirement and one reason for this could be that we simply do not believe that 65 is old.
HMRC finds £42 billion tax gap
Any contractors currently at work in the UK as either limited companies or sole traders may be interested in a new series of figures recently published by HM Revenue & Customs.
Unemployment rate sends mixed signals, expert says
New data released recently by the Office for National Statistics illustrate that the current rates of unemployment in the country have dropped by an additional 8,000 people for the months of May, June, and July.
New report on entrepreneurs released
UK contractors and freelancers may very well be among a new class of entrepreneurs who are of the belief that the current economic landscape will soon be improving.
Will umbrella companies look wildly different post AWR?
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation has issued a call to contract recruitment agencies, umbrella companies, and the clients they do business with to exercise caution when developing alternative worker policies.
SMEs and contractors face up to public sector cuts
Nearly 150,000 small businesses in the UK are facing fears that they may become insolvent if they cannot maintain their contracts with the public sector.
Government implements savings regime
In a recent announcement by the Government, its Spending Challenge has borne fruit in that three ideas submitted to it through both public sector workers and members of the public will soon be implemented as new governmental policy.
IT contractor pay rates are not keeping up with demand
New data revealed recently illustrated that while IT contract worker demand has risen lately, pay rates for IT contractors has not kept up.
Contractors contacted by HMRC told not to bury their heads in the sand
Due to recently discovered errors, HMRC has sent out its first round of approximately 45,000 letters to taxpayers, potentially including umbrella company contractors, informing them that their taxes were wrong. The total number of letters sent out should top 6 million by the end of this year.
Good news for UK contractors
According to new data released from the British Chambers of Commerce, contractors across many UK industries may be in for some good news: the BCC predicts that British GDP will rise by 1.7 per cent this year and 2.2 per cent the following year.
