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Spring 2024 Budget Update

Laura Kurowski
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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget on Wednesday 6 th  March 2024, in which he stated that ‘lower taxes mean higher growth’, declaring it was his long-term ambition to continue to cut National Insurance, ‘to make work...

Simple Contracts and Deeds: A Guide for Clients

Laura Kurowski
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Understanding different kinds of agreements and how they work helps businesses avoid problems and ensures that things are done correctly. Two commonly used agreements are simple contracts and deeds. Here we explain what they are and how they are executed....

New Employment Rights Regulations

James Hodgson
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Employers need to be aware of the  Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023 , which came into effect on the 1 st  January 2024. Intended to make employment legislation less onerous for businesses...

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: What businesses need to know

Laura Kurowski
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With volatile energy prices experienced in the last year and the energy markets looking uncertain for the foreseeable future, we welcome the government’s announcement that they will continue to provide support for businesses with their energy bills...

Using settlement agreements to resolve employment issues

James Hodgson
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Employment relationships can come to an end for many reasons, including redundancy, dismissal and personality clashes. Increasingly, employers are using settlements to end an employment relationship. Settlement agreements offer an alternative to wading...

Is your business ready for this year's extra bank holiday?

James Hodgson
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On Friday 3rd June 2022 there will be an additional bank holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This will result in a 4-day bank holiday weekend, as the date of the usual Spring bank holiday has moved to Thursday 2nd June. The additional...

Guide for employers: the pitfalls to avoid when using settlement agreements

James Hodgson
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If you're an employer and need to use a settlement agreement to end a long standing dispute, here is my guide to avoiding the most common pitfalls. Understand the fundamental purpose of settlement agreements Under the terms of...

2021 employment law changes: an overview for employers

James Hodgson
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Give yourself a head start in 2021 by planning ahead for these forthcoming changes to employment law. Coronavirus The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is open until the end of April 2021. As an employer, you only need to contribute National Insurance and...

Government Winter Plan for COVID-19

James Hodgson
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Earlier this week the Government announced plans for managing the coronavirus pandemic through winter. The 64-page document contains important information on how businesses and individuals will emerge from the current national lock down on 2 December 2020....

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: What Next

James Hodgson
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The  Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme  (JRS) ends on 31 October 2020, when it will be replaced by the  Job Support Scheme which aims to protect “viable” jobs. What are the main implications for employers and employees? In the...

Changes to the Job Support Scheme - announced on 23 October 2020

James Hodgson
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Today the Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an update to the new Job Support Scheme (to be known as the 'Open' Scheme in order to distinguish it from the Scheme provided for businesses legally required to close). The new support includes a...

10 June 2020: deadline for new entrants to the furlough scheme

Maureen Cawthorn
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Today -10 June 2020 -  is the last day employers can furlough staff who have not already been furloughed through the coronavirus job retention scheme. From 1 July 2020 employers may only claim for employees they have already claimed for;...

COVID-19 Secure Workplace Guidance

Maureen Cawthorn
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To support businesses and employees in re-opening workspaces and returning to work, the Government has now published a series of guides to making workplaces ‘COVID secure’. Eight sector-specific guides have been produced. These are for: ...

Government Covid-19 Recovery Strategy

Maureen Cawthorn
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The Government has now published its plan to bring England out of the current Coronavirus lockdown. The proposals state: “For the foreseeable future, workers should continue to work from home rather than their normal physical...

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Andrew Crabtree
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Following the launch of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), small and medium-sized businesses can now apply for finance to help deal with operating costs and help to maintain cash flow.  Is my...

Coronavirus and Commercial Rent Payments

Laura Kurowski
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Commercial tenants who are unable to pay their rent due to Coronavirus will be protected from eviction. Most leases contain provisions which permit a landlord to terminate the tenancy if the tenant fails to pay rent for a period after it is due (usually 14...

Government announces further support for the self-employed

Laura Kurowski
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On 27 March 2020, the Government announced their intention to provide further support for the self-employed in the form of a taxable cash grant. The scheme allows individuals to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of...

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - further details announced

Maureen Cawthorn
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The Government has now published additional information about Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (the Furlough Scheme). At present the details represent guidance for HMRC; whether legislation follows remains to be seen. We recommend you read the full guidance...

Emergency Legislation for Coronavirus

James Hodgson
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The Government has recently passed all stages of its emergency bill through the House of Commons. The bill has cleared the House of Lords, and is expected to become law later today. The bill provides the Government with wide-ranging powers...

Coronavirus COVID-19: the latest guidance for businesses and individuals

Andrew Crabtree
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  SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme HMRC will set up a new online portal so that all UK employers will be eligible for assistance where an employee has been designated as a ‘furloughed worker.’ HMRC will reimburse...

Coronavirus COVID-19: guidance for employers

James Hodgson
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All employers have a statutory duty of care for their employee’s health and safety and to provide a safe place to work. If you’re an employer, here’s what you need to know. How can I prevent the spread of infection in my business? The...

How to protect your land and property from fraud

Laura Kurowski
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We are often asked how to protect property from being fraudulently sold or mortgaged. This can be of particular concern if: your identity has been stolen you rent your property you live abroad the property is empty the property is not mortgaged the...

Is it time your business had a health check?

Andrew Crabtree
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For all businesses the financial year end and start of a new tax year often brings tax efficiencies into sharp focus. This sort of ‘house-keeping’ is a good way to maximise profits yet there are many other ‘health checks’ directors...

Why we are backing Brighouse BID

Maureen Cawthorn
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If you’re a business based in Brighouse, you’ll know the Brighouse Business Improvement District (BID) initiative is gathering pace. Based on the results of their recent survey, the BID team are now developing a business plan for a potential...

Buy-to-let stamp duty: How much will you have to pay?

Melanie Leadbitter
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Thousands of pounds of extra stamp duty taxes will become due from second homes and buy-to-let investors when they buy a property following the announcement by the government of a “landlord" stamp duty tax which will apply from April 2016. From...