Spring Budget must ease cost pressures on businesses, says BCC

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has urged Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to use the upcoming Spring Budget to help ease cost pressures on small businesses.

Research carried out by the BCC revealed…

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Two freeports confirmed for Wales

Two freeports have been confirmed for Wales by the UK and Welsh governments.

Celtic Freeport, covering Milford Haven and Port Talbot, and Anglesey Freeport will each be backed by £26 million…

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Online VAT filing portal to close in May

HMRC has reminded businesses that file VAT returns annually that the online VAT filing portal will close from 15 May 2023.

The VAT portal closed to standard quarterly filers on 7 November…

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HMRC increases late payment interest rate

Following the Bank of England's latest increase in the base rate, HMRC has increased both late paid tax and the rate paid on repayments of tax.

The Bank increased the base rate to 4.5% from…

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Bank of England raises UK interest rates

The UK's interest rate has been raised to 5.25% by the Bank of England, as it continues to try and bring inflation under control.

The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee increased the rate by…

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UK set for five years of lost economic growth, warns think tank

The UK is set for five years of lost economic growth, according to research from think tank the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR).

The NIESR said the series of shocks…

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Interest rates held as inflation falls

The UK's base rate of interest was held at 5.25% in September as the rate of inflation fell to 6.7% in the year to August 2023.

The fall in the rate of inflation surprised economists, who…

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Chancellor must use Autumn Statement to cement commitment to small firms

The Chancellor should cement the government's commitment to small businesses in his Autumn Statement, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The FSB has called for a strong…

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Businesses say hybrid working is here to stay

Less than 30% of firms expect their workforce to fully return to the workplace over the next five years, according to research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The survey of over…

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