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Welcome to AVASK News, where we post the latest industry updates from around the world
Over 300,000 people working for almost 9,000 Real Living Wage employers throughout the UK are set for a pay boost as the Living Wage rates. From 15 November the Real Living Wage increased to £9.90 across the UK and £11.05 in London. This is higher than the compulsory National Living Wage (NLW), which …
Only one third of businesses plan on cutting their greenhouse gas emissions over the next year despite the UK’s recent net-zero efforts, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). According to the ONS’s report, 11% of businesses are not taking action to reduce their emissions, with 13% stating that …
UK economic growth slowed between July and September as supply chain problems hindered the recovery from the pandemic, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by a slightly weaker than expected 1.3%, down from 5.5% in the second quarter, according …
HMRC saw a drop of almost £30 billion in tax revenues in the latest financial year because of the pandemic, according to its annual accounts. In its 2020/21 annual report, HMRC reported that it had collected £608.8 billion in tax revenues, which is down from £636.7 billion collected in 2019/20. …
The Bank of England has hinted that it may raise interest rates in the coming months. Interest rates may have to escalate in response to increasing levels of inflation. Policymakers at the Bank recently voted to hold interest rates at the record low rate of 0.1%. The Bank’s Monetary Policy …
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has warned that household finances are not set to return to their pre-COVID levels until 2023. In a hearing with MPs, Charlie Bean, a board member for the OBR, stated that incomes are not set to return to their 2019 levels for at least …
It is easier than ever to build an unsustainable business. 2019 saw the largest class of unprofitable IPOs since the DotCom era. This is one of the reasons so many entrepreneurs fail: not investing in a solid financial strategy and not conducting rigorous financial reviews from the outset. But even …
A report published by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has revealed that the costs associated with going green have impacted small firms’ plans for becoming more sustainable. The FSB’s report found that the majority of UK small firms are concerned about climate change but just one in three has …
The government has doubled the payment period for capital gains tax (CGT) on residential property from 30 days to 60 days. Although the measure was not announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in the recent Autumn Budget, it was included in HM Treasury’s Budget publication. The change applies from 27 October …
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has predicted that millions of people will be worse off in 2022 as a result of spiralling costs and tax rises. Responding to the Autumn Budget, the IFS predicted that low-income families will ‘feel real pain’ due to a rise in the cost of …
Research carried out by think tank Parliament Street has revealed that HM Treasury received almost five million malicious emails over the past three years. A Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by Parliament Street found that 4,870,389 malware, phishing and spam emails were blocked by the Treasury over the three …
In his Autumn Budget speech, Chancellor Rishi Sunak made significant changes to fuel duty and duty rates on alcohol. The government will keep fuel duty frozen at 57.95p per litre across the UK for 2022/23 in recognition of the significant cost that fuel represents for households and businesses. The alcohol …
AVASK is already well known throughout Europe for the stellar support it offers European e-commerce sellers. From business formation to exit strategies, we are with you every step of your enterprise’s life cycle. If you already sell in the EU, you may have thought about your US e-commerce accounting needs. …
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered a Budget to ensure the UK economy bounces back following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Chancellor announced that total departmental spending will grow by £150 billion per year in cash terms by 2024/25, marking the largest real term increase in overall departmental spending for any Parliament …
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped e-commerce landscapes in dramatic but often positive ways. In the UK, retail e-commerce saw a massive boost, particularly in categories like food and household goods. In 2020 alone, the market saw 46.5% year-over-year growth, and that trend has only continued. By 2025, experts expect e-commerce to …
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will deliver the 2021 Autumn Budget speech today at 12:30pm. We will keep you up to date on the key Budget announcements and supply a full summary, which will appear on our website tomorrow morning. Speculation is rife that the Chancellor will increase capital gains tax (CGT) …
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned the government against introducing new business tax rises in this week’s Autumn Budget. The business group has urged the government to ‘end the repeated increase of business taxes that are stunting investment’; reform the business rates system; commit to maintaining ‘more generous …
Research carried out by property group Savills has found that half of first-time buyer home purchases are financed by the so-called ‘bank of mum and dad’. Parents’ contributions towards buying a first home are likely to top £9.8 billion this year, Savills found. It said that rising house prices have …
UK manufacturing output volumes in the quarter to October grew at a similarly firm pace to September, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The latest quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey shows manufacturers reported output increasing in 11 out of 17 sub-sectors. Growth was driven by the chemicals, aerospace, …
A study carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has showed that small firms are losing £25 billion per year as compliance costs and time lost to dealing with tax admin soar. The FSB study found that the government’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative has ‘significantly increased costs …
At some point in your life, you have likely encountered what is known as an armchair warrior. Someone who has a lot of criticisms and opinions about how to solve a problem but is not interested in being part of those proposed solutions. In looking for a reliable business consultant, …
Homeowners in England and Wales will be offered subsidies of £5,000 from next April to help them to replace old gas boilers with low carbon heat pumps. The grants are part of the government’s £3.9 billion plan to reduce carbon emissions caused by heating homes and other buildings. It is …
At AVASK, we understand how important it is to create a seamless shopping experience for customers regardless of where they are globally. But the wide variety of different currencies and financial regulations can make this a daunting prospect, sometimes to the point of preventing e-commerce sellers from expanding their businesses. …
A single person will need post-tax annual income of £10,900 for a minimum standard of living in retirement, according to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA). The minimum retirement living standard covers a typical retiree’s basic needs plus enough for some social activities, such as a week of holiday …
Businesses that are planning to operate in the UK’s new freeports can now apply to HMRC. The tax authority has published the application forms to operate special customs procedures within the sites, along with further guidance on procedures for declaring goods moving into and out of sites. Freeports are areas …
A joint statement issued by 41 of the UK’s trade associations has called on the government to reform business rates in order to help unlock green investment. The statement comes in the lead up to COP26 from groups including the British Retail Consortium (BRC), Build UK and UKHospitality. Together they …
HMRC has reminded self assessment taxpayers that the deadlines for filing 2020/21 tax returns are now approaching. The deadline for 2020/21 tax returns is 31 October 2021 for those completed on paper forms and 31 January 2022 for online returns. HMRC has already seen thousands of people filing their returns …
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will have ‘little room for manoeuvre’ in this month’s Budget and Spending Review, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The IFS says that this year’s historic announcements of tax rises will increase the UK’s tax take to its highest sustained level in peacetime. The think …
The Tax Faculty at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has urged the government to use the upcoming Autumn Budget to help accelerate work on building a modern UK tax system. The ICAEW has called for the government to ensure the tax system is ‘fit for …
A survey carried out by the Institute of Directors (IoD) has found that three in ten businesses plan on employing fewer people as a result of the increase in national insurance contributions (NICs). Last month Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans to supply an additional £12 billion per year for …
