Monthly Archives: May 2019

MTD explained – what it all means and why there’s no need to panic

Originally written by Stephanie Spicer on Small Business
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT came into force in the UK on 1st April 2019, but while the deadline may have come and gone, many businesses and accountants affected by the new rules are still trying to sort the fact from the fiction. Many are still unsure as to what they need to do to ensure that they are HMRC compliant, and crucially, what will happen if they fail to comply with the new rules.
MTD for VAT is the first major phase in the government’s overall initiative to make tax digital, which is designed to make it easier for businesses to keep on top of their day to day accounting. The legislation is intended to make tax administration more effective, efficient and easier for taxpayers by integrating digital record-keeping and enabling businesses to generate and send updates directly from their chosen accounting software to HMRC.
While the government’s intention is to bring the days of foraging for receipts and painstakingly checking through spreadsheets or files for accuracy to an end, many small businesses were quite happy with the status quo, and are reluctant to embrace this move towards digital.
We understand that change can

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OUTofOffice: win tickets to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019!

Originally written by Partner Content on Small Business
We’re partnering up with GoDaddy to give you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
Which games could I win tickets to?
GoDaddy, the official sponsors of the tournament, are offering up tickets for the first two weeks of matches. Tickets for the following weeks will be announced in the coming days, so keep checking back!
Enter now and you could win tickets to see:

South Africa vs Bangladesh: 2nd June @ The Oval, London
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka: 4th June @ Cardiff Wales Stadium, Cardiff
Bangladesh vs New Zealand: 5th June @ The Oval, London
Australia vs West Indies: 6th June @ Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka: 7th June @ Bristol County Ground, Bristol
Afghanistan vs New Zealand 8th June @ County Ground Taunton, Taunton
South Africa vs West Indies 10th June @ Hampshire Bowl, Southampton

How do I enter the competition?
It’s a simple case of filling in the entry form and selecting your preferred match venue.
If you don’t bag tickets this time around, don’t worry – you’ll be able to re-apply for matches in the last two weeks of June.
Be sure to have a look over the terms and conditions below before

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Regional business growth – investors called on to narrow the gap

Originally written by Stephanie Spicer on Small Business
Regional business growth investment inequality is set to worsen without significant changes and job growth, business investment and infrastructure in the regions could suffer most, according to the trade association for regional business investment – the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA), which is launching a series of investment seminars for all interested parties.
The Association cites a new independent report by the UK 2070 commission, (the independent inquiry into city and regional inequalities in the UK, chaired by Lord Kerslake)  which says the UK is one of the most regionally unbalanced countries in the industrialised world and the disparities will widen unless the government adopts a radical programme of investment.
UKBAA says a huge shift in emphasis is needed towards regional funding support to address this inequality in the next few years. One of the biggest problems it highlights is the UK’s regions is a lack of investment into small, growing, businesses. This it says, creates further gaps in terms of wage and job growth with fewer businesses able to grow and scale apace with their London counterparts.
It adds that there is currently a lack of awareness regionally in wealthy individuals as to the wide

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