News

July 13, 2026

Proposed offence for reckless, untrue tax statements

HMRC have proposed a new criminal offence for making reckless, untrue statements or declarations about what's known as 'direct taxes' - Income Tax, National Insurance and the like. For Customs and Excise and VAT ('indirect taxes'), it is already possible to prosecute individuals who make untrue statements or submit incorrect documents either knowingly or recklessly, without the need to prove dishonesty. The penalties for such offences can be severe, including substantial fines and imprisonment. The direct tax regime does not currently contain an equivalent offence.

July 9, 2026

Britain's yearly £44m health & safety violations bill

A new Freedom of Information (FOI) request has discovered that health and safety violations cost British employers over £44 million per year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that serious breaches have resulted in an increasing number of prosecutions between 2023 and 2025.

June 1, 2026

Late payment legislation laid before Parliament

Following its mention in the King’s Speech, the Small Business Protections Bill has now been put before Parliament.

May 28, 2026

UK unemployment rises to 5% but inflation drops to 2.8%

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the unemployment rate in the three months to March 2026 has risen to 5% from 4.9%.

May 27, 2026

HMRC introduces targeted advance assurance service for R&D claims

Originally proposed in last autumn’s Budget, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have introduced a targeted advance assurance service for Research and Development (R&D) tax relief claims. The service, which is a pilot, aims to provide businesses with clarity on complex or high-risk areas before they make a claim.