Streets Chartered Accountants covers energy bills, capital allowances, National Insurance, changes in VAT penalties, interest rates increases, and more in new news roundup
Streets Chartered Accountants covers the new Energy Bills Discount Scheme, capital allowances, National Insurance, changes in VAT penalties, interest rates increases, and more in its new news roundup.
Energy Bills Discount Scheme
The new Energy Bills Discount Scheme replaces the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which came to an end on 31 March 2023.
Spring Budget 2023 – Capital allowances
Designed in part to help offset the increased Corporation Tax main rate, the Chancellor announced the introduction of a new ground-breaking 100% first-year capital allowance for qualifying plant and machinery assets. This measure is also expected to help boost business investment and growth.
National Insurance if working abroad
If you move abroad, it can often be advantageous to continue paying your UK National Insurance Contributions (NICs) in order to preserve your entitlement to the State Pension and other benefits.
More time to top-up NICs
In some circumstances it can be beneficial to make voluntary National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to increase your entitlement to benefits, including the State or New State Pension.
Changes in VAT penalties
The first monthly returns and payments affected by HMRC’s new VAT penalty regime were due by 7 March 2023. The new VAT penalty rules apply to the late submission and / or late payments of VAT returns for VAT return periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023.
Adding employees to a workplace pension scheme
Automatic enrolment for workplace pensions has helped many employees make a start on providing for their retirement with the advantage that employers and government are also contributing to their pension pot.
Spring Budget 2023 – Pension changes
One of the key measures of the Spring Budget was the announcement that the £40,000 cap on annual pension contributions will be increased by 50% to £60,000 from 6 April 2023.
Get information about a company
There is a significant amount of information about companies that can be obtained from Companies House.
Spring Budget 2023 – Childcare changes
One of the main areas targeted by the Spring Budget was changes to childcare.
Pensioner Cost of Living Payment 2023-24
The Cost of Living support package has been designed to help over 8 million households in receipt of means tested benefits.
Spring Budget 2023 – Energy Price Guarantee
The Chancellor had previously announced that the energy price guarantee cap, which will see the average household have their energy bills capped at £2,500 a year, would remain in place until the 31 March 2023. It was announced as part of the Spring Budget measures that this cap will now be extended for a further 3-months until 30 June 2023.
Bank of England and HMRC increase interest rates
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met on 22 March 2023 and voted 7-2 in favour of raising interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.25% in a move to tackle continued, rising inflation. This is the eleventh time the MPC has increased interest rates with rates now the highest they have been since November 2008.
CBI Director General dismissed with immediate effect following independent investigation into workplace misconduct
CBI Director General Tony Danker has been dismissed with immediate effect following an independent investigation into complaints of workplace misconduct.
Law firm Fox Williams was hired to investigate Danker in March after a formal complaint made in January from a female CBI employee, who alleged he made unwanted contact with her and considered it to be sexual harassment. It also followed further alleged informal reports of concerns over his behaviour.
The first phase of this investigation has now concluded and, following subsequent reports of wider workplace misconduct, the CBI Board has dismissed Danker, brought in new leadership, with Rain Newton-Smith, former CBI Chief Economist and currently Managing Director, Strategy and Policy, Sustainability and ESG for Barclays, agreeing to rejoin the CBI as its new Director General, and made changes to how it operates.
Jill Ader, a CBI Board member and Senior Adviser and recent Global Chair of the leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder, will oversee a root-and-branch review of the CBI’s culture, governance and processes, leading a new sub-committee of the Board alongside its President Brian McBride.
A new, elevated position of Chief People Officer will also be created, which will sit on the CBI’s executive committee and report directly to the Board on all matters of workplace conduct and culture.
The CBI also revealed that three other CBI employees have now been suspended pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations. It added that while Fox Williams continues with the next phase of its inquiry, the CBI is liaising with the police and will cooperate fully with any investigations.
A statement from the CBI said: “The allegations that have been made over recent weeks about the CBI have been devastating. While investigations continue into a number of these, it is already clear to all of us that there have been serious failings in how we have acted as an organisation. We must do better, and we must be better.
“We apologise to the victims of this organisational failure, including those impacted by the revulsion we have all felt at hearing their stories. Nobody should feel unsafe in their workplace.
“We wish to thank all those who have had the courage to speak out, through internal or external channels, and encourage them to keep doing so. Our website describes how to do so, providing contact details for specific CBI Management or for an independent third party, whichever route individuals feel more comfortable taking.
“The CBI exists to help British business flourish. This is a privilege and responsibility which we take extremely seriously and cannot take for granted. We represent our members not just in how we advocate for them, but also through our values as an organisation. It means we must be a place where colleagues are safe, valued and respected, and where there is zero tolerance for behaviour that falls short of those expectations.”
Trio of Irish veterinary practices join York group
Three Irish veterinary practices have joined York-based VetPartners.
The addition of Riverview Veterinary Group in Cork, Avondale Veterinary Hospital in Wicklow and All Creatures Veterinary Group in Monaghan doubles the number of VetPartners’ practices in Ireland from three to six and creates a strong foundation for the group in the country.
Riverview Veterinary Group is one of the oldest mixed practices in Ireland after being established 75 years ago, with 52 team members working across clinics in Ballincollig, Kinsale, Carrigaline, Bandon and Clonakilty.
Avondale Veterinary Hospital, which is also a mixed practice, has three sites in Arklow, Rathdrum and Tinahely, and employs 31 team members.
All Creatures Veterinary Group is a small animal practice, with 34 employees working across four sites across Monaghan.
VetPartners Ireland Managing Director Gavin McCoubrey said: “We are so proud that these three amazing practices have chosen to join us because they are so respected in Ireland. They are a great cultural fit for VetPartners and they share our values in the way they support and care for people.
“They have really bought into VetPartners as a family of practices that wants to support them to deliver the best possible care for their patients and a great service for their clients, as well as being a great place to work. Practice life is very special and we really value the people that make them so.
“Our growth in Ireland is exciting and I believe the addition of Riverview, Avondale and All Creatures show how highly regarded we are and how much people trust in what we are building.”
VetPartners was established in 2015 with three practices. It now has 11,000 employees working in more than 700 sites across Europe and from its headquarters in York. Following European expansion in 2019, the group now has practices in Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands and the Channel Islands.
Avondale Vets clinical director Declan Ryan said: “We are very excited to join VetPartners as we love their business model, especially the fact that we retain our independence as Avondale Veterinary while having the back up of a large company. Avondale Veterinary is at a stage now where it needs big investment in premises, equipment and, most of all, the team. VetPartners are in a better position to make this a reality than we were. We are really looking forward to this new venture.”
All Creatures Veterinary Group clinical director Christopher Cronin said: “We are happy to announce we have joined the larger VetPartners family of practices. We made this decision to secure the future of our veterinary services and the future of our loyal employees. Together, we will establish a prime service for the farming community of Monaghan and Cavan, and our small animal clients. The investment of VetPartners will allow us to achieve our shared values and we feel the future looks bright.”
Riverview Veterinary Group (RVG) clinical director Michael Sexton said: “We are delighted to be joining up with similar, like-minded practices within the VetPartners group. We believe this will enable RVG to continue on the strong growth we have achieved over the last few decades in general and the last five years in particular. We are excited about the plans for the future and the benefits this will deliver for our clients and team members.”
Dublin-based commercial law firm, Beauchamps, advised VetPartners on the three acquisitions.
Beauchamps partner Shaun O’Shea said: “We were delighted to work with VetPartners on these three latest acquisitions, and are proud to support such a dynamic business and brand on their continued growth and expansion in Ireland.”
Specialist HGV and motor trade insurance broker makes first acquisition as part of JMG Group
Specialist HGV and motor trade insurance broker New Era have made their first acquisition within weeks of becoming part of Yorkshire-based JMG Group.
The firm has acquired Preston-based courierinsurance.co.uk in a move that establishes a new specialist commercial motor division within the JMG Group and reinforces the company’s commitment to growth in this market.
courierinsurance.co.uk, which was established in 2012, provides services covering courier van insurance, public liability insurance, breakdown cover and fleet insurance. It will continue to trade as courierinsurance.co.uk and its team, led by director Simon Moores, will continue to work with clients out of its Preston office.
Simon Moores says: “Our sale to New Era presented a perfect opportunity to join forces with a team that has a mutual appetite to grow in this specialist area of insurance, combined with the benefits that being part of the wider JMG Group will bring. We are excited for what lies ahead for us and for the added value that this step forward brings to our clients.”
New Era directors Ella Burgess and Nathan Pedley, who set up the business in January 2020, say: “We’re over the moon with this acquisition. We were keen to join forces with a team in this specialist area of the insurance market in which we want to lead. We feel that bringing the company on board with us will give us a real advantage and make New Era a specialist in both the haulage and courier sectors.”
JMG Group CEO, Nick Houghton, says: “When we acquired New Era in March we pledged to support its growth and help the team develop and flourish. This is the first step in its ambitious plans in this thriving marketplace. Nathan and Ella already have a proven track record with New Era as does Simon with courierinsurance.co.uk so I am looking forward to seeing what’s next for the team!”
Lincolnshire Co-op’s new CEO takes post
Alison Hands has started work as the new CEO of Lincolnshire Co-op, bringing more than 33 years’ experience in retail environments including Marks and Spencer, The Body Shop, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Boots Opticians.
Alison, most recently MD at Wilko, will be meeting colleagues from across business, as well as stakeholders which work closely alongside the society on development and community projects.
She said: “I’m looking forward to spending time meeting my colleagues, seeing the diverse valued services we provide in action and further understanding how we deliver our purpose to make life better in communities.
“Lincolnshire Co-op is a successful values-driven organisation and I’m excited to work collectively alongside the team to continue to deliver for our area, develop our services and face the challenges of the future.”
Former CEO Ursula Lidbetter retired in December after 18 years with the society. Until now, Chief Financial Officer Steve Galjaard has been Acting Chief Executive Officer alongside his role.
Chair of the Board of Directors David Cowell said: “We’re grateful to Steve, whose leadership has ensured a smooth transition for Alison and all our colleagues.
“We’re delighted to welcome Alison to Lincolnshire Co-op. She has a wealth of experience and a passion for what makes us a different type of business – our community and membership focus. We’re all looking forward to working together to ensure we continue to be a strong and successful business.”
Lincolnshire Co-op runs over 220 outlets including food stores and filling stations, pharmacies, post offices, funeral homes, travel agencies and a crematorium. The society is also active in development schemes, such as the Cornhill Quarter in Lincoln city centre and the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park.
Chambers issue joint statement over Cost of Doing Business survey
On the publication of the South Yorkshire Cost of Doing Business Survey the CEOs of Barnsley & Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield Chambers of Commerce have issued a joint statement highlighting the tough economic backdrop being faced by businesses in their areas.
They say: “Most key indicators of business activity weakened on the quarter, and cashflow positions deteriorated as rising costs ate into margins. Unsurprisingly, inflation remains the biggest concern of South Yorkshire firms, driven by labour costs and utility bills.
“Since the survey closed, interest rates have risen again, inflation figures have come in above expectations and there were few immediate measures in the Budget that will relieve the pressures facing business. Policies aimed at supporting people back into work, such as expanding free childcare, are some time away from being implemented.
“As Chambers, we will continue to advocate for the measures that will underpin business confidence in our region in the near term, such as securing the future of Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
“We will continue to fight hard to attract inward investment and ensure we have the workforce skills we need to grow our economy over the long term. We are working closely with employers, training providers and others on an ambitious Local Skills Improvement Plan centred on digital skills.”
Government plans new rules to support pork farmers and processors with written contracts
Government plans to support the UK’s pig sector by committing to regulate pig contracts to support the supply chain and provide greater certainty across the whole sector.
Mew regulations will help to bring stability and security to the pig supply chain, strengthening the sector’s ability to deal with the challenges it faces around the world, such as rising costs and labour shortages caused by global pressures.
The move follows a public consultation last year, which received nearly 400 responses from producers, processors and others in the supply chain. It revealed popular sentiment in the sector that legally required written contracts would remove uncertainty and ambiguity, with the majority of respondents supporting the governments approach to implement this through legislation.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “The pig sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the last year, with rising costs and global labour shortages putting real pressure on producers and processors.
“We are committed to working with the sector, and the regulations set to be introduced will ensure fairness and transparency across the supply chain – from pig to pork to plate – to help the sector to thrive in the future.”
The regulations will be developed using the regulation-making power in section 29 of the Agriculture Act 2020, with further engagement with industry to ensure that they meet the needs of the sector and properly address the challenges the sector faces.
As well as regulation on written contracts, the government will develop regulations to collect and share more supply chain data, particularly in relation to wholesale price transparency and national slaughter numbers. Increasing the availability of this sort of data within the supply chain will help market reporting services be more reflective of the entire UK market, and will therefore help to further reduce ambiguity for all within the supply chain.
The consultation has also revealed pig producers’ concerns about market consolidation in the processing sector, and the impact this has had on producers. In response to this, the government will be sharing the consultation’s findings relating to the alleged negative consequences of market consolidation with the Competition and Markets Authority.
Doncaster man claimed 20,000 illegal cigarettes were for ‘personal use’
A Doncaster businessman who claimed 20,000 cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco were for personal use has pleaded guilty to three charges after being caught smuggling illicit cigarettes and tobacco out of Grimsby in a van.
Rizgar Ismail Axiz, 46, of Broxholme Lane, Doncaster, appeared before Grimsby Magistrates on three charges brought under the Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015, and the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
He was stopped leaving Grimsby in March last year when police discovered illicit cigarettes and tobacco with a street value of £6,320 and a legitimate value of £15,300. The case was then passed to North East Lincolnshire Council’s Trading Standards officers to investigate.
The 20,000 smuggled Marlboro cigarettes and 120 fifty-gram pouches of Turner hand rolling tobacco did not carry the prescribed combined health warnings and were not in the required plain packaging.
Aziz initially claimed that the cigarettes were for personal use, but later pleaded guilty to all offences and was sentenced to a 12-month Community Order, with 150 hours of unpaid work. Aziz was also ordered to pay costs of £560 and a victim surcharge of £95.
North East Lincolnshire Council Trading Standards Project Officer Mick Funnell, said: “All tobacco is harmful but illegal tobacco tends to be priced much cheaper, making it easier for children to start smoking and get hooked.
“Sellers rarely care who they sell to. Fewer people are buying illegal tobacco and fewer people are now prepared to turn a blind eye to it.
“The illicit tobacco trade also has strong links to organised crime and criminal gangs, so those buying these products are often pouring money into things like people smuggling, drug dealing, money laundering and even terrorism.
“Even small-time local sellers are at the end of a long criminal chain – selling illegal tobacco is a crime.
“People can make a real difference to help keep more illegal tobacco off the streets by reporting it. We need to keep the pressure up on those who continue to sell it.”
Since the start of the Council’s illicit tobacco investigations under Operation Nightshade, and the latest joint operation between National Trading Standards and HMRC, Operation CeCe, almost 2-million illegal cigarettes and over a tonne of illegal tobacco have been removed from the streets of North East Lincolnshire.
Government pumps millions into council areas to boost businesses and community projects
Communities across rural England are set to benefit from an extra £110 million in local authority funding to support rural business and community groups, it has been announced.
Eligible local authorities in England will receive the funding, which they can invest in initiatives such as farm diversification, projects to boost rural tourism, and community infrastructure projects including electric vehicle charging stations. The funding will also help people start up local businesses to supercharge growth and create employment opportunities for rural areas.
The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a rural top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund which is £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment to support levelling up across the UK. It marks a change from previous bureaucratic and fragmented EU funds, allowing England to take back control of its own growth investment and giving local leaders a greater say in where funding is best spent.
Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said: “Driving investment in rural areas is a vital part of our vision for levelling up the country. The new Rural Prosperity Fund replaces the bureaucratic EU funding system – allowing us to work closely with local leaders to direct funding where it is most needed to close the rural productivity gap, create job opportunities and protect the English countryside.
“This confirmed spending will allow local authorities to deliver on their plans to level up businesses and communities in rural areas from today, in line with their residents’ priorities.”
Country Land and Business President Mark Tufnell said: “The rural economy is 19% less productive than the national average, but reducing this gap could add up to £43 billion to the economy. This funding is an important step in unlocking the vast potential of rural businesses, and will give startups as well as existing enterprises the support they need to grow.
“We strongly encourage Local Authorities to work closely with rural entrepreneurs to maximise the opportunities the Rural England Prosperity Fund presents, identifying every possible opportunity to generate economic growth – creating good jobs and strengthening our communities in the process.”
She said the money could be spent on projects to support agricultural businesses looking to expand their remit, and rural businesses looking to launch or grow their products and services. Allocations in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire include:- North Yorkshire: £5.4m
- South Yorkshire: £1.4m
- West Yorkshire: £2.5m
- East Riding: £1.8m
- North Lincolnshire £789,000
- York: £400,000
- West Lindsey: £800,000
- East Lindsey: £1.8m
- South Holland: £700,000
- South Kesteven: £540,000
University gets involved in robotics programme to counter lack of seasonal labour
The University of Lincoln is part of an innovation to deliver an accelerated programme of robotic crop harvesting for horticulture and is one of just three projects to be chosen for a share of £9m funding from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ Farming Innovation Programme.
The project is called Agri OpenCore, and began this week. It’s a three-year project aiming to tackle the lack of seasonal labour in the UK horticulture industry and is looking to accelerate the delivery of robotic crop systems for horticulture.
Many crops have gone unpicked this year, leading to large amounts of unnecessary waste. President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Minette Batters has said that the waste in the food sector is an ‘absolute crisis’.
The Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology at the University of Lincoln is partner in Agri-OpenCore alongside project lead APS Produce Ltd with Dogtooth Technologies Ltd, Wootzano Ltd and Xihelm Ltd.
There is currently no robotic harvesting system that can match the speed of human picking. Agri-OpenCore aims to make progress in this area by cutting the time and cost of developing a robotic harvesting system that achieves parity with human picking.
To deliver this, Agri-OpenCore will develop the world’s first open development platform for agri-robotic harvesting, aiming to develop commercial robotic systems for tomato and strawberry harvesting that achieve human-picking-cost-parity in two years.
Dr Grzegorz Cielniak, Associate Professor at the Lincoln Agri-Robotics Centre and Principal Investigator for the University of Lincoln, said: “The University of Lincoln robotics team, together with the agri-robotics industry, is working on Agri-OpenCore, a project targeting an open development platform for robotic crop harvesting. The platform will facilitate standardised access to the core robotic software and hardware components enabling rapid adoption by the industry and academia.
“The University of Lincoln team will work on the standardisation of the framework as well as on the development of the autonomy, perception and safety components.
“The core functionality of the platform will enable further development and customisation which can be privately exploited by the industry. The project will lead to faster adoption of more reliable robotic technology in agriculture which will be demonstrated by developing robotic tomato and strawberry harvesting systems. Such a strategy will lead to step changes in farming productivity and help to alleviate global problems with the availability of a workforce in the sector.”
Phil Pearson, Group Development Director, APS Group, said: “The Agri-OpenCore robotics project is an exciting, and vital project for the fresh produce industry. It promises to deliver the significant progress required to automate fresh produce harvesting in the UK.
“As this work brings leading technology providers, Dogtooth, Xihelm and Wootzano, with the academic excellence of the University of Lincoln team, we can expect significant progress towards autonomous harvesting.”
