Freelancers experienced a drop in income during the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, according to research published by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE). The research showed an average drop of 25% during the second quarter of this year. The drop in income was driven by a record fall in the average number of […]

HMRC has published details on its refund scheme for taxpayers who made voluntary payments of income tax or national insurance prior to a change in the rules regarding the loan charge. The loan charge, which came into effect on 6 April this year, applies to anyone who used ‘disguised remuneration’ schemes. The legislation added a […]

The UK economy is ‘still stuck in first gear’, with many businesses operating at half their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) capacity, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The BCC’s Coronavirus Impact Tracker found that over half of businesses were suffering from reduced demand. In fact, customer demand and possible future local lockdowns were rated the […]

Confidence in the UK’s small business sector is starting to bounce back, according to a quarterly survey conducted by Hitachi Capital Business Finance (HCBF). The HCBF survey reported that the number of UK small businesses predicting growth has almost doubled in just three months, from 14% to 27%. Following last quarter’s report, which saw the […]

UK businesses have now borrowed over £46 billion through the government-backed schemes that are helping firms during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, according to the latest figures from the Treasury. In total, £46.3 billion has now been lent to over 1.1 million businesses through either the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan […]