HMRC’s new mandatory registration system for paid tax advisers starts rolling out on Monday 18 May 2026, creating an immediate compliance checkpoint for small accountancy, bookkeeping and payroll firms that deal with HMRC for clients.…
HMRC’s new artificial intelligence deal is not just a Whitehall technology story. For UK small businesses, it could affect how quickly tax errors are spotted, how fraud checks are targeted, and how much evidence a…
The government has put late payments back on the small business agenda, with the King’s Speech confirming plans for a Small Business Protections (Late Payments) Bill. For many UK SMEs, that could matter more than…
A Bristol glassmaker’s warning about the viability of UK manufacturing is a useful reality check for small firms well beyond one craft workshop. Bristol Blue Glass, a specialist maker with roots in a local glassmaking…
Farmers, growers, agricultural suppliers and rural service businesses have a new regulatory consultation to watch, after the UK’s four governments set out plans to modernise how fertilising products are placed on the market. The proposals…
HMRC has confirmed that its current position on VAT for electricity supplied at public electric vehicle charge points has not changed, despite a recent First-tier Tribunal decision involving Charge My Street Limited. For small firms…
Small businesses are being pushed to treat cyber security as a board-level and owner-level issue, after the government warned that AI-enabled attacks are changing the speed and scale of online threats. The message is not…
A new £4.8 million rail innovation competition has opened for organisations developing technology that could improve safety, reliability, passenger experience and environmental performance on Britain’s railways. The Department for Transport said the latest First-of-a-Kind competition,…
Late payment pressure is becoming a sharper cash-flow problem for tradespeople, with new research suggesting many are spending more time chasing invoices, negotiating deposits and protecting themselves before they start larger jobs. Direct Line business…
The UK medicines regulator says it met or exceeded all its statutory performance targets in 2025/26, a signal that could matter for small firms working in life sciences, medtech, diagnostics and health technology. For SMEs,…