Business management

By and large, business groups extended a welcome to the Budget, but some expressed doubts about whether the Chancellor had done enough to stimulate a private sector led recovery.

Each year, the government introduces regulatory changes affecting businesses on two common commencement dates. These dates are 6 April and 1 October.

The Chancellor may be planning a freeze on fuel duty in the forthcoming Budget.

Health and safety regulation will in future focus on high hazard sites and tackling rogue employers and consultants, not tying up the vast majority of Britain’s businesses in unnecessary red tape and regulations, a series of planned changes to the regulatory system has made clear.

Firms with fewer than ten employees are to benefit from a three-year moratorium on new domestic regulations.

Measures need to be adopted to reduce the level of regulation on smaller firms, the CBI has claimed.

The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has given a warm response to the review of small business taxation carried out by the Office of Tax Simplification.

Reforms to the PAYE system are being rushed through at too quick a pace, it has been claimed.

Over two thirds of employers believe that the current employment tribunal system offers them no protection against employees who make wholly unjustifiable claims.

Plans by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to scrutinise the record keeping of smaller firms could prove costly for many enterprises, it has been claimed.