Business News - November 2009

Consumers are being warned their beneficiaries could end up paying inflated fees if they take up offers of free or discounted Will writing services.

The Government’s one-year VAT holiday will end on 1st January 2010, with rates expected to return to 17.5% from the 15% we have enjoyed all year.

Changes introduced on 1 October mean that every director must provide Companies House with both their usual residential address, and a ‘service address’ for each directorship they hold. A director may choose any service address, including the company’s registered office or their own home address, but PO boxes or DX numbers are not permitted.

As you may be aware the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates increased from 1 October 2009.

In his speech to the Labour Party Conference, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown announced an extension of free nursery places, to be financed by the withdrawal of the tax and National Insurance (NIC) exemptions for childcare vouchers.

The Vehicle Scrappage Scheme is a voluntary scheme for motor dealers under which participating dealers give buyers a £2,000 discount off the purchase price of a new car (or certain types of small van) in exchange for scrapping their old qualifying vehicle. Funded by the government and manufacturers the scheme has proved very popular and according to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) website 260,226 cars have now been scrapped under the scheme, which is set to run until February 2010.

HMRC are warning employers that from May 2010 they may have to pay a penalty if they do not pay their PAYE on time. These are generally due each month, on time and in full.

HMRC are reminding employers with 50 or more employees that they should now be filing online their starter and leaver information online. The forms which need to be filed electronically, and should have been online since 6 April 2009.