Business news and opinion from Evans Weir

Setting up a business partnership can be an exciting time. Working with other professionals can offer additional skills, and the ability to steer your company successfully with insight, support and guidance from others. There is no legal requirement to have a written partnership agreement in the UK, but they can be a very helpful tool. […]

Adopting sustainable practices is now an important business exercise for many SMEs. But is there a need to ensure environmental systems are correctly reported on? And how should this be done? Sustainability is now a much more typical part of company operations. A few years ago offering insight into the impact of a company’s sustainable […]

If you’re thinking of selling your business, one of the key questions you may ask is what tax I will pay on the money I receive? It’s a fair question too. Afterall, if you’ve been building the business for many years, you’ll want to ensure you see maximum benefit from the risk and hard work you’ve undoubtedly had to put into it.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is the minimum amount which employers must pay employees when they’re off work due to illness. But what are the current rules? And are changes afoot? Who qualifies for SSP?Under the current rules, any employee is eligible for SSP if they: How much is SSP?From April 2025, the rate is £118.75 […]

Running your own business, or being self-employed, offers a chance to conduct your working life on your terms. Yet there are numerous situations which you need to consider, including planning for retirement. So how should you plan for the years ahead? Working for yourself can offer significant benefits but there is uncertainty too. Financial benefits […]

Offering a staff training budget is an important strategic decision, helping attract and retain employees. Some staff training budgets can be tax exempt in certain conditions too. One of the trickiest issues when running an SME is ensuring you recruit and retain a solid team. Offering opportunities for staff training and professional development can be […]

Companies House has launched a voluntary identity verification service for company directors and people with significant control. The move marks the first phase of a wider initiative to tackle corporate fraud and misuse of the companies register. Individuals can now digitally verify their identity either directly through Companies House using the GOV.UK login or through […]

Earlier this year the Government launched a short consultation to gauge how e-invoicing can and should be adopted for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) transactions. Some of the topics under review include whether e-invoicing should be compulsory or voluntary, and the practicality of real-time digital reporting. Understanding e-invoicing While many UK businesses currently send invoices […]

HMRC has announced that it will be closing its free online service for filing corporation tax returns and company accounts. From next year businesses will now have to pay to file these statutory items. So why the change to these important tax compliance services? Earlier this month, HMRC announced that its online service for filing […]

In the Autumn Budget, Rachel Reeves promised that there would only be one fiscal event each year with no other significant tax changes coming more frequently. So would the Spring Statement offer any surprises? In her Spring Statement on 26th March 2025 the Chancellor Rachel Reeves repeatedly mentioned how the world changes rapidly: economic and […]

If you’re building personal savings, it’s useful to understand at what point you might need to pay tax on your funds. However, recently HMRC has begun to estimate the amount of interest due on your savings and collect it through your tax coding notice. So what do you need to know to avoid paying too […]

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software, popular with many SMEs. We began working with Xero in 2022 and recommend it to clients who are keen to use a powerful, affordable software package to help them better manage their financial accounting. Here are a few of the benefits which Xero may be able to offer your […]