Latest Business News from Chichester Accountants Evans Weir

December 10, 2020

Banks Suspend Opening New Accounts for Small Businesses

It is being reported that HSBC, NatWest and Lloyds Banking Group have temporarily suspended opening new small business accounts as fears around the legitimacy of these new businesses grow. Recent industry data showed that up to 55% of applications were potentially fraudulent with suggestions that just 15% of those applying ended up opening a current account after identity and fraud checks. But the move to suspend new account openings is not only being introduced by the major high street... read more

Potential Financial Support for Owners and Directors

Despite introducing financial support packages that were designed to include as many people as possible, there were always going to be segments of society that missed out on Government support during the Covid pandemic. One major group that were initially overlooked were the self-employed, requiring Chancellor Rishi Sunak to have to introduce the Self-employed incomes support scheme (SEISS). But now a coalition of business groups representing SME Directors and business owners, have been... read more

December 8, 2020

Brexit – What’s Changing?: Overseas Property

In the third post in our mini-series looking at what changes Brexit will bring, we consider the idea of owning property and living overseas and how that may be impacted post Brexit. There has been much discussion about the significant number of UK nationals that own property in the EU and what will happen to this and future property purchases, post Brexit. Well, the answer is relatively simple, as long as you don’t confuse residency with property ownership. The simple answer with... read more

Coronavirus – Year End Government Support Round Up

It seems like a lifetime since the Chancellor first announced a package of support for individuals and businesses that were going to be impacted by the national lockdown back in March of this year. With an ever changing backdrop of restrictions, tiers, lockdowns, initiatives, grants and strategies designed to keep people safe and the economy ticking over, it would not be surprising if you had lost track of which support packages were still relevant and what the picture looks like heading into... read more

November 27, 2020

Brexit What’s Changing?: Post Brexit Travel to the EU

In the second in our mini series about life after Brexit, we look at travel, both for tourism and business after 31st December 2020.  We are edging ever closer to the point at which we will know whether a comprehensive deal has been agreed between the UK and EU to cover us from the end of the transition period on 31st December 2020. As it currently stands (end of November) there is no deal and so we are being encouraged to plan as if this will be the case from 1st January 2021. On... read more

Return to the Office?

Although many people have spent much of 2020 working from home, news of a vaccine has prompted a great deal of discussion about the future of the office. Much of the media, including business focused channels such as LinkedIn, have been full of philosophers predicting the demise of traditional office space. But just how realistic is it to abandon the office and change the way we live and work forever? There is no doubt that 2020 has forced many to consider a different perspective when it... read more

November 19, 2020

Brexit What’s Changing?: Intellectual Property Rights/Rules

In this short series of blog posts, we are going to consider what is known to be or likely to be changing after the end of the Brexit transition period on 31st December 2020. Whilst a trade deal remains a possibility, it may not include all of the elements we will be featuring and even with a trade deal, some aspects of travel and trade will change regardless. So, if you regularly travel to the EU or sell products to countries within the EU, you should be aware of the forthcoming... read more

October 29, 2020

Building a Viable Business

As the Government continues to grapple with balancing the economy and the provision of further financial support, ‘unprecedented’ seems to have been replaced by ‘viable’ as the most frequently used buzz word - specifically when related to jobs and businesses.  There is much talk about avoiding pumping more taxpayer cash into jobs or businesses that are no longer viable. But as we come to terms with the situation in front of us, we have to learn lessons from what has happened and... read more

September 25, 2020

Chancellor Delivers Winter Economy Plan

Whilst there no longer appears to be anything that is truly unusual in the current climate, the Chancellor took the unusual decision to cancel November's planned budget statement and delivered a Winter Economy Plan in its place.  This move once again underlines the lack of long-term certainty that the Covid pandemic is enforcing on the economies and markets of countries around the world. With cases rising and the onset of what appears to be another spike, The Chancellor was forced to make... read more

September 18, 2020

Recovery and Growth Grants Available

During the summer a further round of recovery and growth grants were announced by the Government. This latest round of business support funding is targeted at small and medium sized businesses in England providing grants between £1,000 - £5,000 for new equipment, technology and specialist advice to help them recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown and plan for future growth. The £20 million pot has been allocated to Local Enterprise Partnerships for distribution to successful... read more