Using AI for money advice: UK, US and global data
Only 40% of UK consumers know there is no formal complaint route when a general-purpose AI tool gives bad money advice, an FCA survey of 5,026 people found in April 2026.
Testing shows a £35 cost cliff on UK parcels to the UAE once the duty threshold is crossed
Kael Tripton testing found the UAE duty threshold sits between £195 and £210 of goods plus shipping. Adding £15 of goods at that point raised the total landed cost by about £35, as duty, VAT on the duty and a declaration fee all applied at once.
Before you send a parcel abroad: duty, VAT and the fees nobody quotes
Duties-paid delivery is not available everywhere, carriers charge a flat fee to prepay duty, and the threshold is calculated on goods plus shipping. Findings from 392 landed-cost tests run on 20 September 2026.
Companies House ID verification: who, how and deadlines
Identity verification for company directors and people with significant control became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025.
Dojo card machine finance passes 2bn: how merchant funding works
Dojo and YouLend have passed £2 billion in merchant funding across more than 30,000 UK small businesses. The facility is repaid from future card takings at a fixed fee rather than an interest rate.
UK and US sign two fusion agreements: what the Global Fusion Summit deals cover
The UK and US signed two fusion agreements in London on 14 September 2026, in a sector the government says will support more than 10,000 UK jobs by 2030. What the deals cover, the money attached, and the honest state of commercial fusion.
Martyn's Law: SIA sets out scope tool, templates and portal
The SIA's September 2026 update sets out how pubs, shops, venues, village halls and event organisers can check whether they are in scope of Martyn's Law, the optional templates being tested, and how the GOV.UK notification portal will work ahead of commencement in spring 2027.
Buying or selling a small business in the UK: tax, TUPE, insurance and the due diligence checklist
Business Asset Disposal Relief covers the first £1 million of lifetime gains at 14 percent in 2025-26 and 18 percent from April 2026. Share purchases attract 0.5 percent stamp duty, TUPE transfers staff automatically, and insurance must be re-issued on completion. The full checklist.
Contractor insurance: what end clients and agencies require, and the IR35 link
Agency and end-client contracts typically demand £1 million professional indemnity, £1 million to £5 million public liability and £10 million employers liability before a contractor starts. What each covers, why umbrella workers differ, and how insurance feeds into IR35.
Sole trader vs limited company: how your insurance needs and personal liability change
Sole traders carry unlimited personal liability; limited companies separate it. Either way the £5 million employers liability minimum, contract-required public liability and professional indemnity apply. What changes when you incorporate and what does not.
Employers liability insurance: the £5 million legal minimum, who is exempt and the daily fine for going without
UK employers must hold at least £5 million of employers liability insurance under the 1969 Act; most policies give £10 million. Fines run to £2,500 a day for no cover and £1,000 for not displaying the certificate. Who is exempt and what counts as an employee.
Public liability insurance: who needs it, how much cover is standard and what a claim costs
Public liability insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK, but £1 million is the standard minimum clients, councils and venues ask for, with £2 million or £5 million common in contracts. Who needs it, what it pays for and how claims work.
Professional indemnity insurance explained: who needs it, what it covers and what the regulators require
Professional indemnity insurance is optional for most UK firms but compulsory where a regulator says so: SRA solicitors need at least £2 million, with ICAEW, RICS and FCA firms carrying their own minimums. What it covers, what it excludes and how claims are handled.
Multi-Currency Business Accounts in the UK: Who Offers Them, Fees and FSCS Cover
Multi-currency business accounts let UK firms hold and pay in 20+ currencies without converting each time. Fintech accounts (Airwallex, Wise, OFX) price FX from about 0.5% above interbank under safeguarding; UK-licensed banks carry FSCS protection up to £120,000. Providers, fees and cover compared.
International Payments for UK Businesses: Fees, FX Margins, Speed and How Providers Compare
Bank SWIFT payments cost £15 to £30 plus a 2% to 4% FX margin; specialist platforms price from about 0.5% above interbank with one-day local-rail delivery to 120+ countries. What international business payments really cost, and how Airwallex, Wise, Revolut, Payoneer and the banks compare.
Currency Management Software for UK Businesses: FX Hedging, Automation and What It Costs
Currency management software automates FX exposure capture, hedging and settlement for businesses trading in more than one currency. Margins start around 0.5% above interbank on payment platforms; specialist automation is priced by volume. What the category covers and how UK options compare.
Gamma's £1.02bn Epiris Takeover: What It Means for Business Users
Epiris is buying Gamma Communications for 1,120p a share, valuing it at £1.02bn. What the take-private means for Gamma's business phone, SIP and UCaaS customers and resellers.
Meta's $18bn Settlement and the UK's Under-16 Ban
Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle US state claims that Instagram and Facebook harmed young users. The settlement does not cover the UK, where the government is bringing in its own under-16 social media ban from spring 2027.
Poundland owner Gordon Brothers weighs sale a year after £1 takeover
Gordon Brothers is weighing an auction of Poundland around 13 months after buying it for a nominal £1, with the chain now at roughly 600 stores and about 12,000 staff after a court-sanctioned restructuring.
Best Accounting Software for Charities UK: Fund Accounting and SORP Compared
Charity accounting requires restricted, unrestricted and designated funds tracked separately under the Charities SORP. General cloud tools handle this through workarounds up to roughly 5 million pounds income; dedicated platforms build fund logic in natively.
The £1bn Reprieve: Scotch Whisky’s Tariff War, Charted from the Official Data
US tariffs on Scotch hit zero from 24 July, weeks after India halved the world’s highest whisky wall. What seven years of tariff whiplash cost - visible in the production data - and what comes back now.
Energy Drinks Ban 2027: What Parents and Retailers Should Know
The government confirmed on 16 July 2026 a ban on selling high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s from April 2027. Here is what it means for parents, what retailers must do, and how it fits with other child health measures.
UK-India Trade Deal: What Enters Into Force From 15 July 2026
The UK-India trade deal (CETA) entered into force on 15 July 2026, a year after signing. Whisky tariffs into India fall from 150% to 75%, UK duties drop on 99% of Indian tariff lines, and business travel rules are locked in.
British Steel Nationalisation: What It Means for Business
British Steel was brought into public ownership on 16 July 2026 under the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act. Here is what the move protects, what happens to former owner Jingye, and how it fits the wider Steel Strategy.
Environment Agency Waste Crime Crackdown: Cumbria Operation Explained
A two-day Environment Agency operation in Cumbria stopped vehicles carrying waste and inspected three permitted sites. Here is what happened, and how businesses can check a waste carrier is operating legally.
Sole Trader Accounting Software UK: MTD Ready Options
Sole traders must generally keep business records for at least five years and, if mandated, submit quarterly digital updates under MTD ITSA from April 2026. This guide covers the legal requirements and realistic routes.
Clear Books Review UK: The British Xero Alternative Examined
Clear Books is a UK-founded cloud accounting platform starting from around £13 a month, offering UK-based support but a smaller app ecosystem than Xero, QuickBooks and Sage.
Xero vs FreeAgent: Sole Trader and Small Company Compared
FreeAgent is free for businesses banking with certain NatWest Group brands, while Xero starts from around £16 a month regardless of bank. This price asymmetry is the central fact shaping the decision.
Xero vs Sage UK: Cloud Accounting Compared
Xero was built cloud-native from its founding; Sage Business Cloud Accounting was built to sit alongside Sage's long-established Sage 50 desktop line, a genuinely different architectural starting point.
UK Export Finance and British Business Bank Launch New SME Export Scheme
A new joint scheme between UK Export Finance and the British Business Bank aims to close a finance gap for smaller exporters, particularly for lower-value working capital loans. Launching spring 2027: what's confirmed so far.
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