business

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.

25 Jul 2026 · 3 min read

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.

25 Jul 2026 · 7 min read

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.

17 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

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.

16 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

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.

16 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

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.

14 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

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.

12 Jul 2026 · 9 min read

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.

12 Jul 2026 · 8 min read

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.

12 Jul 2026 · 9 min read

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.

12 Jul 2026 · 9 min read

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.

12 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

UK Regulators to Oversee AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft and Oracle

The Bank of England, PRA and FCA start jointly overseeing four cloud and tech providers, AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Ireland and Oracle, from 13 July 2026, after Treasury designated them as critical to UK financial stability. What this means and why it matters beyond the firms involved.

10 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

Vape Crackdown Targets Kids: Plain Packaging and New Tax From October

The UK government has launched a 12-week consultation on plain white packaging and shop display restrictions for vapes and nicotine pouches marketed at children, alongside a new Vaping Products Duty starting 1 October 2026.

10 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

Charter Fishing in the UK: Permits, Insurance and Risks

The UK's bluefin tuna charter quota has doubled for 2026, but many standard travel policies exclude deep-sea fishing. What permits are needed, and what participants and operators should check on insurance.

9 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

Public Liability Insurance for Painters and Decorators UK

What public liability insurance covers for UK painters and decorators, typical cover levels for domestic and commercial work, and how it differs from employers' liability insurance.

8 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

Public Liability Insurance for Gas Engineers UK

Gas Safe Register does not check or require public liability insurance for registration. What UK gas engineers need to know about cover levels, employers' liability, and what landlords and local authorities actually expect.

8 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

Do Sole Traders Need a Business Bank Account? UK Rules Explained

UK sole traders aren't legally required to have a business bank account, but most banks' own terms prohibit business use of personal accounts, and FSCS protection works differently than many assume.

7 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

Website Reputation Checkers: Why Legitimate Small Businesses Get Flagged, and How to Fix It

Automated reputation checkers routinely flag legitimate small business websites based on domain age and review history, not actual risk. Here's how the process works and how to dispute it.

7 Jul 2026 · 5 min read

Class of Use Explained: Social, Business and Hire and Reward

What class of use actually means on a UK car insurance policy, why business use must be declared, and why hire and reward is a separate category delivery drivers often need.

5 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

Do You Need a Business Energy Tariff If You Work From Home

When a home-based business genuinely needs a separate business energy tariff in the UK, and when your existing domestic supply continues to apply.

5 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

Charity Energy Bills: The VAT Relief Many Charities Never Claim

How UK charities qualify for reduced 5% VAT and Climate Change Levy exemption on non-business energy use, and how to claim it if you have been overpaying.

5 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

Multi-Site Business Energy: Consolidating Contracts Across Locations

How multi-site UK businesses manage energy contracts across several locations, including consolidated billing, flexible purchasing, and bill validation at scale.

5 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

How Energy Brokers Are Actually Paid: The Commission Most Businesses Never See

How UK business energy brokers and third party intermediaries earn commission, why it is usually hidden inside your unit rate, and the questions worth asking before signing.

5 Jul 2026 · 6 min read

Climate Change Levy on Business Energy: 2026 Rates and Relief

The Climate Change Levy adds a per-kWh tax to UK business gas and electricity. The 2026 main rate, who pays, de minimis exemptions, charity relief and CCA discounts explained.

5 Jul 2026 · 4 min read

Business Energy vs Domestic Energy: Key Differences UK 2026

Business energy differs from domestic: no price cap, no dual-fuel tariff, no cooling-off period, longer contracts and fixed switching windows. A plain-English comparison.

5 Jul 2026 · 3 min read

Is There a Business Energy Price Cap? UK Guide 2026

There is no price cap on business energy in the UK. Why Ofgem caps domestic tariffs only, how business rates are set, and what protects a firm from high prices.

5 Jul 2026 · 3 min read

TG Jones Restructuring Plan 2026: Former WH Smith Stores Face Closure as High Court Hears Insolvency Case

TG Jones, the former WH Smith high street chain now owned by Modella Capital, faced a High Court hearing on 29 June 2026 on a restructuring plan that would close up to 150 stores. Without court approval, administration by 31 July 2026 is the stated alternative. Around 4,700 jobs are at risk.

29 Jun 2026 · 6 min read