NI Hikes Are Crushing Payrolls – £500 Relief Per Worker for SMEs
The 2025 Budget increased employer National Insurance Contributions to 15 % from 13.8 %, adding £25 billion to business costs across the […]
Making Tax Digital Penalties are Crippling Sole Traders
From April 2026, 1.7 million sole traders and landlords with turnover above £30,000 will be forced into quarterly Making Tax Digital for […]
The Apprenticeship Levy Is a Tax on Small Firms
The Apprenticeship Levy costs employers 0.5 % of payroll above £3 million, yet only 2.3 % of the £3.8 billion collected in […]
SEIS/EIS Investor Relief Cuts Are Starving Start-ups
The Autumn Budget 2025 slashed Venture Capital Trust (VCT) income tax relief from 30 % to 20 % from April 2026 and […]
Business Rates Revaluation 2026 Will Add £1.2 Billion to SME Bills
The 2026 business rates revaluation, based on April 2025 rental values, will hit small and medium firms with an average 18 % […]
Alcohol Duty Hike Is Closing Rural Pubs
The November 2025 alcohol duty rise added 12–18p to the price of a pint. For a rural pub selling 400 pints a […]
The Plastic Packaging Tax Is Hammering Small Manufacturers
Since April 2022 the Plastic Packaging Tax has charged £217.85 per tonne on packaging with less than 30 % recycled content. For […]
40% of SMEs Still Lack Basic Digital Tools – £5,000 Adoption Vouchers for All
40 % of Britain’s small businesses do not have a proper website, online booking system, or even a functioning e-commerce page. That […]
Global Tariffs Are Back – Give SMEs a £300M Trade Defence Fund
Donald Trump’s 25 % tariff on UK steel and aluminium starts 12 December 2025. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism hits British […]
The Minimum Wage Rise Costs SMEs £2,000 Per Worker – Give Us a Graduated Subsidy
From April 2026 the National Living Wage jumps to £12.21 an hour – a 6.7 % increase. For the largest cash rise […]