Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
A hike in the interest rate charged for late payment of taxes means that customers who fail to pay their taxes on time will face a 7.75% late payment fee, up from the current rate of 7.5%. Quarterly instalment payee will see the change come into effect on 14th August, while for non-quarterly instalment payments,…
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Thousands of companies are running out of time as the burden of rising interest rates, unmanageable debt, subdued consumer confidence, higher material and labour costs, and wider economic uncertainty combine to put considerable pressure on businesses across the country, according to the latest Begbies Traynor Red Flag Alert. The latest data is sourced from a…
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An improvement in jobs and sales growth across UK small businesses in June has been largely offset by increasing late payments and a slowdown in wages growth, according to the latest data from global small business platform Xero. The company Small Business Index, based on anonymised and aggregated data from hundreds of thousands of small…
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A new report has revealed that more than a quarter (26%) of small business owners believe that they will be forced to cease trading if the outlook for their business does not improve – a potentially detrimental blow to the UK economy. The SME Insights Report, published by small business insurance provider Simply Business, also found…
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New research by Aldermore has found that £1.9 billion lost in income small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a result of supply chain delays. 3.3 million (60% or three in five) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have experienced supply chain delays in the last year, losing an average of £625,000 in income each as a…
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HMRC has been accused of profiteering from self-employed workers over the rate it charges on late payments. Analysis shows that while taxpayers have been charged 7% on late payments, those who are owed a refund from HMRC receive interest of just 3.5%. Julia Kermode, founder of IWORK, said “HMRC is profiteering from self-employed workers at…
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New research by the Business Debtline has revealed the impact of the cost of living crisis on struggling small business owners, with a majority of callers to the free debt advice survey going without essentials and worrying about meeting their commitments – and a third turning to credit to help cover essential household bills. The…
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Energy suppliers are set to file a record number of winding-up petitions against businesses as companies struggle with soaring energy costs according to new research by Harcus Parker. Court filings show that there have been more than 400 attempts by suppliers to shut down companies to reclaim their energy debts over the past decade. The…
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Businesses are spending over 71 days per year – more than a quarter of the working year chasing late payments, according to the annual European Payment Report from credit management services provider Intrum. The 26th edition of Intrum’s report surveyed more than 10,000 companies across 29 European countries, shedding light on the challenges that businesses…
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A new survey by NerdWallet has found that over half (55%) of businesses still have outstanding invoices from the last tax year (2022/23). Business debt seems to be getting worse with time, as just under half (46%) of SMEs were left with more unpaid invoices at the end of the 2022/23 tax year than the…
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New research ReFarm Fund has found that farmers are struggling with financial viability, taking a personal toll on their physical and mental health. The research showed that 53% were confident about their finances, but 47% said their farm’s finances were average or in a poor state. Some 38% say they have considered getting out of farming…
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A Freedom of Information request to the British Business Bank by Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance has revealed the current level of debt and arrears associated with the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS). Purbeck’s analysis shows that over 145,000 BBL loans worth £3.8 billion…
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Latest data from Time Finance has what it calls uncovered the true impact of late payments for SMEs with 75% of UK businesses worrying about cashflow as a direct result of overdue invoices from their customers. In a recent survey into the worsening challenge of late payments, Time Finance found that chasing payments was damaging…
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