Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Companies will be better protected from fraud, under new Companies House reforms that will do more to safeguard the personal data of business owners and ensure the accuracy of the register. Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst has unveiled a substantial package of reforms to Companies House. With the clear aim of minimising the burden on law-abiding…
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KPMG has been fined £4million with one of its partners sanctioned in relation to its scrutiny of the Co-operative Bank’s accounts in 2009. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has imposed sanctions against KPMG Audit and its audit Partner Andrew Walker, following their admission of misconduct in relation to the audit of the financial statements of…
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An Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) investigation into HMRC’s Voice ID service was prompted by a complaint from Big Brother Watch about the department’s conduct. The investigation focused on the use of voice authentication for customer verification on some of HMRC’s helplines since January 2017. The ICO found that HMRC failed to give customers sufficient information…
Read moreOfgem has announced its strategic review of the microbusiness energy market to better understand and address the issues faced by microbusinesses. Ofgem’s analysis shows that market information is often inaccessible, resulting in customers paying high prices and struggling to make informed decisions. Microbusinesses play a central role in the UK economy. According to government data,…
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More than 1,000 businesses are flouting the law by not reporting how long they take to pay suppliers, according to an analysis of government data by the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS). According to CIPS, on average large businesses pay almost a third of their invoices late with 15 per cent taking longer…
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Latest figures released by the Registry Trust shows that the number of business debt judgements declined in Ireland during Q1 2019. The number, total value and average value of judgments registered against businesses in Ireland in Q1 2019 were the lowest on record for a first quarter-year, with 112 judgments registered, eight fewer than the…
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Action on companies who fail to meet the standard of the Prompt Payment Code (PPC) has seen 17 companies removed or suspended from the Code during the past quarter, the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) has announced. Thousands of companies who sign up to the Code, administered by CICM on behalf of the Government,…
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The HMRC applied to shut down 4,160 businesses in 2018, due to these UK businesses having “fallen behind” on their tax payments last year. according to new statistics by Funding Options. The report cited that HMRC has been too aggressive in their approach when shutting down businesses. Conrad Ford, CEO of Funding Options. said “The…
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The Insolvency Service has published its latest enforcement outcomes. The statistics show that the total number of directors disqualified for misconduct remained around the same as in 2017/18. The average period of disqualification obtained fell slightly compared to 2017/18. The number of bankruptcy and debt relief restrictions was broadly flat compared to 2017/18. The average…
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its final report with recommendations to address serious competition problems in the UK audit industry. Legislation is needed to address both the vulnerability of the industry to the loss of one of the Big 4, and the current inadequate choice and competition. The CMA is recommending the…
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The Small Business Commissioner, Paul Uppal, has highlighted poor supplier payment practices at Holland & Barrett, following the publication of his report into a late payment complaint made by a small business. The official complaint was logged with the Small Business Commissioner by the London-based technology consultancy after Holland & Barrett failed to pay a…
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Dun & Bradstreet has been confirmed as a designated Credit Reference Agency (CRA) by HM Treasury and is one of four CRAs able to receive credit data from the designated banks. The commercial credit data sharing scheme was launched as part of the UK Government’s commitment to support SME growth and requires nine leading banks…
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A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found that the four main regulators – Ofwat, Ofgem, Ofcom and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – understand the significant difficulties facing consumers across utilities, communications and financial services markets, but cannot prove if they are effectively responding to consumer concerns or offering enough protection for…
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