Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Accountancy firm Wylie & Bisset, has said that the reintroduction of preferred creditor status for HMRC in insolvencies is a regressive ‘stealth tax’ that will ultimately be paid for by SMEs and is simply another way of raising revenue for the government. Preferred creditor status for HMRC was withdrawn in 2003 as part of the…
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The UK’s smallest businesses are facing a bill of £6.7 billion, up from £2.6 billion in 2017 – just to collect money they’re already owed, according to research by Bacs Payment Schemes (Bacs), part of leading UK retail payments authority Pay.UK. This latest research, from the people behind Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit, shows…
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The Government should introduce a tougher regime to tackle larger companies who treat small businesses ‘disgracefully’ by enforcing long payment terms or paying their suppliers late, says the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee in a report published today. The Small businesses and productivity report says that for a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) to succeed…
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The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee has published correspondence with a series of major companies such as WH Smiths, Boots, Thomas Cook and Holland & Barrett on their payment practices, highlighting issues such as long payment terms and late payments. Following up concerns about poor payment practices raised during the current inquiry on Small…
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A new prompt payment initiative to ensure all Government suppliers and subcontractors benefit from being paid on time has been announced. For the first time, failure of companies to demonstrate prompt payment to their suppliers could result in them being prevented from winning government contracts. Coming into force in Autumn 2019, this will ensure the…
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Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) with a turnover between £6.5 million and £10 million and a balance sheet up to £7.5 million will soon be able to have their banking and finance disputes reviewed and redressed through alternative dispute resolution arrangements, following the creation of a specialist ombudsman service with the expertise and powers…
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The lack of improvement in the UK’s standing in the World Bank’s latest insolvency rankings underlines the need for UK corporate insolvency reform, says insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3. For the second year running, the UK is at 14th place in the “Resolving Insolvency” table in the World Bank’s Doing Business report (published on 31 October).…
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Changes in the Autumn Budget which will see HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) take up a position as a preferred creditor in insolvency cases, could see smaller firms lose out on money they are owed, warns insolvency firm, Gibson Hewitt. Gibson Hewitt says that changes in the Budget to the pecking order for creditors could…
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Company insolvencies in Northern Ireland stood increased to 65 in the last quarter – up 14 percent on the same period in 2017 but almost half that of the last quarter (125). Of these, 30 were compulsory liquidations (down from 35 on the same period a year ago), and 24 were creditors’ voluntary liquidations (up…
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The Government has announced that HMRC will become a preferred creditor in insolvencies as part of the measures in the Autumn 2018 budget. The preferred creditor status in insolvencies change will begin in 2020. Currently, an official ‘hierarchy’ laid down by the Insolvency Act, 1986, determines which creditors are paid first during an insolvent liquidation.…
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The Government has announced that retailers across England are in line for a major tax cut over the next two years. Retailers in properties with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will have a third wiped off the amount of tax they pay through business rates. The change announced in the Budget will cut…
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The Treasury Committee has published a Report on SME Finance with a recommendation to appoint a Financial Services Tribunal to help SMEs resolve disputes with lenders. The report says the Financial Services Tribunal is needed to handle complex SME disputes and expanding the Ombudsman’s remit to handle SME cases should not be rushed through. The…
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The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has warned that the growth of new lending to already indebted firms, through leveraged-loans, has parallels to the subprime mortgage boom which ended with the global financial crisis in 2008. Minutes from the FPC’s latest meeting also reveal warnings over the rise in loans with weaker covenants…
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