companies house made easy

self-assessment deadline extended

Sole traders, entrepreneurs and other individuals who are required to fill out self-assessment tax returns will not receive a late filing penalty if they make their submission on the 1st or 2nd of February.

schools must develop entrepreneurs

The Forum for Private Business has called for schools to play a leading role in encouraging entrepreneurship amongst young people.

google targets welsh SMEs

Search engine giant Google has announced a 12 month campaign to get businesses in Wales to start using the web.

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More than half of the UK’s small business owners believe that the tax system favours big business, according to a survey by the Forum of Private Business (FPB).

45% of SME owners stated that tax was a very serious issue for their company, and most respondents wanted a fairer system for taxation, with ‘simplicity’ being the next most popular reform.

"The complexity of the British tax system is not only time-consuming and frustrating, it also puts small firms at an instant disadvantage," stated FPB representative Phil McCabe.

"Big companies have the expertise and resources to understand the system and minimise their tax burden. For most of our members, hiring an outside tax consultant represents a significant cost few can afford, especially in the midst of a recession."

National Insurance contributions are set to rise by 1% in April 2011, and small business organisations the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) are urging the government to abandon the policy, which they say will be an “extra tax on jobs”, and further reduce employment opportunities.