Tag Archive: Covid-19
Don’t forget to declare your Covid-19 payments!
Posted 7th November 2022 at 1:31 pm
HMRC is reminding taxpayers that they must declare COVID-19 payments in their tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year. Self Assessment Tax Returns: More than 2.9 million people claimed at least one Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) payment up to 5 April 2022. These grants are taxable and should be declared on tax returns for the 2021 to 2022 tax year before the deadline on 31 January 2023. The SEISS application and payment windows during the 2021 to 2022 tax year were: SEISS Four: 22 April 2021 to 1 June 2021 SEISS Five: 29 July 2021 to... Read more
Transport Trends for 2021
Posted 23rd December 2020 at 8:08 am
Everything in our lives has been affected by the pandemic this year, but one of the most seismic shifts has been in transport, where customer habits that were largely unchanged for decades have radically altered overnight. Not since the 1970s, when car ownership became the norm for most households, have we seen such such a change in people’s transportation routines. Prior to the pandemic the government was pushing forward with plans to revitalise public transport, including the introduction of Clean Air Zones, as part of an initiative to cut net carbon emissions. While this is still a clear priority... Read more
A letter to Santa
Posted 16th December 2020 at 8:50 am
Dear Santa, I hope that you and Rudolph are well. (I was worried about his red nose but it turns out that is not a Covid symptom.) I know I am 42 years old, but is there any possibility that you might be able to leave some presents under my tree this year? I have been really, really good in 2020. I haven’t been out in town at night getting into mischief with my girl gang, I haven’t polluted the environment with my car, and, Santa, I know you won’t believe this, but for the WHOLE of November I... Read more
After Covid-19: Engineering & Construction
Posted 9th December 2020 at 8:23 am
In the fourth and final of a series of sector-specific blogs, we look at the impact of Covid-19 on the engineering and construction sector, and what the future might hold for businesses operating in this area. It is no secret that the engineering & construction sector has been one of the hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. For a large proportion of the year, many of these businesses were unable to operate at all, and are now facing an uncertain future with cancelled projects, shortages of materials, and the challenges of operating within the confines of social distancing measures.... Read more
After Covid-19: Insurance
Posted 23rd November 2020 at 4:31 pm
In the second of a series of sector-specific blogs, we look at the impact of Covid-19 on the insurance sector, and what the future might hold for businesses operating in this sector. The insurance sector employs 139,000 people across the UK, and PWC places them at a ‘Medium’ jobs at risk rating, due to lower cash flow during the pandemic. However, a high proportion of workers in this sector – 67% – can work at home, and only 30% normally come into less than 2m contact with co-workers, making this sector one of the more adaptable to new social... Read more
After Covid-19: Industrial & Manufacturing
Posted 16th November 2020 at 8:03 pm
In the first of a series of sector-specific blogs, we look at the impact of Covid-19 on the industrial & manufacturing sector, and what the future might hold for businesses operating in this sector. The industrial and manufacturing sector employs 2.5m people across the UK and – pre-pandemic – was heavily reliant on global supply chains. PWC suggest that the Covid-19 crisis ‘will prompt greater consideration for dual – and near – sourcing, with a focus on localised supply chains that draw on suppliers traditionally tied to other industry sectors.’ This certainly seems like a sensible move that most... Read more
A very Covid Christmas
Posted 4th November 2020 at 7:11 am
It’s the first week of November and it’s still far from clear what kind of Christmas we’ll be having here in the UK. In common with many other recently cancelled religious festivals, we might have to resign ourselves to much more muted celebrations this year. One thing’s for certain though, Christmas gifts still need to be bought! Whether you’re shopping for clients, colleagues or family and friends, we have found the perfect selection of gifts to reflect the times we live in! Food & Drink Food and drink is always a big part of Christmas, but this year it... Read more
Single-use plastic: A Covid conundrum
Posted 17th August 2020 at 4:21 pm
Prior to the pandemic, countries around the world were making strides in eliminating plastic waste, primarily by discouraging single-use plastics. Government initiatives such as the plastic bag charge, and plastic straw ban, were complemented by organisational initiatives such as certain coffee chains offering a discount for customers who brought reusable cups, or supermarkets redesigning their packaging to use less plastic. All this was helping to protect the planet from the harm of plastic waste. However, along came Covid-19, and suddenly the idea of ‘reusable’ plastics and their alternatives became, well, a bit icky! Even now that you can go... Read more
UK Economy – Post Pandemic Predictions
Posted 29th July 2020 at 8:37 am
With lockdown lifting, the government’s focus is now fully on repairing the damage from the Covid-19 pandemic to our economy. In this blog we look at three possible five-year economic scenarios outlined by the treasury. Best-case scenario Under this scenario, economic activity will rebound quickly, with GDP falling by 10.6% this year, but then returning to its pre-pandemic peak by the end of March 2021. Unemployment will reach a peak of 10% during this next quarter, and as many as 1.9 million people would be out of work next year. The government’s budget deficit will be 13% of GDP... Read more
The Rise of Automation after Covid-19
Posted 10th June 2020 at 10:30 am
The business world has been preparing for increasing use of automation for decades now. As technology advances at a rate unseen in any other century, the potential to automate processes and even entire roles, offers an opportunity for businesses to cut costs and save time. While the Covid-19 crisis has stopped many businesses present and future plans in their tracks, the one thing that hasn’t been negatively affected is automation planning. In fact, with the need for social distancing and hygiene, and the prospect of a recession on the horizon, many businesses are bringing their automation plans forward. Pre-pandemic, the... Read more