Budget 2010: Short on substance
A lacklustre response: that’s the best way to describe the last Budget before the election
Budget 2010: Delayed rise attempts to fuel growth
The Chancellor’s decision to delay a rise in fuel duty was designed to ease the pressure on both businesses and family incomes, he said
Budget 2010: This time, it's personal
The Budget statement confirmed a range of tax measures targeting high earners that had already been announced
Budget 2010: Stamping on big spenders
One of the big headlines to come out of the Budget was the doubling of the threshold for stamp duty to £250,000, for first-time buyers over the next two years
Budget 2010: Tax evasion penalties
The Budget included tough new penalties for offshore tax evasion, with penalties of up to 200 per cent for deliberate and concealed evasion
Budget 2010: Growth fund for business launched
A new national investment corporation, UK Finance for Growth, was the centrepiece of a raft of measures aimed primarily at high-tech, creative and small businesses
Budget 2010: Retirement still a big issue for Chancellor
The Chancellor said the number of jobless emerging from the recession was 1.6m, lower than expected and well under the levels of three million, which it reached during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s
Are you prepared?
Mandatory online tax filing is on its way and, as Donald Drysdale explains, it will affect all UK businesses, large and small
Code words
Paul Provan outlines the main arguments in the ICAS response to the FRC’s consultation on reforming the Combined Code on Corporate Governance
Major rethink urged by pension funds body
The body representing the UK’s pensions sector has called for a major rethink on pensions accounting
The future of UK GAAP
The Accounting Standards Board says it has received more than 150 “high quality” responses to its policy proposal The Future of UK GAAP
Charity cases
Christine Scott reports on the role and duties of the independent examiner, and other developments in charity accounting
APB issues a revision to Practice Note 15 (I)
The Auditing Practices Board (APB) has issued Practice Note 15 (I) (Revised) updating the current guidance, which was issued in December 2005, for changes in the regulatory environment for pensions in Ireland including the Occupational Pensions Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2006
Call for comments on Statutory Money Purchase
The Board for Actuarial Standards (BAS) has issued a call for comments on possible changes to rules on how calculations should be carried out for pension projections in statutory annual statements for money purchase pension schemes
FRC chief executive argues for an EU focus on principles
Stephen Haddrill, chief executive of the Financial Reporting Council, has called on the European Commission to focus on behaviours rather than rules. He also argued that the principle of “comply or explain” should remain a cornerstone of the EU governance framework
Long and short of it
Karen Shaw explains the bold thinking behind a new ICAS publication that shows that corporate reports can be short, succinct and to the point
Open to public scrutiny
Proposals to extend the scope of freedom of information in Scotland will, if accepted, expand an existing risk to the commercial confidentiality of companies bidding for public sector contracts
An inspector calls
An examination of the books by HMRC doesn’t have to be a nervewracking experience, writes Kevin Igoe – if you know the procedures
Setting the record straight
John Moffat and Paul Provan keep the current spotlight on pension matters with a look at the recent consultation document from The Pensions Regulator on improving the state of record keeping by pension schemes
Choosing the right option
Bad news on pension accounting disclosures may encourage FDs to change approach
Risks, rewards and boards
The financial crisis saw major institutions come tumbling down. Now, as Granger Brash explains, reforms to corporate governance in the UK are aimed at ensuring this doesn’t happen again
Coming attractions
It's going to be a busy few years for UK accountants says Gordon Herbertson, as he looks ahead to major changes under way for financial reporting