Husbands and wives in business together breathed a sigh of relief this week as the House of Lords put an end to HMRC's attempts to levy the so-called 'married couples' business tax' on small businesses.

Stephen Timms has been appointed the Minister for Construction in the newly-created Department for Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR).

Labour shortages in the construction industry are at their highest level since 2005, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in its latest survey of members.

A proposal to give HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) access to bank accounts to collect unpaid taxes has been greeted with concern by one of the major professional tax bodies.

A new European Union (EU) law on travellers declaring "cash" came into force on June 15 2007 in the UK and throughout the EU. It has been introduced to help combat money laundering, including tax evasion. Qdos Consulting looks at what it means for travellers.

A letter from the taxman announcing the start of an enquiry into your business can be the beginning of a worrying and costly time. Keith Preece, from Qdos Consulting, looks at one case he dealt with, which was typical in some aspect but unusual in others.

Plans to improve payment practices throughout the construction industry were unveiled by Industry and Regions Minister Margaret Hodge. The sector is one of the UK's biggest industries, accounting for nearly nine per cent of the economy. It has improved payment practices over the past decade but problems remain.

The Arctic Systems test case in the House of Lords concluded after a day and a half - somewhat shorter than had orginially been expected. A decision is unlikely for a few weeks, if not longer.

June 5 sees the start of a landmark case in the House of Lords which could have significant financial implications for hundreds of thousands of small businesses owned by husband and wives or close partners. Hardhatter reviews why the eyes of the small business community are now focused on a small West Sussex IT consultancy called Arctic Systems owned by husband and wife, Geoff and Diana Jones.

The first week in June, sees the beginning of the end of a long legal road for one married couple in business together - and a test case in the House of Lords which could have significant financial ramifications for thousands of couples in business together.