News

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is calling for support from MPs for a Parliamentary move opposing changes to new health and safety regulations for companies having building work carried out.

The Conservatives will oppose the hike in small companies’ corporation tax announced in last week’s Budget and pledge to cut the rate if elected.

The response of the nation’s construction SMEs to Gordon Brown’s Budget speech has been mixed with disappointment that while the Budget decreased corporation tax by 2p for big companies, it was raised by a similar amount for small firms.

The basic rate of corporation tax and income tax will both fall from April next year. The Chancellor reduced corporation tax from 30 to 28 percent but announced that the corporation tax for smaller companies will be raised from 20p this year to 22p in 2009. Here are the key points from the Budget.

Small firms faced little joy from Chancellor Gordon Brown's Budget as he increased their corporation tax rate from 20p to 22p while reducing the main rate for big companies from 30p to 28p.

Gordon Brown will deliver what is likely to be his last Budget as Chancellor today (March 21) at 12.30.

The Government is spending £12 billion on business support schemes, but can provide no measurable evidence of its effect. That's one of the key findings of the Interim Report produced by an independent Small Business Task Force set up by the Conservatives.

A severe shortage of qualified contractors is the single greatest barrier to new construction projects, according to a survey by accountants KPMG LLP.

With just week left before Gordon Brown opens the Budget Red Box for what is likely to be his last time as Chancellor, small business pressure groups are revealing what they would like to hear him say.

Over the years radical and complex changes have been introduced in VAT law relating to land and construction. VAT expert, Barry Hincks from Qdos Consulting examines the implications of the lower rate of VAT for builders.