Communication is as much about non-verbal communication and listening as it is about speaking. Here are some crucial concepts that managers often forget: Listen with intent Most of us believe we have great listening skills. The fact is, most of us don’t listen well at all. Effective managers purposefully listen. They can easily change how they […]
The Benefits of Employee Surveys
It is expensive and time consuming to hire new employees. As such, businesses need to focus on keeping their staff satisfied in the workplace. Surveys provide vital feedback to management on matters such as: Compensation In general, management should have an idea if employees are satisfied with their current compensation. However, you will never really […]
Auto Enrolment & Pension Reform
In the UK today, millions of people are failing to save enough to have the income they would like in retirement. Life expectancy is increasing but people are saving less into pensions. To meet this challenge, the Pensions Act 2008 laid the foundations for a fundamental reform of workplace pensions requiring every employer to automatically […]
Generating PR for Your Business
Generating PR for your firm is all about telling a story, raising awareness and ensuring that when a potential customer needs your product or service, your brand is the name that springs to mind first. If you really want to raise the profile of your business, you will need to develop a PR campaign, which […]
The G8 declaration on steps to reduce off-shore tax evasion
At the conclusion of the recent G8 summit at Lough Erne, a form of consensus was achieved in order to tackle the thorny issue of tax transparency: who is accountable for what and where! Their full declaration is set out below, the aim, to improve tax transparency and to bring the international tax system into […]
PAYE – new online service
HMRC have a recurring issue with individuals that have changes to their employment circumstances. Due to the “instantaneous” impact of PAYE, tax is deducted when you are paid, then if HMRC are unable to determine what allowances should be set-off against each employment, then under or over payments of tax may occur. In the general […]
European Courts rules that 98% tax rate is in breach of human rights!
An aggrieved public sector worker in Hungary was dismayed when a lump sum, paid to her on retirement, was taxed at 98%. She appealed the imposition of the tax to the European Court of Human Rights. The Court ruled that the legislation, imposing the 98% tax, was in breach of Article 1 of the first […]
Transparency
The debate continues! David Cameron has advised the G8 summit that the UK will draw up a register of beneficial owners of companies. The measure would aim to expose the real owners of businesses and strip away the secrecy created by faceless, offshore shell companies. Cameron has said he would make the UK register public […]
G8 summit to tackle international tax law shortcomings?
Next week the world’s richest nations will be meeting in Northern Ireland and are expected to consider ways that they can address the present exploitation of international tax law, especially by larger, corporate groups, who seek to move profits to lower tax jurisdictions in order to minimise their group tax liability. The economic costs are […]