Category: SMEs

  • What tax relief can be claimed on bad debts?

    Write-off bad debt and claim bad debt relief to avoid paying tax on income that you have not received. Most businesses will eventually encounter a non-paying customer, especially during today’s difficult economic climate. Bad debts can be very damaging to businesses of all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to minimise your losses by claiming…

  • Funeral debt rises as funeral costs continue to soar

    Funeral debt rises as the average cost of a funeral in the UK continues to increase. According to SunLife Insurance, the cost of funerals has risen every year for the last 14 years, equating to a 122% increase since 2004. In 2019, the average cost of a funeral in the UK stands at £4,271, and…

  • Consumers vulnerable to aggressive debt collection if their energy supplier goes bust

    Customers who owe money to energy suppliers are left vulnerable to aggressive debt collection companies if their supplier goes bust. Since January 2018, 11 energy suppliers have collapsed, including Gen4U, One Select, Future Energy, Spark Energy, Brilliant Energy and National Gas and Power. This has left at least 32,000 customers in debt and at risk…

  • 6m Brits would pay for financial advice if it was cheaper

    A study has found that almost 6m British adults would be willing to pay for financial advice if it was more affordable. As both households and businesses in the UK face a debt crisis, the results of a study suggest that many people are not getting access to the financial advice they require. The report,…

  • How do late payments affect small businesses?

    Chasing late payments wastes time and money for small businesses, as well as posing a serious threat to their survival. Late paying customers are a frustrating and worrying problem that most small business owners are all too familiar with. In fact, research shows that on average small UK businesses are owed £24,841in late payments, and…

  • What is the government’s ‘breathing space’ scheme?

    The government’s ‘breathing space’ scheme could offer those in debt a valuable 60 day respite period to seek help and get their finances in order. The breathing space scheme, also known as the debt respite scheme, was first announced by the government in October 2017. The scheme is intended to give people time to get…

  • 3 steps to determining a customer’s creditworthiness

    If you supply customers with a product or service, then offering a credit facility is a great selling point, but it doesn’t come without its risks. Whilst it is impossible to completely safeguard yourself from non-paying customers, it pays to have a system in place for checking a company’s credentials before you commit to working…

  • CCJs Issued Against Businesses on The Rise Again

    After a long period when the number of CCJs issued against businesses was in decline, the third quarter saw a sharp increase. This suggests that companies are currently far more willing to take their claims as far as a CCJ than they have been for quite some time. 32,629 business CCJs were issued in the…