Business and Other Briefings

LBRO: Retailers, who spend £20m per year on preventing sales to underage people of alcohol, tobacco, spray paint, knives, fireworks and other age-restricted products, have set out their ideas in a new report. The Age-restricted Products Review Group, representing major businesses, trade associations and professional bodies (with around 250,000 retail outlets), has made 12 recommendations in Better Regulation of Age-restricted Products: A Retail View, following an independent investigation for LBRO, the experts on better regulation.
 
The report's authors want to see the law on underage sales simplified and made more effective, with the current 18 separate pieces of legislation unified. The report says retailers want to stop underage sales but find the regulations brought in to tackle this issue place huge burdens on their business.
Press release ~ Better Regulation of Age Restricted Products ~ www.lbro.org.uk
 
HMRC: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued an alert to employers who use its Employer CD-Rom to help run their payroll systems. Employers who are using the CD-ROM must update it now, to ensure it has the most up-to-date guidance & calculators.
 
HMRC will be replacing the Employer CD-ROM for employers with a new downloadable application – ‘Basic PAYE Tools’ – in February 2011, and downloading the September update will ensure that employers can take full advantage of this new product.
Press release ~ September update ~ Register for email alert service
 
HMRCRevenue & Customs Brief 38/10
HMRC has reissued guidance on the eligibility of Finnish, Greek and Irish dividends to dividend tax credits
 
HMRCRevenue & Customs Brief 37/10
This Brief gives details of an article concerning VAT: leisure trusts
 
HMRCRevenue & Customs Brief 36/10

This Brief explains the factsheets that HM Revenue & Customs issue to customers during a compliance check, their purpose, what they explain, and when

Spotlight on women at Serco – Anita’s story