Business and Other Briefings
BERR: Seven local authorities are trialling the Government's new Business Support Simplification Programme, hopefully ensuring it will be ready for implementation across the UK by 2010. The Government claims that it is streamlining over 3,000 publicly-funded schemes - including grants, subsidies and advice - into one national portfolio of up to 100 that will support businesses with greater impact. Businesses will be able to access a new, streamlined, portfolio of products from October, with all products in place by March 2009.
Topics to be trialled include:
* the fit with existing local authority funding
* how to reach disadvantaged communities and
* how best to meet the needs of specific business groups such as creative, ethnic minority, women and young entrepreneurs
Press release ~ Business Support Simplification Programme ~
HMRC: Moira Stuart has been officially unveiled as the new face of HM Revenue & Customs' (HMRC) Self Assessment advertising campaign. The well-known newsreader and presenter will star in ads publicising the new 31 October 2008 deadline for paper tax returns, as well as the 31 January 2009 deadline for online tax returns.
A new video podcast features Moira talking about her new role, the October TV ad, and help & advice on filling in your tax return.
This brief explains that deduction of tax at source is not required where interest on a security is treated as a distribution.
