From April 2026, full inheritance tax relief for family businesses is capped at £1m. With 5.1 million family firms employing 15.8 million people, the impact could reshape UK business succession.
Category: In Business
Advice on growing your small and medium sized business, SME, in the UK. Hiring and managing staff and finance plus marketing all on one website
Challenger banks now hold 60 per cent of small business lending – and the high street wants it back
Challenger banks now account for 60% of all UK small business lending — but for the first time in a decade, their market share has stopped growing. Here is what it means for SMEs.
The £90,000 ceiling that is quietly stopping small businesses from growing
HMRC data shows thousands of small businesses are capping turnover to avoid the £90,000 VAT threshold. Cafés cut hours, tradespeople work four-day weeks — and the economy pays the price.
Most small firms are nowhere near ready for net zero reporting – and the deadline is closing in
Only 13% of SMEs have formal net zero plans in place as 2026 sustainability reporting rules approach. With £52,000 a year in potential gains, inaction is costing small firms twice over.
The rate cuts small businesses were counting on may not arrive this year
Middle East conflict has sent inflation expectations surging and put Bank of England rate cuts in doubt. Small businesses relying on cheaper borrowing need to rethink their plans.
Nearly 400 employers named and shamed for underpaying staff – and small firms are not immune
HMRC has named 389 employers who underpaid 60,000 workers a total of £7.3m. With the Fair Work Agency launching in April, small businesses must ensure they are compliant.
5,500 small firms tell the chancellor that business rates could finish them off
More than 5,500 small businesses have written to Rachel Reeves warning that the 2026 business rates revaluation could force permanent closures across UK high streets.
“I can’t afford to train people anymore”: why UK’s top tradesman is leaving the country
An award-winning tradesman explains why rising taxes, weak apprenticeship support and lumpy income are pushing UK sole traders to leave.
UK fintech Sidekick raises £7.8m to open up private-bank style investing to professionals
Sidekick has raised £7.8m to expand access to private-bank style investing tools for professionals who’ve outgrown entry-level apps but don’t want opaque wealth management.
American Express rolls out flexible payment option for small businesses feeling the cashflow squeeze
American Express has launched a Flexible Payment Option for Business Platinum and Gold Cardmembers, giving small businesses more control over cashflow when income is uneven.
No paid paternity leave for self-employed fathers leaves families facing an ‘impossible choice’
Self-employed fathers in the UK say the lack of paid paternity leave forces them to choose between family and income, as MPs review parental leave policy.
Rachel Reeves considers pay-per-mile tax on electric vehicles to plug £30bn fiscal gap
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is weighing plans to introduce a pay-per-mile tax on electric vehicles in her November Budget, with drivers facing a 3p-per-mile charge to offset falling fuel duty revenue.
Government still weighing changes to small company filing rules, says business minister
Small business minister Blair McDougall says the government is still reviewing reforms that would force small firms to publish detailed profit-and-loss accounts, amid concerns over red tape and privacy.
Labour risks breaking tax pledge as Rachel Reeves targets higher earners in autumn Budget
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to raise taxes on higher earners in her 26 November Budget, potentially breaking Labour’s manifesto promise to protect “working people” amid pressure to fund public services.
All eyes on Germany as €1 trillion investment wave fuels growth and new opportunities for global employers
Germany’s economy is set to expand by 1.3% in 2026, driven by over €1 trillion in public and private investment. Agility EOR says international employers should act now to seize new opportunities in Europe’s strongest market.
