Insights

Watch back on our joint webinar with Durrants for Virtual drinks at the Royal Norfolk Show. The virtual drinks reception celebrated what would have been the first day of the Royal Norfolk Show.

Business Advisory experts James and Mark are back! Listen as they bounce around some impromptu views and ideas.

The phrase “if anything should happen to me…” is a very common euphemism. Frankly, the first word should be “when” not “if”. COVID-19 has concentrated the minds of many on their own mortality and may be a timely reminder that will planning is really something which, by definition, cannot be put off forever.

The MHA Construction & Real Estate specialist team works closely together to ensure our clients in the sector are supported during these challenging times.

Watch back on our tourism webinar, offering genuine insight from businesses with information to help roadmap the future and what it means for the tourism sector. 

Survey findings highlight an estimated 1.9bn income loss in the region due to COVID-19. A new survey on the impact of COVID-19 for the Tourism, Leisure and hospitality sector indicates the significant financial consequences of lockdown and the ongoing impact it is having.

In early June a group of key tourism figures felt that there was a gap in the data being collected by surveys in the local area. We therefore produced a survey requesting rarely shared, highly sensitive and confidential information.

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, we have seen a number of our clients opting back into the NHS Pension Scheme. This is primarily because of the enhanced death in service benefits that active members receive, morbid as it may sound.

In my previous article I discussed the The Agriculture Bill, its keys elements and the rejected amendments. The Agriculture Bill is the biggest piece of legislation for the farming and agribusiness industry for a generation.

As the reports surface of the UK economy contracting by over 20% in a single quarter, with over 600,000 job losses already and the furlough scheme soon to end, you’d be forgiven for having a conservative outlook on business right now.

Under the original furlough scheme, it was not permissible for employees to carry out any work while on furlough (with certain exceptions for training).

MHA Larking Gowen are pleased to announce two new appointments in their Ipswich office. Graham Mummery has been appointed as a new Corporate Partner and joined the team on the 15 June.  James Nichols was appointed as Senior Manager and joined on the 8 June. 

The initial Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on 20 March and closes to new entrants on 30 June 2020. Thereafter, it is restricted to employees who have been previously furloughed. Claims under the initial scheme cannot overlap 30 June. All claims from 1 July must be made for calendar months.

MHA undertook a survey into the legal sector focusing on the impact of COVID-19, and how this is affecting law firms. The results report on eight key areas including fee income, business strategy now and for the future, and working practices now and going forward.

HMRC has postponed the introduction of the domestic VAT reverse charge for the construction industry until 1 March 2021. Initially this was to be introduced in October 2019, but was postponed until October 2020 to allow businesses to focus on Brexit preparations.

James and Mark are back for episode 5! This week they look at the mental health of business owners.

When I sit down to write these articles, I try to come up with a topical subject that is also useful to the potential readership. Sometimes that is easy and sometimes not so much! We had the subject of Brexit, a new Government, difficulties surrounding the Budget, and when that all seemed to calm down slightly, along came Coronavirus.

A new survey on the Tourism, Leisure and hospitality sector has been launched this week by leading players in the sector to gather detailed financial details from across the sector to establish the true cost to the sector of this pandemic.

Recent months have seen undivided government attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst this remains at the forefront of the country’s mind, there are important decisions being made for the agricultural industry in the form of the Agricultural Bill (The Bill), Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) and the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). 

Did you miss our Business Brunch webinar this morning? The recording is now available! Becky and Ian discuss preparing your business for life after lockdown. 

We are pleased to announce that the attendees of our first virtual Business Brunch webinar have raised just under £500 in aid of the Suffolk Coronavirus Community Fund.

The Agriculture Bill having is having its second reading and debate in the House of Lords on 10 June and possible Royal Assent in due course.

Business Advisory experts James and Mark are back! Listen as they bounce around some impromptu views and ideas.

In his briefing on Friday, the chancellor announced an extension to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

Announcements on COVID-19 support measures continue, and our aim here is to summarise these announcements and let you know what’s changed.

On Friday 29 May 2020 the Chancellor announced the changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, also known as the Furlough Scheme.  Almost 1 million businesses have benefited from the scheme currently in place which will end on the 30 June, making way for a more flexible scheme.

Business Advisory experts James and Mark are back! Listen as they bounce around some impromptu views and ideas.

The prospect for the future of farming looks, at best, somewhat cloudy at the moment. Faced with the proposed reduction in Basic Payments and the disruption caused by Coronavirus, many businesses will currently be looking at their landholdings with a view to tightening their belts (if they’re not doing so, they probably should be).