Whitepaper: The Legal Risks of Data Loss - How safe is your business data when your employess work from home | 28 Apr 2009 | ComputerWeekly.com

Whitepaper: The Legal Risks of Data Loss - How safe is your business data when your employess work from home 28 Apr 2009 ComputerWeekly.com

How will the Budget affect your business?

From Business Link
The Chancellor gave his Budget Report on 22 April 2009
Read the report and further information on the HM Treasury website - Opens in a new window.

The Business Payment Support Service which helps businesses that are having difficulty meeting payments due to the existing economic conditions, has now been extended to support businesses currently making losses. The extension applies to corporation and income tax.

The Three Line Account Limit is being increased from the current amount of £30,000 for trading or self employment income and £15,000 for property income to permanently align it with the VAT registration threshold to £68,000 from the tax year 2009/10.

This is relevant to small businesses who can restrict the information they provide in their tax return to just their turnover, total allowable business expenses, and net profit or loss, rather than having to provide a detailed breakdown of their expenses.

There is a new temporary rate of 40 per cent for capital allowances - first year allowance for expenditure on general plant and machinery.

Corporation Tax rates for the financial year 2010-11 will remain unchanged with the main rate at 28 per cent and for the financial year 2009-10 the small companies rate will be 21 per cent.

For more information go to Business Link

MEPs back EU maternity leave increase

EU Politics News - theParliament.com

Plans to increase maternity leave and introduce paternity leave provisions will help women achieve a better work-life balance and "indirectly" increase female participation in higher positions, according to Edite Estrela.

The Socialist MEP's report, proposing to increase minimum maternity leave to 20 weeks with six weeks at full pay, was adopted by parliament's women's rights and gender equality committee on Thursday.

The report also called on member states to provide for a minimum of two weeks paternity leave, a central measure for Estrela, who is the vice chair of the women's rights committee.