Midsummer is nearly upon us. This is just a short newsletter because I have attached a very brief survey which I would be grateful if you would take just 2 minutes to complete and return back to us to help us improve the UK Business Club and the newsletter.

As an incentive, all the entries received before 27th June will be entered into a prize draw, and the winner will receive a free return flight to Birmingham from any city served by Scandinavian Airlines (jncluding Helsinki) and a weekend stay for two at the SAS Radisson Hotel in Birmingham. We are grateful to both these organisations for their support.

The survey is available online. The winner will be notified by telephone and email in the following week.

Best regards,
Martin Williams
UK Business Club

Don't need a UK Consumer Credit Licence?
Are you sure?

If you do business with consumers in the United Kingdom and those consumers borrow to pay for the goods or services you will very likely need a Consumer Credit Licence.

In this article, we explain why and point you in the right direction to obtain advice and that licence if you need it.

Full article

Taxation of company cars

In his budget statement for 2008 the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the Finance Minister) set out his strategy for taxation of company cars, with most of the changes announced coming into effect in April 2009.

Not surprisingly, the changes are directed towards and emissions-based approach. The tax charge on company car and private fuel benefit for individuals and the VAT fuel scale charge, which are already based on Co2 emissions, will from April 2009 be joined by the treatment of capital allowances (tax depreciation) and certain changes to leasing arrangements for more expensive cars.

Full article

Bridge to Growth

Another series of seminars on Bridge to Growth were held in Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki in April, and we are very grateful to UKTI for their assistance in organising these.

Overall nearly 400 delegates attended the seminars, and approximately 40 have signed up for the delegation trips on 26th/27th June and 9th/10th September.

The speaking team outside the British Ambassadors residence in Finland. They are from left to right Ulf Ström (Advantage West Midlands Director Nordics), Valerie Caton (British Ambassador to Finland), Tim Gebbels (Advantage West Midlands Corporate Director), Alan Roden (Advantage West Midlands Market Manager, Europe), Martin Williams (Managing Director, EBS Ltd), Jukka Mansikka (Advantage West Midlands Finland), Peter McCoy (UKTI Director Nordics, Trade & Investment) and Stephen Conlon (UKTI Trade and Investment Director, Finland).

The British Ambassadors residence in Oslo where we held our presentations. From left to right Roy Christensen (UKTI Norway), Martin Williams, Ulf Ström, David Powell (British Ambassador to Norway) & Alan Roden.

If you would like to know more about the Bridge to Growth concept, visit www.bridgetogrowth.co.uk

Accounts filing deadlines

For companies with financial years beginning on or after 6th April 2008 the deadline for filing accounts with Companies House has been reduced by 1 month to 9 months for private companies and 6 months for public companies.