We are now into the second quarter of 2013, and the pace of new regulatory developments and publications continues relentlessly. In April the Basel Committee published a progress report on how countries are getting on with implementing Basel II and Basel III. The report is positive, noting many countries have...
Why are more and more companies talking about their total tax contribution? Tax and transparency is under more scrutiny than ever by politicians, regulators, the media, civil society and investors. CEOs tell us that tax issues are the top threat to business growth in today’s economy. And we expect tax...
Removing complexity creates an organisation that’s agile and can respond efficiently and effectively to market changes. They also know how their people, processes and systems add value to customers and the business. This can be challenging to get right, but the benefits are significant and will ultimately lead to improved...
By Nick Jones, Global Director of PwC’s Public Sector Research Centre The Queen’s Speech, the quaint tradition by which the government of the day sets out its annual legislative programme amid much pomp and no little ceremony, contained few surprises. Nevertheless, it was still of real interest in showing the...
Business managers in the West Midlands should be considering the individual needs of their employees rather than adhering to formulaic ‘one-size-fits-all’ policies during the summer months, according to PwC. Talent and reward specialists at the firm are advising managers to be flexible to the needs of their employees who make...
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is only just getting going, but it’s already clear that it intends to reach into new areas not touched by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Download Right first time_ Staying ahead of the conduct agenda In this short perspective we share our views on how...
The majority of private businesses in the West Midlands are optimistic about the future business environment, believing it will improve over the next three years, according to a poll conducted by PwC in the Midlands at a recent forum dinner. The dinner brought together some of the region’s leading private...
Employer Compliance This is a very important time of year for Employer compliance, with a number of returns due to HMRC in the next few weeks. We have provided a snapshot below of the key returns. Form 42 - unapproved annual share plan reporting For non UK tax favoured share...
More than one in ten businesses in the Midlands (11%) report that confidential information is being lost or leaked from their organisation on a daily basis, according to research published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The 2013 Information Security Breaches Survey included 121 Midlands-based businesses. Based...
Kevin Nicholson, head of tax at PwC, said: "The Public Accounts Committee has highlighted some important points in the current debate about tax. There is clearly scope for modernisation of an international tax system that is outdated for today’s business world, and we support reforms that will help build trust...
The millennial generation of workers in the Midlands, those born between 1980 and 1995, would choose workplace flexibility, work/life balance and the opportunity to work overseas over financial rewards, according to a PwC study conducted in conjunction with the London Business School and the University of Southern California. According to...
By John Hawksworth, Chief Economist The latest labour market data from the ONS showed regular pay in the three months to February 2013 up by just 1% on a year ago. Given that the latest consumer price inflation rate is 2.8%, this appears to imply a heavy squeeze on consumer...
Cloud computing promises lower up-front costs, greater business agility, and a reduced burden on internal IT management. Therefore the Chief Information Officers (CIOs) of many large enterprises are now adding cloud-based solutions to their existing IT services. But before CIOs can fully leverage the benefits of cloud technologies they need...
The start of April brought the demise of the Financial Services Authority, to be replaced by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. See this month’s feature article for more information on the UK’s new macroprudential regulator, the Financial Policy Committee. Other interesting developments in the last month...
Details of the new research and development expenditure credit (RDEC) have been clarified in Finance Bill 2013. The RDEC will apply in relation to the current accounting period for many businesses, which could mean an increase in both the effective tax rate and profit before tax. This could have a...
Our annual survey of FTSE 350 and equivalent-sized companies helps you make sure your reward packages are competitive - making it easier to get pay right for your top talent. Our Executive reward survey gives you a deeper insight than your average survey because we not only look at executives,...
Fifteen companies from the Midlands have earned places on the 14th annual Sunday Times PwC Profit Track 100. The league table ranks Britain’s privately-owned companies with the fastest-growing profits over the last three years of available audited accounts‡, and is published this weekend. The 15 companies (the same number as...
The number of businesses hiring in-house specialist lawyers is set to rise according to a new PwC survey out today, after a third reported an increase in the number of international disputes. The survey, Corporate Choices in International Arbitration (IA), showed 35% of the polled counsels had reported a rise...
Private equity (PE) backed companies in the Midlands say that their PE backers are more willing to finance their strategic growth plans than more traditional lenders, according to PwC. According to PwC’s survey of nearly 100 PE-backed companies in the UK, 74% of private equity-backed companies say that their PE...
PwC has been recognised as one of the UK's most responsible businesses in Business in the Community's annual benchmark, the Corporate Responsibility(CR) Index. PwC is one of only 31 companies to be awarded the highest rating - a Platinum Big Tick. Gaenor Bagley, partner, PwC said: “The Platinum Big Tick...
