News

What price politics?

This article recently appeared in the Irish News

Last week the Prime Minister finally announced what has been widely expected for months – that the General Election will be held on May 6th,  Campaigning has now begun in earnest and we can expect the next few weeks to be dominated by political posturing and the media firmly focussed on the forthcoming polls.  There has been much made of the uncertainty generated by the situation we now find ourselves in with relation to the stock market, but how much impact does a General Election really have?

The Budget

This article recently appeared in the Irish News

The Budget is usually one of the highlights of the financial year, preceded by numerous predictions of likely policy announcements and followed by days of analysis.  This year, however, the situation has been somewhat different.  With the General Election only a matter of a few weeks away, the incumbent government is understandably reluctant to embark on any significant policy changes, but it was also a chance for the Chancellor to unveil his latest forecasts, most notably those relating to public sector debt at present.

Royal Mail users to be hit with VAT on ‘certain’ postal services as a result of Budget

Businesses urged to consider retrospective VAT claims

Home is where the Labour heart is

The Chancellor gave a small helping hand to first-time buyers stepping onto the property ladder today at the expense of some wealthy house buyers.

Good news in the Budget for SMEs and Entrepreneurs

Overall, the 2010 Budget is good news for SMEs and entrepreneurs, according to Smith & Williamson the accountancy and financial services group.

Inheritance Tax nil rate band frozen in a surprise move

The 2009 PBR announced legislation to freeze the IHT nil rate band for 2010/11 at £325,000.  This freeze will now be extended for a further four years and will therefore have effect for chargeable IHT events made up to 6 April 2015, unless of course a new Government had other ideas. 

Rising stars in private client wealth: Chris Kenny, investment manager at Smith & Williamson, named among PAM’s Top 40 Under 40

Chris Kenny has been recognised by Private Asset Managers (PAM) in their inaugural Top 40 Under 40 list of rising stars of the private client wealth management world.

One year on

This article recently appeared in the Irish News

Last week marked the anniversary of the bottoming out of the market in 2009.  The FTSE All-share index has risen 53% since last March and it is the third-best performance in a year since the Second World War.  It is also twelve months since the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee cut interest rates to 0.5%, where they have remained ever since.  It is hard to remember how doom-laden the market was then: we were said to be facing the worst recession in living memory, the banking system was in virtual meltdown and the housing market was set to see an unprecedented wave of repossessions.  With hindsight, luckily most of these dire predictions proved to be too pessimistic and although we are not completely out of the woods, there are some grounds for optimism.

Budget predictions: tax rises a matter of timing

VAT and CGT front-runners for increases in the short term, with rises to income tax for higher earners likely in the medium term.

Small businesses the big winners as others are targeted to fund the deficit

Darling gives small businesses a helping hand

In 10 December’s PBR the Chancellor singled out bankers, other high earners and tax avoiders as having the shoulders broad enough to help fund the deficit and recognised the important role small businesses play in the economy.