News & Views
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Practical tips for recession and recovery - a presentation by Robert Jamieson
There has been a considerable rate and depth to changes made by the Government on tax and business issues over the last 12 months. Our view at Mercer & Hole is that this activity signals the Government’s intention to alter significantly the way UK tax operates and the Chancellor’s Budget statement on 22 April 2009 confirmed this.
With these changes in mind and during this period of challenging economics, Mercer & Hole in association with the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a business seminar titled, ‘Practical tips for recession and recovery’ on Wednesday 10 June 2009.
Our principal speaker will be Robert Jamieson MA FCA CTA (Fellow), partner with Mercer & Hole and past President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. Robert is an expert on tax planning issues and a respected lecturer on this topic, well known for his informative and entertaining lectures to business audiences. His presentation will explain the ramifications of the Finance Bill 2009 on businesses and their leaders, and will offer tips to mitigate the impact of the new regime.
The evening’s event, which will include presentations, an opportunity for delegates’ questions and networking, will conclude by 7.30 pm. Robert and his fellow Mercer & Hole partners will be available to answer questions over drinks, following the presentation.
BOOKING INFORMATION:
To book your free space, please send an email including your name, company name and contact details to
DETAILS:
Practical tips for recession and recovery
Northampton Saints Rugby Football Club
Wednesday, 10 June 2009, 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm -
Fun Cup 2009, Rockingham - April 4, 2009
Michael Lockyer, Managing Partner of Nightingale Associates the financial services arm of Mercer & Hole and Stuart Ramsey of Universal Vehicle Services ensured that Nightingale Racing got off to a solid start to the Fun Cup 2009, securing thirteenth place at the seasons opening race at Rockingham.
An eventful weekend began early with the Nightingale Racing team arriving at an overcast Rockingham race track the morning of Friday 3 April 2009 to register and complete practice sessions. With the team’s third driver Pete Flynn missing the race, responsibility for leading the team fell to drivers Michael of Felbridge, West Sussex and Stuart of Emsworth, Chichester. Despite only having two drivers for the six-hour endurance race the team were full of optimism and confidence going into race day on 4 April.
Race day on 4 April began with another practice session in the morning and included a few shaky moments as the team tried to get to grips with the track. There was a spin onto the grass and a trip into a gravel bed for Michael, and Stuart was responsible for the loss of a front splitter whilst having a fight with a grass bank. However, the team remained composed and rallied well, qualifying fifth on the grid out of twenty seven cars.
At approximately 11.55am the race started with the team adopting a strategy of one-hour stints in the car to coincide with the hourly ten-minute fuel stops. Stuart drove first and made a good start and after an hour the driver change was quick with Michael managing to hold team position in the race.
As the race progressed the car and both drivers were performing well, without incident and jockeying for position. Over the course of the race the team moved up and down the leader board, however, the final two hours of the race saw Michael and Stuart do their best driving. They managed to move up to twelfth position and after six gruelling hours on track, eventually hit the chequered flag finishing a respectable thirteenth place.
Considering this was Michael’s first competitive race, the team were delighted with their performance.
Steady and consistent driving were key to the Nightingale Racing performance, as well as being ably assisted by the team’s mechanics Ian and Dan. Guests of both Mercer & Hole and Nightingale Associates were there to offer rousing applause throughout and were present to greet the team as the car returned to the pit lane.
After a promising start to the season Nightingale Racing is now preparing for its next outing on May 2nd at Snetterton in Norfolk.
Fun Cup Racing Series (www.funcup.co.uk)
Rockingham Race Circuit (www.rockingham.co.uk)
Mercer & Hole Chartered Accountants (www.mercerhole.co.uk)
Nightingale Associates 0845 8281000 (http://www.mercerhole.co.uk/services/overview/C54)
Universal Vehicle Services 02392 595349 -
Prestigious charity diploma awarded to Louise Giles
Mercer & Hole are celebrating the awarding of a prestigious diploma to Louise Giles. Louise was recently awarded the new Diploma in Charity Accounting from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) – the new charity sector qualification. She successfully completed the diploma via the study route and has become one of only 175 people to have achieved this new charity sector qualification via this method of study.
The Diploma in Charity Accounting is a leading qualification in the charity finance field and will become a benchmark for success in charity accounting. The diploma is being promoted to recognise the work carried out by employees, supporters and professional advisers to charities and Louise will now be eligible to use the letters DChA after her name, denoting her understanding of the implications of charity accounting
Louise, who works in the busy audit and assurance department of Mercer & Hole and has been with the firm for 8 years said of her achievement: “I had to write seven essays, each covering a different topic, detailing my work with a charity, the advice I had given them and how I had helped them.”
Offering further comment she added: “I’m personally very happy to have achieved the diploma as it’s satisfying to have recognition for the specialist knowledge that I have acquired but also it’s a way too give our charity clients confidence in Mercer & Hole’s ability to be able to advise them.”
Howard Wilkinson, comments: “The diploma is a top award in the charity accounting sector and we are delighted for Louise and know her achievement is the result of a lot of hard work. This award means that any charity or not-for-profit organisation will now know that we are qualified and have the knowledge and expertise to provide services of the highest standard.”
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Mercer & Hole’s partner Chris Laughton hits the news again!
You may recall that back in November we blogged on Chris Laughton’s interviews with BBC Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live regarding Northern Rock. We are delighted to report that Accountancy Age have also tapped into Chris’s knowledge of insolvency issues and have added comment from him in their article titled: ‘Retailers protected from impact of trident ruling’.
Accountancy Age approached Chris having read his recent blog titled: ‘Will retail insolvencies start the year – again?’
To find out more about Insolvency Blog visit www.insolvencyblog.com where you can subscribe free!
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Pre-Budget Report 2007 - News Update
On October 9th 2007, Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, revealed his first term of office Pre-Budget Report 2007 and Comprehensive Spending review.
Sweeping changes became apparent from the outset and whilst some were to be expected, others caught the attention of the city and the business world alike.
Issues covered in the Pre-Budget Report 2007 included:-
- Personal & Employment taxes.
- Taxation of non-UK domiciliaries.
- Inheritance tax changes and tax-related pension savings.
- The realigning of Income tax and National Insurance contributions.
- Corporation tax.
- Stamp Duty land tax (SDLT).
- Indirect tax (VAT).
Mercer & Hole’s partners and team of experts have already issued a statement of initial response and continue to discuss the issues and the burning questions raised on their live business blog journals www.smeplusblog.com and www.taxplusblog.com.
In-depth coverage includes:
Initial Response.
Capital Gains Tax.
Car Fuel Benefit.
Residence & Domicile.
Inheritance Tax implications.Please click on any of the highlighted links above to take you directly to the latest reports.
Continued coverage can be maintained by subscribing to the relevant blogs here, both email and RSS feeds are available for your convenience.
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Local accountant to reach his ‘peak’
There is a common myth that accountants are boring? Well… intrepid accountant Paul Brindley of local accountancy firm Mercer & Hole has certainly ‘thrown the rule book out of the window’. Paul is jetting off to Italy this summer in an attempt to conquer Gran Paradiso, one of the most impressive mountains in Europe.
Gran Paradiso is the friendliest 4000m peak you will ever meet and is also the country’s highest summit. It is located in the Aosta Valley region of north-west Italy and the peak is close to Mont Blanc on the nearby border with France.
As a fully qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years experience, Paul is based across the firms’ Milton Keynes and Northampton offices, where he is a Manager within the Rescue, Recovery and Insolvency Department. However, this July he will be leaving the two offices behind, lacing up his climbing boots and preparing himself for the biggest physical challenge of his life. In the process, Paul is hoping his climb will raise significant funds for Willen Hospice and has been training hard to help deal with the conditions he is likely to face during the climb.
