Search: financial focus

EY has set aside nearly £200 million to cover regulatory fines and legal claims in the UK, the highest level ever disclosed by the firm, as it confronts a growing number of challenges to the quality of its audit work. According to its annual report filed at Companies House, EY increased its pr

Scotland’s largest stock‑pitching competition has announced its national winners, celebrating a new wave of talented young women who are emerging as the future leaders of the country’s investment industry.

George Lafferty of BTG has been appointed provisional liquidator of Enterprise Foods Limited by Hamilton Sheriff Court on 18 March, following a petition by the company. The East Kilbride-based wholesale food supplier, which traded as Localist from its premises on Reynolds Avenue, had been in operati

Ithaca Energy, the North Sea oil and gas producer, has said it could approve development of the controversial Cambo oil field west of Shetland within months, buoyed by the sharp rise in crude prices following the outbreak of conflict involving Iran.

Gross operating profits, occupancy and room rates of Scottish hotels rose in January, but there’s uncertainty ahead for the industry amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, according to RSM UK. The data, which is compiled and produced by Hotstats and analysed by RSM UK, showed that while gro

Customs duty and indirect tax expert Andrew Thurston looks at how a US Supreme Court ruling against IEEPA-based tariffs could allow businesses, particularly UK firms with transatlantic operations, to recover duties previously paid. The recent ruling by the US Supreme Court that tariffs cannot be imp

Aberdeen-based OEG Energy Group has launched a new all-employee initiative to enable its staff the opportunity to build wealth at work. The ‘Shared Prosperity Plan’ gives employees a stake in the value they help to create as the group expands its integrated services across conventional a

FinTech Scotland has announced that Atos, a global AI-powered digital transformation firm, has joined the Scottish fintech cluster as a technology strategic partner, strengthening the cluster’s ability to drive collaborative innovation and growth.

Marcus Di Rollo discusses the UK's Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative and what landlords need to know and do to prepare for its rollout from April 2026. Landlords across the UK are preparing for one of the most significant changes to personal tax administration in years. From 6th April 2026, Making

Businesses in Scotland are being urged to meticulously track the heartbeat of work in progress throughout its lifecycle. Monitoring, managing and making changes to reduce mission creep, improve efficiencies and maximise cashflow are critical steps which can improve a business’s health and grow

Mid-sized businesses in Scotland are setting their sights on growth in 2026, but are facing challenges around access to finance as cost pressures loom, according to the latest research from BDO. The firm’s bi-monthly Economic Engine survey of 500 mid-market businesses – companies with re

The United Kingdom's economy recorded zero growth in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), as weakness across key sectors of the economy compounded an already fragile outlook. The services sector, which accounts for the largest share of economic output, showed no growth dur

A former manager at Royal Bank of Scotland's (RBS) controversial Global Restructuring Group (GRG) has pleaded guilty to bribery and extortion after accepting £274,811 in corrupt payments from customers in exchange for preferential treatment of their businesses. Stuart Holloway, 48, of Bury, Gr

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has called for Glasgow to establish a fire recovery fund to help small businesses get back on their feet following the devastating Union Street fire. Scores of small businesses have been affected by the huge blaze which has resulted in the closure of a large

The fuse is burning down on the UK government’s inheritance tax (IHT) changes for farmers, experts from Azets have warned. Under the Finance Act 2026, new restrictions will apply to the amount of Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs available to farmers dying post 5 April 2026.