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The head of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has praised the work of a Scottish charity in helping to demystify the tax system, during a visit to its headquarters. JP Marks, the first permanent secretary and chief executive of HMRC, called in at Advice Direct Scotland’s offices in Glasgow.

Scotland experienced the fastest quarter-on-quarter increase in the number of businesses in distress across the UK in Q3 2025, according to the latest Red Flag Alert from Begbies Traynor. In Scotland, levels of advanced or "critical" distress in the latest quarter were particularly stark, rocketing

Drinks producer C&C Group plc, owner of Tennent's Lager, has reported a solid first-half performance with increased profits and margins despite a drop in revenue and a challenging market.

Two-thirds of organisations (66%) surveyed believe climate technology is or will become essential, according to ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Already, 21% are investing within existing budgets, with another 21% planning to do so in the next two to three years, but there

Scottish finance expert and business mentor Craig Alexander Rattray is calling for stronger government support for SMEs locked in legal disputes with much larger companies. His call comes after a trademark dispute with billion-dollar accounting software firm Xero, which he says is using a name very

Venture capital (VC) investment into Scotland’s start-up and scale-up businesses soared by more than 200% in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest KPMG Private Enterprise Venture Pulse report. Scottish businesses raised £116.1 million in the third quarter of 2025.

Aberdeen Group PLC has announced that its assets under management and administration (AUMA) rose by 6% in the year to date, reaching £542.4 billion in the third quarter of 2025. This growth was primarily driven by positive market movements and the strong performance of its interactive investor

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is preparing a tax crackdown on professional partnerships, targeting accountants, lawyers, and other professionals using limited liability partnerships (LLPs) as part of her plan to ensure those with the “broadest shoulders” contribute more. The proposal involves

Scotland’s private sector presented a mixed economic picture in September, with a surprising surge in hiring set against a backdrop of falling business activity and declining new orders. Businesses took on additional staff for the first time in four months and expectations for the coming year

The Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has warned that Brexit will have a negative impact on the UK economy for the "foreseeable future". Speaking in Washington DC, Mr Bailey stated that while he took no political position on the UK's departure from the EU, the resulting trade restricti

Begbies Traynor has added 34 years of Scottish insolvency experience to its team in Glasgow with the appointment of George Lafferty as director. Mr Lafferty joins the professional services firm from another Glasgow insolvency firm, where he was insolvency director. He has previously held senior posi

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee has launched a call for views on the Scottish Government’s Digital Assets (Scotland) Bill. The proposed legislation which aims to recognise digital assets as property in the eyes of the law will be scrutinised by a Holyrood Commit

Businesses feel misunderstood by government and are unprepared for net zero as last quarter’s tentative recovery in activity stalls, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. The latest edition of its quarterly Scottish Business Monitor, which surveyed ove

Scotland's equity investment market has demonstrated strong resilience during the first half of 2025, with university spinouts proving a key driver of activity, according to new research from the British Business Bank. The bank’s annual Nations and Regions Tracker revealed that in the first si

With a projected £50 billion shortfall in public finances and a pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT, speculation is mounting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves may turn again to Inheritance Tax (IHT) reform when she makes her autumn budget statement on 26 November, writes Emma