News

Barclays has reported a 17% rise in first-half ​profit before tax to £6.1 billion, beating analysts’ forecasts and kickstarting what is likely to be a bumper reporting week for the sector.

Johnston Carmichael has appointed Graeme Bain as head of restructuring. Taking up the role with immediate effect, Graeme will lead the firm’s restructuring business line, supported by partners Donald McNaught and Richard Bathgate.

With under two weeks remaining until the first Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax submission deadline, new research from Bank of Scotland suggests that two-thirds (65%) of small businesses in Scotland still have work to do before they are ready to comply with the new rules, compared with 55% o

Steven Mearns, director of TaxAssist Accountants, and Kris Urquhart, director of Brimmond Financial Planning, have teamed up to lodge plans for a £2 million commercial development in Westhill.

Applications open today for the free, eight-week programme built to close the gap in capital, support and exposure holding back some of Scotland's most promising founders. Round One is Scotland's Investment Readiness Programme for pre-seed technology startups. The programme’s founders believe

The FinTech Scotland Festival is to return for its ninth year, with in-person and online events across the central belt of Scotland taking place from 30 September to 7 October 2026.

Scottish Financial Enterprise has appointed Arlene Stokes, chief people officer at Aegon UK, as chair of its Gender Equality Network. Based in Edinburgh, Arlene has held senior leadership roles across people and transformation in financial services and other sectors.

More than £87 million was paid in tax on the largest full pension withdrawals in just six months, according to new figures.

Glasgow-headquartered family investment business Turner has expanded its team to support the company’s growth ambitions. Murray Foggo, previously of AAB, joins as an investment executive, and Aaron Marshall from PWC takes up the role of portfolio manager. Both will support the investment team

John Healey, the newly appointed Chancellor, is being called on to guarantee long-term stability on pension tax rules, following a surge in early withdrawals from retirement savings that new analysis links to uncertainty ahead of the last Budget.

The FIFA World Cup trophy’s 18-carat gold content declined in value by £20,134, or 5.3%, during the 2026 tournament, according to Gold Bank.

South Korean prosecutors have asked a court to jail the owner of a two-Michelin-star restaurant for a year after it allegedly served desserts topped with ants in breach of food safety laws. Prosecutors also requested a 20 million won (£10,108) fine for the company operating the Seoul restauran

A family-run gin distillery, which won an award last year for its production process, has been placed into voluntary liquidation with all 16 jobs lost.

Private businesses are continuing to invest in technology and skills to boost growth despite a more challenging economic backdrop, according to KPMG UK’s mid-year Private Enterprise Barometer.

The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published its Annual Enforcement Review 2026, highlighting recurring issues in financial reporting and audit quality while setting out changes designed to deliver faster and more proportionate enforcement outcomes. The review draws on the regulator's enforce