Opinion

Womble Bond Dickinson's partner Jeremy Smith, managing associate Michelle Essen and practice development lawyer Karen Plumbley-Jones highlight further changes to the off-payroll working rules (IR35). Changes to the off-payroll working rules - which will impact on the construction industry by placing

Stephen Cowan, managing director of Yuill + Kyle, provides information on the Scottish Debt Recovery system. Many English solicitors are mystified with Scotland’s procedures for the recovery of undisputed debt. This should not be the case. Like our English cousins ultimately the process involv

Gordon Deane, partner at Balfour+Manson, discusses the English case where borrowers were successful in challenging the validity of a loan transfer from one bank to another. The facts of the case are as follows. The Emanuels had borrowed money from Clydesdale Bank for the purposes of their

Nicola Brown, associate solicitor, dispute resolution at Blackadders solicitors, discusses the economics of litigating debts claims under the value of £5,000. We are frequently contacted by clients regarding the pursuit of debts under £5000. The first question that is inevitably asked is

Kristen Bennie, head of open experience at Royal Bank of Scotland, urges that Scots struggling with the stresses of 'life admin' should take time for themselves. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that we were all setting New Year goals to aim for. Perhaps it was to read more books or spend mor

Shirley McIntosh, tax partner at RSM, discusses the new challenges facing the legal sector amid changes in property tax. The start of the new tax year on 6 April 2020 will see the latest in a long line of changes in the taxation of property introduced since April 2013, from new and abolished rules,

In light of Brexit, Fraser Campbell, head of family business and international advisory partner at Campbell Dallas, details how the rest of the world wants to do business with Scotland. Whatever your views on Brexit, as the UK loses its membership of the EU it might be worth taking a steer from a me

Mark Brown, audit, accounts and business assurance partner at Meston Reid & Co, said the practice is finding more and more companies are seeking an audit, even when not required to do so. Meston Reid & Co have recorded a 25% growth in limited company audit work in recent times. Whilst this i

Dave Philp, head of R&D tax at accountancy firm Chiene + Tait, urges business to prepare for a research and development (R&D) tax relief crackdown. R&D (research and development) tax relief, introduced in 2000 to encourage more company investment into innovation, is more popular than eve

As the UK enters the Brexit transition period, Susie Walker, head of tax at Johnston Carmichael, urges businesses to be prepared for leaving the EU without a trade deal. Even though the UK is now officially entering the 11-month transition period, there is no guarantee that a comprehensive trade dea

Michael Reid, insolvency partner at Aberdeen-based Meston Reid & Co, discusses whether voluntary liquidation is a practical response to IR35. New legislation that goes live this April could be the death knell for many personal service companies active in the north-east of Scotland, but perhaps o

James Kergon, a partner and head of KPMG's deal advisory team in Scotland, looks back at 2019 and previews 2020 from an M&A perspective, focusing on how data and tech are going to drive a lot of future Scottish activity. In recent years, Scotland’s business community has become increa

Alastair McCoan, building consultancy partner at Knight Frank Glasgow, discusses how businesses can avoid being hit with a large dilapidations bill when making an office move. A new year, a new office – it can be an exciting time for any business as it embarks on an expansion, with some stylis

Susan Currie, solicitor at Blackadders, discusses the intricacies of tax avoidance schemes and liquidation. In this day and age tax avoidance schemes are rarely out of the news. The schemes, although they may not be moral, are legal. Tax avoidance is when an individual or company arranges their asse

Alan Stewart, tax partner at chartered accountancy practice Meston Reid & Co urges individuals to consider all the options when it comes to inheritance tax. There’s unlikely to be any single solution for people looking to minimise their estate’s exposure to inheritance tax (IHT) liab