KNUTSFORD: Insufficient security checks and the complexity involved in taking online payments are leaving small firms exposed to payment processing fraud, the Forum of Private Business is warning.

LONDON: Six major banks have formed a taskforce designed to get lending to businesses moving again, the British Bankers' Association said today.

LONDON: The chancellor, George Osborne, is setting up an Office for Tax Simplification to streamline the 11 000-page tax code.

LONDON: The chancellor's 20% VAT hike bombshell rattled retailers but the six-month delay should help them weather the storm, city experts said.

BELFAST: Northern Irish retailers, especially those near the border with the republic, will face tougher competition next year when VAT rises to 20%.

EDINBURGH: Commenting on the UK Emergency Budget, Scottish Building Federation chief executive Michael Levack said: "The planned cuts in public spending come as no surprise and are something the construction sector has been bracing itself for.

KNUTSFORD: Small business support group the Forum of Private Business has welcomed a number of key victories for SMEs in today’s Budget.

KNUTSFORD: The ‘Time to Pay’ tax scheme must be preserved in this week's Budget, or thousands of small firms struggling to manage tax payments could be forced into administration, the Forum of Private Business is warning.