January 2010

Here’s what’s been hitting the headlines over recent weeks:

FEATURE ARTICLE

HMRC to continue crackdown on expenses: HMRC is continuing to clamp down on non-compliant expense claims. MORE...

NEWS ROUND-UP

Right of Substitution Clauses: Kate Cottrell, the founder of IR35 advisory firm Bauer and Cottrell, has warned that Right of Substitution clauses may not protect contractors from investigation by HMRC and potential IR35 tax losses. MORE...

2010 - Reasons to be cheerful: Few contractors will mourn the passing of 2009, the year of plummeting output and tumbling tender prices. 2010 will also be a challenging year for the construction industry, but there will also be multi-billion pound opportunities in the coming year. MORE...

What will be the big legal issues for the construction industry in 2010: Undoubtedly the fallout from the OFT cover pricing enquiry, the fallout from the blacklisting investigation and new corporate manslaughter legislation will all feature. MORE...

HMRC publishes guide to tax avoidance schemes: In recent years HMRC has been increasing its efforts to crack down on tax avoidance schemes. To help tax payers spot such schemes HMRC has now published some guidelines. MORE...

Demand for construction workers increases: A new report on jobs has revealed that the demand for temporary and permanent construction workers showed a significant increase in December 2009, compared to the previous month. MORE...

HMRC shows little leniency to businesses: HMRC has been accused of forcing businesses into collapse after a Guardian report reveals that HMRC was behind almost half of all wind-up petitions. MORE...

2012 Olympic news: Health and safety, logistics and recycling: John Armitt the Olympic Delivery Authority chairman has said that there are huge safety challenges facing the Olympic site in 2010. MORE...

Work on London Gateway to go ahead: DP World, the port-arm subsidiary of the investment company Dubai World recently announced that it will be going ahead with the delayed £1.5 billion London Gateway project. MORE...

Government spending cuts threaten construction jobs: Government spending cuts could threaten thousands of future jobs in the construction industry over the next 10 years, according to a housing body. MORE...

Battersea Power Station plans win public support: The developers who are planning to transform Battersea Power station say that public support for their plans has now risen above 80 percent. MORE...

Tate Modern concrete upgrade packages: The Tate Gallery has advertised a number of contracts estimated to be worth £28 million for the superstructure concrete works that are part of the £215 million Transforming Tate Modern project. MORE...

Man dies at Westfield Stratford: A man working on Westfield’s Stratford City development in East London was seriously injured last December in what is believed to have been an accident involving a scissor lift. MORE...

PCG call for fresh approach to contracting: The Professional Contractor Group (PCG) has called on the government and policy makers to introduce a fresh approach to contracting in 2010. MORE...

Tories delay green paper: Tory plans to outline details of regeneration projects such as the Thames Gateway have been put back by the recession. MORE...

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