Tax Doesn’t Have to be Taxing

Missed the 31 October deadline for tax self-assessments? Use Davenports, we file everything electronically giving you until 31 January 2010.

Find out more about our taxation and accountancy services.

New Agricultural Wages Order to Come into Effect on 1 October 2009

The Agricultural Wages Board met on 24 July 2009 to consider the representations made to its proposals (made on 17 June 2009) for a new Wages Order to come into effect on Thursday 1 October 2009.  The Board considered the representations and decided to make the Order as proposed.

The Board therefore confirms that:

• The minimum basic Grade 1 pay rate for workers over compulsory school age will increase by 1.2% from £5.74 to £5.81 per hour. 

The minimum pay rates for Grades 2-6 will increase by 2.2%.  This will increase the minimum rates as follows:

• Grade 2 from £6.26 to £6.40 per hour;
• Grade 3 from £6.89 to £7.04 per hour;
• Grade 4 from £7.39 to £7.55 per hour; 
• Grade 5 from £7.82 to £8.00 per hour;
• Grade 6 from £8.45 to £8.64 per hour.

The rates for Apprentices in Year 1 of an Apprenticeship/Advanced Apprenticeship will increase from £3.53 to £3.57 per hour and the rates for Apprentices in Year 2 will increase from £3.53 to £3.57 for 16-18 year olds, from £4.77 to £4.83 for 19-21 year olds and from £5.73 to £5.80 for those aged 22 and over.

Other rates and allowances will increase by 2.2%.

The Birth/Adoption grant will increase from £50 to £60.

The Accommodation Offset will increase from £4.46 to £4.51 per day.

Participants in certain training schemes, e.g. the Leonardo Programme and the 14-19 Diploma for Environmental and Land-based Studies will be exempt from the provisions of the Order.

The provisions for Full-Time Flexible Worker and Part-Time Flexible Worker will be amended so that these grades are not available to new entrants after the Order comes into force

Other technical and consequential drafting amendments will also be made.

Davenports Twitter Feeds

Davenports have joined Twitter.

Twitter is a privately funded startup with offices in the SoMA neighborhood of San Francisco, CA. Started as a side project in March of 2006, Twitter has grown into a real-time short messaging service that works over multiple networks and devices.

In countries all around the world, people follow the sources most relevant to them and access information via Twitter as it happens—from breaking world news to updates from friends.

To follow Davenports on Twitter and receive money saving tips or updates about tax, accountancy, web and print services; visit http://twitter.com/davenportsuk

Spork Garden Tools Testimonial

Robert Todd - Business Owner - Oxford, Oxfordshire

Davenports taking care of us has been pure medicine. As well as helping us cut our costs with accounting, they have been instrumental in improving our image, with, amongst many things, an amazing new website. New business followed with almost immediate effect. At no time has anything been beyond their capability with accounting, business advice. printing, contacts, and insurance etc. A real shot in the arm. I firmly recommend Davenports as an innovative company for the modern age with the integrity of the client at the forefront.

http://www.sporkgardentools.com - An ideal present for the spring season.

Un-Muddling and Fire-Fighting

Are your accounts in a state? Wish you could just make them disappear? Try our fire-fighting and un-muddling service! We’ll take the load off your hands. We take your paperwork in any state - even if it’s stuffed into bin bags!

Visit our fire-fighting and un-muddling page.

Davenports – Helping You Through The Economic Crisis

As the economic crisis starts to bite, often the first to feel it are the small businesses. However, there are many steps that can be taken in order to reduce the effects and to ensure that you come out the other end stronger and ready to take advantage of recovery. Davenports have a range of offerings that are designed to re-enforce all of the accepted advice on business survival. Here are our top tips and how we will address them for you.

Control expenditure

Every business has scope for reducing costs. You should be carrying out an audit of all of your expenditure and a good place to start is with your true costs of paper processing. Using Davenports all processing is electronic ensuring that postage and printing costs are reduced whilst also reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.

Collect debts with enthusiasm

Many small businesses find that payments to them are late and that valuable management time is taken up with chasing debts. Davenports can manage all of your debt problems leaving you free to develop new markets and position yourself for recovery.

Focus marketing

Too many businesses cut their marketing costs when times are hard. The surviving companies continue to market but focus their work so as to get the maximum return on their marketing investment. Disappearing from the radar is a sure fire way of people thinking you have gone. Davenports can assist you in keeping a strong presence in the marketplace through their web design services.

Maintain and improve quality

In difficult times the customer has to feel valued. You need to ensure that you are offering a level of service that reflects this. Paying your bills on time and processing in a professional manner all helps to convince people that you are a reputable business. Davenports accountancy services linked to debt management can ensure that you provide a quality service whilst also ensuring that you do not run into cashflow problems.

Don’t be complacent

You may feel that you have everything under control and that you have all the suppliers that you need. However, if you are finding things tight so may many of your suppliers. By choosing Davenports you not only have a supplier with a long track record of quality service delivery, you also minimise your dependence on suppliers by using one supplier for a number of services. Sensible businesses always have an alternative in these difficult times.

Be honest about your business

Burying your head in the sand about the true state of your business will do you no good and will probably lead to things getting worse. Davenports understand that it is difficult in today’s business world to be perfect at everything. We are realistic enough to accept the shortcomings of our clients and we are happy to work with them to resolve them. One of our favourite phrases with our clients is that we offer to ‘unmuddle things for them. So let us help you to face up to the challenges within your business.

Position yourself for recovery

In order to be best placed for recovery you need time to innovate and develop new markets. This is impossible to do if you spend all of your waking day fire-fighting and trying to survive to the next dawn. Davenports service offerings are designed to leave you free to be the innovator that you started out as before the economic situation started to bite.

We are not someone that wants to tell you what to do. We are an organisation that exists to work in partnership with you, releasing your potential to return to being a business owner, not a business slave. All of our offerings are designed to tackle the real problems facing you and businesses like you. They aim to ensure that we will be working together in the good times as well as the present ones.

Take responsibility for your own destiny

In difficult times it is easy to do nothing and blame everything from the Government to the problems with mortgages on the other side of the Atlantic. The trouble with that approach is that failure becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. Those businesses that use this time to strengthen the way they do business, position themselves for new markets and see the present situation as an opportunity for the future will be the ones to benefit. Davenports exists to help those that want to look for a way forward rather than those that want to adopt a blame philosophy.

Remember:

There are three types of people in this world –

• Those that make things happen
• Those that watch things happen
• Those that say ‘what the hell happened’.

If you want to be someone that makes things happen, please contact us.

Davenports Gift Vouchers

Whatever the function Davenports can cater for your business needs across the accountancy, web and print spectrums.  These gift cards can be used as a thoughtful yet functional gift throughout the year.

Click here where you can get more information about the vouchers and also make a purchase.

New Product Launch - Ideal Christmas Present

Davenports Vouchers

What ever the function davenports can cater for your business needs across the accountancy, web and print spectrums. These gift cards can be used as thoughtful yet functional gifts throughout the year.

Postage and Packaging only costs £1.00 - All gift cards are sent by 1st class royal mail

Visit our new page,  click on link below

Davenport Vouchers

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

From the team at Davenports.

Pre-Budget Report 2008 Accounced

The Chancellor has announced that he will deliver his Pre-Budget Report (PBR) to Parliament on Monday 24 November at 3.30pm.

Full details of all of his announcements which will affect taxes will be published on this site after he finishes his speech.

Film tax relief supporting UK film industry

New figures showing the success of the Government’s film tax relief were published today by Financial Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms.  The figures, which are the first to be published since the scheme began in January 2007, show that £104 million in tax relief has been provided to support the production of around 100 new UK films.

Film tax relief is designed to promote the production of culturally British films. For a film to be eligible it must qualify as ‘British’ - either by passing the new cultural test or under an agreed co-production treaty - and incur at least 25 percent of the total production expenditure in the UK.

The figures show that 110 claims received tax relief to the end of March 2008 totalling £104 million, and covering around 100 new films. Overall 155 claims have been made over this time, for a total of £126 million, although a number of the claims are more recent and therefore still being processed.

Stephen Timms said:

“These figures reinforce the role film tax relief is playing in strengthening the British film industry and encouraging the production of high quality home-grown films. This is a dynamic industry that has continued to be resilient in the face of difficult economic times. The UK’s share of the global theatrical market was $3.3 billion in 2007, with the top 10 performing UK films worldwide grossing around $2.5 million, up 26 percent on the previous year.”
Culture Minister Barbara Follett said:
 
“The importance of film tax relief in supporting one of our most successful and culturally important creative industries should not be underestimated.  UK-made films provide entertainment, employment and a cultural commentary that I think is vital and the tax relief scheme is an indication of just how committed the Government is to this vibrant and diverse sector.”

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