New government data has shown that almost a million employers are benefiting from a £2,000 cut in their annual national insurance contributions (NICs) bill.

Employers are reminded that new national minimum wage (NMW) rates will take effect from 1 October 2014, benefiting more than one million lower paid workers.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has urged businesses, unions and individuals to help identify and close potential loopholes in plans to ban the use of exclusivity clauses in zero hours contracts.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has issued guidance on how redress payments made to businesses that have been mis-sold interest rate hedging products should be accounted for on tax returns.

The number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supported through the government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) has trebled over the past year, new figures show.