Business Matters

Hundreds of pharmacies are facing closure because of soaring business rates, with owners warning that high taxes are forcing them to cut services for vulnerable patients. Almost half of the 420 pharmacy owners surveyed by the National Pharmacy Association

More than 53,000 British businesses are in critical financial distress and at risk of collapse, with companies that depend on consumer spending under particular pressure as economic uncertainty weighs on confidence. The number of firms in critical distres

UK retail sales fell 0.5 per cent in July as shoppers cut back during record temperatures, according to the Office for National Statistics, reversing the rise recorded in June at the start of the warm summer and the Fifa men's World Cup. The monthly fall

The government borrowed £1.8 billion in July, a month in which the public finances are usually flattered by self-assessment income tax receipts, underlining the scale of the task facing the new chancellor, John Healey, ahead of his first budget. The Offic

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's reported return to Britain has prompted claims that the couple have picked the perfect moment to move for tax reasons, but a specialist has warned there is "no magic date in August" that allows anyone to come home without

Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension with Oracle Red Bull Racing that will keep the four-time Formula One world champion at the Milton Keynes team until the end of the 2030 season. The announcement was made on Thursday, ahead of this weekend's D

This morning, hundreds of thousands of teenagers opened their GCSE results. For most, the next step is already mapped out. For a growing number, it is not, and that is where one of Britain's most expensive problems begins. The latest official figures show

Local authorities should be given greater freedom to spend Community Infrastructure Levy funds on skills and training where labour shortages are holding back development, according to the audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. The firm po

Chery, the Chinese carmaker behind the Jaecoo and Omoda brands, is to open a research and development centre in Bedfordshire, describing the move as "the next step in our long-term plan" for Britain. The company said on Wednesday that the facility would o

Oxfam is reviewing the operations of its three UK warehouses and has said it "cannot give guarantees" on the future of its high street shops, citing a "difficult economic climate". The charity said it has no plans to close either warehouses or shops. But