Welcome to the May issue of our monthly newsletter, which of course is focused on the topic of the year: the General Election.
Election time is always a worrying period for businesses. No matter how many promises have been made during the campaign, there is always a nervous feeling rippling through and this is heightened this time around with the result a hung parliament, leaving us all wondering just where we stand. A survey conducted by Nationwide Building Society revealed that one in five voted for the party that they believed would manage the economy the most effectively, showing that economic concern was, without question, the main topic of debate in this election. Small businesses are especially vulnerable to world markets, so there is no wonder the desire for a stable economy was so high on the wish list.
Make sure you keep up to date with the latest commercial news throughout the election fallout, which is bound to go on for some time, by visiting our website on a regular basis. We have already started to see this with the very quick suspension (pending abolition) of HIPS. See our website for more information. We can help you with any questions you may have regarding legal and business development issues, and our commercial experts will be keeping a close eye on all happenings taking place in the coming weeks and months that may affect you and your business.
Meanwhile, a roundup of the top legal stories emerging this month, and how they might affect your business, can be found below. Neves NewsMary McEvoy has recently received confirmation of her re-accreditation to the Law Society Family Law Panel. For furher details see our website. In last month's newsletter we announced that Elizabeth McGlone had joined Neves to specialise in Employment Law. Elizabeth is currently running a series of employment related articles on our website, the first of which is entiteld "World Cup v Employment Law" and is featured below. Further articles on subjects ranging from the Bribery Act 2010 to new Anti-Slavery legislation will appear on our website over the coming weeks.  Calculate your Company Car Tax
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have just updated their car benefit calculator, so you can calculate how much having a company car will cost you this financial year. Visit our website for the links to start calculating your figures. Our specialists can help advise you on what you should be paying so please contact us if you have any queries. Avoid your own expenses scandals The story of MP’s expenses was perhaps the biggest political episode of 2009. Expenses can take up valuable administration time in small businesses and are quite easy to get wrong, making them one of the first things that PAYE inspectors investigate. With this in mind, HMRC will from now on allow companies to claim a “dispensation” from having to carry out PAYE reporting of employee expenses, as long as there is an acceptable procedure in place. HMRC have also issued guidance on dispensations for one-person companies, stating that there must be procedures in place for checking and authorising expenses claims. This effectively means there should be someone other than the employee claiming the expenses that can check that the claim isn’t too excessive. If you are unsure if you are eligible for this dispensation or what you can claim as business expenses, then contact us as soon as possible for advice.  World Cup v Employment Law
In anticipation of this summer's biggest sporting event Employment Specialist Elizabeth McGlone provides some useful guidance for employers in dealing with common employment 'issues' relating to staff absence. Landlords - Declare your intentions A recent case has ruled that landlords who have a tenants lease governed by the Landlord and Tenants Act 1954 may have limited grounds to refuse a new lease to a tenant. The courts have decided that a landlord who refused to renew a tenant’s lease because he wished to use the property for the purposes of his own business did not satisfy this condition as he could not prove he was not going to sell the property within five years. In the future, landlords who wish to obtain possession of leases covered by the act can expect the courts to adopt the five year time period referred to in this case for determining whether they require the building for the purposes of their own businesses. This story is well worth reading if you are a landlord and of course you should contact us immediately to discuss any aspect of it, which can be read in its entirety on our website, should it cause you concern.
Donating your Body to Medical ScienceIf you wish to provide in your Will to leave not only your worldy possessions but also your physical being then there are cetain proceedures that must be followed. Our website this month contains an article providing further information on this little known process. | 
