Opinion

Gordon MacLure, restructuring partner at Johnston Carmichael, details the steps businesses can take now to get some breathing space as the HMRC's preferential creditor status has now been restored. The HMRC’s secondary preferential creditor status was restored on 22 July 2020 when the Finance

Mark Bustard, CEO of The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), details Scotland can grow a clean, sustainable economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.  The idea of a net-zero carbon emissions and zero waste economy isn’t as far- fetched as some may think. The k

This latest blog considers life from the perspective of SMEs and OMBs working to exit from lockdown. Much of the subject matter to date has focused on how to manage the massive uncertainties caused byCOVID-19. Hopefully, the duration and on-going impact of lockdown are beginning to clear as we move

In light of the difficult trading situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dundee-based restructuring and insolvency specialists Dunedin Advisory details how business debt arrangement schemes can help firms through these times. Dunedin Advisory has said it may be necessary for firms to consid

Helen Foord, founder of ELE Global, details the financial implications of running a virtual team. COVID-19 has brought the world to a halt, ensuring that without warning, all but the most essential businesses have had to shutter physical locations and close down offices. Complete re-evaluations into

Paul Alcorn, legal executive at law firm Jones Whyte, discusses the changes to Land & Buildings Transaction Tax and how it impacts buyers. From 15 July 2020 until 31 March 2021 the threshold that the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) begins to be paid for residential property p

Neil Coutts, head of the cyber and technology risk capability for KPMG in Scotland, discusses some of the long-term cybersecurity challenges facing Scottish businesses as more people look to work from home in the future. Scotland’s lockdown may be easing, but there’s a growing accep

Alison Woods, partner and employment law specialist at CMS, discusses the importance of diversity in the workplace as the world emerges from the coronavirus lockdown.  As Scottish business faces one of the toughest-ever economic climates, employers may be questioning whether diversity and inclu

The Higgins Report of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery for the Scottish Government has attracted considerable comment in the media and several alternative views have surfaced from senior business figures. At the same time, Campbell Dallas has been holding round table and one to one discussion

Nimesh Shah, partner at Blick Rothenberg, discusses the implications of tax simplification ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak's tax 'raid'. The Chancellor has asked the Office of Tax Simplification (‘OTS’) to review the Capital Gains Tax (‘CGT’) rul

Lauren Hazlie, property solicitor at Jones Whyte, details the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the housing market by discussing the extension to the Additional Dwelling Supplement Tax reclaim period. In Scotland, Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) Tax must be paid by a buyer on the purchase o

Andrew Knowles, senior director, restructuring advisory at financial consultancy firm Duff Phelps, details how the temporary suspension of wrongful trading doesn’t change the attention that directors should be giving when evaluating the financial position of their company. The tempor

Roland Smyth, head of Scottish hotels & leisure group at law firm CMS, provides some tips for bars and restaurant owners who are planning to reopen their businesses this week.  The hospitality sector, which has suffered immensely from the coronavirus lockdown, is set to reopen this week. Th

Helen Foord, founder of Edinburgh-based professional services communications agency ELE Global, shares her top five apps/programmes/systems which will help to run businesses virtually. We're actually in the process of reviewing all of our technology at the moment and that would be one of my key

Jackie Fraser, Inverness-based partner at accountants Chiene + Tait, details the reopening of Scotland's tourism sector after the coronavirus lockdown. Tourism is one of Scotland’s most important and fast growing sectors contributing over £11bn to the nation’s annual GDP. Last year