Grass & Holm

As more businesses switch to electric vehicles, it's important to keep an eye on how the rules are changing.

The Government has now confirmed that a new pay-per-mile Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) will be introduced from April 2028. Under the plans, fully electric vehicles will pay 3p per mile, while plug-in hybrids will pay 1.5p per mile. Drivers will initially self-report their mileage until MOT records take over, following changes made after the public consultation.

If you run your own business, this is more than just another motoring update.

Whether you operate a company car, manage a fleet or regularly travel to clients, these changes could have a direct impact on your future running costs and budgeting. It also highlights why reviewing the total cost of vehicle ownership should be an ongoing process, rather than a one-off decision when buying a new vehicle.

Keeping up to date with changes like these gives you time to plan ahead, avoid unexpected costs and make informed decisions that support both your business and your cash flow.

Government lays out new road tax scheme ... which works like the old paper tax disc system After years of trying to separate VED from the car, the government's marrying the two back together for electric cars.

The Office for Budget Responsibility's latest Fiscal Risks and Sustainability report is a reminder that today's tax decisions don't happen in isolation.

An ageing population, the transition to electric vehicles, AI's impact on employment, and rising public spending will all shape the UK's tax landscape over the coming decades. For businesses and individuals alike, understanding these wider economic trends is becoming just as important as keeping up with the latest tax rules.

While none of these changes will happen overnight, they reinforce the value of proactive financial planning. The more prepared you are for the direction of travel, the better placed you'll be to make informed decisions for the future.

Tax isn't just about what happens this year. It's about understanding what's coming next.

Home - Office for Budget Responsibility Our Fiscal risks and sustainability report examine the likely major pressures on the public finances over the next 50 years. Long-term projections are highly uncertain and sensitive to the underpinning assumptions. But almost all our scenarios show public debt eventually moving onto an unsustainable...

Pressure is something every business owner faces.

When you run your own business, it's easy for pressure to become one big, overwhelming feeling. Revenue targets, client expectations, cash flow, competition and the fear of getting things wrong can quickly blur into one.

John Amaechi's advice is to break pressure down into its component parts. Ask yourself what is actually causing it, what you can control and whose opinions genuinely matter.

Business owners receive feedback from many directions. Some of it is valuable insight from trusted clients, colleagues and mentors but some of it is simply noise.

What is important is knowing the difference.

What helps you manage pressure when things get challenging?

Staying focused under pressure | LinkedIn Pressure can come from scrutiny, isolation or fear of failing publicly. The key is to identify what you can control and whose words you should pay attention to, says this leadership expert.

UK inflation holding steady at 2.8% in May may come as a surprise to many economists, who had expected it to rise.

While higher transport costs continue to put pressure on businesses and households, easing food inflation offers some welcome relief. With the Bank of England's latest interest rate decision imminent, many business owners will be watching closely for signals on borrowing costs and future economic direction.

For SMEs, the key takeaway remains the same: keep a close eye on cash flow, review budgets regularly and plan for different scenarios. Inflation may be stabilising, but costs are still significantly higher than they were just a few years ago.

Good financial visibility has never been more important.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-17/uk-inflation-unexpectedly-holds-steady-at-2-8-in-may?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin

Stress in the workplace is often viewed as an employee issue, but what if it starts at the top?

A recent survey found that CEOs are now experiencing higher levels of stress than they did at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with AI disruption and economic uncertainty cited as the biggest challenges.

The problem is that stress doesn't stay confined to the boardroom. When leaders are under pressure, it's easier to become reactive rather than strategic. Decisions become shorter-term, uncertainty filters through teams, and organisational performance can suffer.

This is a reminder that resilience isn't just an individual skill – it's a leadership responsibility. The more clarity, communication and confidence leaders can provide during periods of change, the better equipped their teams will be to navigate uncertainty alongside them.

In a world being reshaped by AI and economic volatility, the organisations that thrive are likely to be those where leaders create stability, even when the environment around them feels anything but stable.

6 Ways Leaders Harness Stress Today’s leaders face increasing pressure on all sides, and their stress levels are higher now than they were even at the peak of the pandemic. Though stress can sharpen performance briefly, over time it erodes judgment, narrows perspective, and increases the risk of costly missteps. Most leaders h...

More than 40,000 respondents to the Treasury Committee's student loan survey said the financial impact of repayments had been worse than they expected.

What's striking is that this isn't really a story about student loans.

It's a reminder of how important financial understanding is when making major life decisions.

Whether it's university, buying a home, starting a business or planning for retirement, the long-term implications of financial commitments are often far greater than people realise at the time.

The better we understand our finances, the fewer surprises we face later.

Good financial planning isn't about avoiding every cost or obligation. It's about making informed decisions with a clear understanding of what they mean for our future.

That's why financial education and professional advice matter more than ever.

Student loans inquiry finds many did not understand repayment terms The Treasury inquiry is looking at student loan plans in England and whether repayment terms are "reasonable".

Car tax rules have recently changed. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the new rules,

Car tax bands 2026: VED road tax costs explained Find the latest information on this year's upcoming tax bands. Read our guide containing an easy-to-follow table and how any changes can impact you.

Consumer confidence has seen its sharpest drop since 2022 and households across the UK are once again tightening spending.

For SMEs and those running their own businesses, this matters.

When consumers become more cautious, businesses often feel it quickly:
• Reduced discretionary spending
• Longer sales cycles
• Increased pressure on cash flow
• Greater uncertainty around forecasting and investment decisions

This is exactly why having a good accountant or financial adviser around you is so important.

Not just at year end or for compliance, but as a strategic partner who can help you:
• Understand your cash position clearly
• Forecast different trading scenarios
• Identify unnecessary costs
• Manage tax efficiently
• Protect profitability during uncertain periods
• Plan ahead rather than react under pressure

In uncertain economic climates, visibility matters.

The businesses that navigate these periods best are often the ones with strong financial oversight, good planning and access to trusted advice before problems arise - not after.

For business owners, resilience isn’t just about winning new work. It’s also about understanding your numbers well enough to make confident decisions when the market shifts.

UK households bracing for new cost of living crisis, report finds PwC survey reports fast fall in consumer confidence with people worried about Iran war’s impact on economy and personal finances

Career paths have definitely changed over time. Nowadays dynamic, non-linear career paths are shaped by skills and adaptability.

After 10 years of analysing top companies, LinkedIn has seen that employers are adapting: hiring for experience and capabilities over credentials alone, whilst also investing in internal mobility and rethinking employees’ skills and flexibility.

If you're wondering what makes a Top Company in 2026, it's worth reviewing this list and taking note.

Top Companies Adapt to New Work Norms | LinkedIn News posted on the topic | LinkedIn If your company still runs like it did 10 years ago, you’ve got a problem. Back then, the rules were simple: Show up. Get the degree. Climb the ladder. Stay put. That version of work has changed. Today, it's all about dynamic, non-linear career paths shaped by skills and adaptability. And it plays...

The inheritance tax landscape is changing and for family businesses and farms, the implications are significant.

Effective this week, a £2.5m threshold now applies before agricultural and business property qualifies for 100% IHT relief. For many owners and families, that changes the conversation around succession entirely.

Looking ahead to April 2027, unused pension funds and death benefits will also be drawn into the taxable estate — a fundamental shift in how pensions are treated, moving them firmly away from wealth transfer and back towards their original purpose as a retirement income vehicle.

Taken together, these aren't simply policy tweaks. They're a prompt to review ownership structures, revisit succession plans, and make sure long-term intentions are still protected under the new rules.

Happy to discuss how these changes might affect you.

New farm inheritance tax rules | LinkedIn A new inheritance tax regime for UK farms and family businesses took effect on Monday.