Lisa Boyle’s Business Bulletin

Dec 30 2011 by Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

THE CHAMBER has extended its training academy into 2012.

More than 10 courses have been delivered since September by members experienced in their field, covering a wide variety of topics including leadership, business development, finance, HR, legislative training and more.

To ensure they are affordable to all businesses in Ayrshire, both the chamber and training partners are part subsidising the cost of these courses and with the possibility of funding support available through Skills Development Scotland.

Yvonne Munro, events co-ordinator, explained: “By working in partnership with our training partners we are ensuring our members are getting access to the courses they want, at an affordable price.

“We have a number of HR and legal courses scheduled for the new year and have been able to offer some of the over subscribed courses again, for those that missed out first time round.”

Full information of the courses available through the Chamber Training Academy is available at www.ayrshire-chamber.org

l SMALL businesses across South Ayrshire should make an early new year’s resolution to complete their self assessment tax returns now and avoid hefty fines, a local tax specialist has warned.

Mike Wood, who runs TaxAssist Accountants in Ayr, said: “Local businesses must submit their tax returns by January 31 or face a fixed penalty of £100, even if they have no tax to pay or have paid the tax they owe.

“If they’re three months late, an additional £10 a day penalty will apply, up to a maximum of £900. After six months, a further £300 or 5 per cent of the tax due will be imposed, whichever is the higher figure.

“After 12 months a further £300 or 5 per cent penalty applies, and in very serious cases this could even be 100 per cent of the tax. Missing the deadline means you needlessly lose a significant amount of your hard-earned income to the taxman.”

Mike added: “Christmas and New Year can be a hectic time for South Ayrshire small businesses, particularly those involved in the leisure or tourism sectors, or retailers, for whom Christmas gift buying and new year sales can be one of their busiest periods. We’re urging local businesses to start tackling the returns now and enjoy peace of mind over the festive break.”

TaxAssist Accountants Ayr is a local business, providing tax and accountancy advice and services purely to small businesses.