N ew s let t e rN ew s let t e r M ar c hM ar c h 20132013

Issue: 12

Telephone: Telephone: (01978) 292092(01978) 292092

Email: Email: businessl ine@wrexham.gov.ukbusinessl ine@wrexham.gov.uk

Website: Website: www.wrexham.gov.uk/businessl inewww.wrexham.gov.uk/businessl ine

Adverts and articles contained within this publication do not imply or Adverts and articles contained within this publication do not imply or

infer in any way an endorsement by Wrexham County Borough Council.infer in any way an endorsement by Wrexham County Borough Council.

Please contact Businessline if you are interested in advertising within Please contact Businessline if you are interested in advertising within

future newsletters.future newsletters.

Page 1: Business NewsPage 1: Business News

Page 2: Businessline FeaturePage 2: Businessline Feature

Page 3: Real Time Information (RTI)Page 3: Real Time Information (RTI)

Page 4: Tax Al lowances on Commercial Property Page 4: Tax Al lowances on Commercial Property

Wales Economic Growth Fund Wales Economic Growth Fund

Page 5: HM Revenue and Customs: Key March updatesPage 5: HM Revenue and Customs: Key March updates

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nesslineWxm

Business News

• Enter the Inspire Wales Awards: http://ow.ly/ijKqB

• Do you have a tech invention that could help young people? You could be eligible for £50k from

The Big Issue: http://ow.ly/ijxDA

• 7 things you must do before sending a business proposal: http://ow.ly/ijxeD

• Business Wales Mentoring, a new service for Welsh businesses is now available: http://ow.ly/ijvoE

• Get 5% off marketing packages from Royal Mail: http://ow.ly/ijsVL

• 5 Top Web Metrics and Tools for Growth Businesses: http://ow.ly/hK3Tj

• Facebook’s Sponsored Stories: is it time you advertised who likes your brand? http://ow.ly/hK2to

• Why it’s time to re-visit YouTube advertising: http://ow.ly/hK2eC

• LinkedIn Advertising Bug: http://ow.ly/hK1QQ

• Free Sage software: Get a free two-month trial of Sage One Accounts: http://ow.ly/hK1y4

• Could Facebook's location-based app benefit your business? http://ow.ly/hK1lN

• £80,000 revamp grants up for grabs in Flintshire and Wrexham: http://ow.ly/hJYMs

• Welsh Government Canadian Trade Mission: http://ow.ly/iuUm5

• Smarter ways to make the most of your connections: http://ow.ly/hK4dv

• Apps for Managing and Maintaining Social Media: http://ow.ly/hJQ13

• Competition launched to enable start-ups to pitch to John Lewis: http://ow.ly/hJXNf

• How to Motivate Creative Employees: http://ow.ly/hJVn9

• 6 things every customer wants: http://ow.ly/hJVIe

• Mastering online marketing: maximising the potential of display campaigns: http://ow.ly/hJTV8

• Free eBook - 50 high-impact and low-budget marketing tips for your business: http://ow.ly/hJPEy

• Companies can now promote their 2012 Olympics involvement: http://ow.ly/hezqF

businessline@wrexham.gov.uk

01978 292092

We can help you:

• Grow your business

• Market your business

• Research your market

• Credit Check companies

North East Wales Family Information Services

Parents in Employment:

• Help with finding childcare and childcare costs

• Access to training opportunities

• Balancing work and life

• Accessing tax credits

• Family Finance

Employers:

• Information surgeries to support employees

• Balancing work and life

• Helping to reduce absenteeism and improve retention

• Supporting employees with training and career progression

01978 292094

fis@wrexham.gov.uk

www.wrexham.gov.uk/fis

Businessline Feature

Businessline Android App up-date:

An up-date for the Businessline Android App, which is available free of charge to download from the Google Play market, has recently been released. New features include: • Forthcoming business training sessions, workshops, presentations and seminars in the Wrexham

area are now displayed on a separate list from business networking events being held in Wrexham, allowing networking opportunities to be more easily identified.

• Details of local business-to-business discounts are now available via the app. • A direct link to the Businessline YouTube channel is now also available. At present you’ll be able

to view the Businessline service overview video, however additional videos will be added in future months.

Businessline Testimonials:

Businessline will this month be launching a client testimonials page to feature on our section of the Wrexham County Borough Council website. If Businessline have helped you at any time, we would be extremely grateful if you would like to spare the time to provide feedback for any aspect of the service provision you’ve received, in advance of our client testimonials web-page going live. In return for providing feedback we will enter you into a draw to win a free quarter page advertising slot within two of our monthly newsletters, worth £48 including VAT, which is circulated to c.300 local businesses. The draw will take place within six months of your testimonial appearing on our web-pages. You would then be welcome to submit additional feedback in order to qualify for future draws. Please note, the testimonial you submit will appear on our web-pages and we may use your testimonial within reports / promotional literature. We reserve the right to exclude testimonials we deem inappropriate. If you would like to submit a testimonial in advance please send this via email to: businessline@wrexham.gov.uk

Employers are being urged by HM Revenue and Customs to get ready for major PAYE changes.

In April 2013, employers will have to start sending PAYE returns electronically, using Real Time

Information (RTI) enabled payroll software, to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) each time they pay

their employees as part of routine payroll processes. The returns will include details of all employees’

pay, tax and deductions.

Reporting PAYE in real time will bring it into the 21st century and will allow HMRC to receive

information on employees’ earnings, tax and National Insurance Contributions as they are paid, rather

than at the end of the year.

Three key steps when preparing for RTI:

1. Visit HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rti for comprehensive information about RTI.

2. Acquire new or updated payroll software – employers need to talk to their payroll software

provider or their payroll service-provider (if they have one) about this.

3. Start checking and updating employee information. It’s vital that the information employers have

about their employees is accurate and up to date.

Even though the introduction of RTI should make it easier, administering your payroll can be time

consuming and burdensome; outsourcing your payroll may therefore be worth consideration.

Article submitted by: Ellis & Co www.ellis-uk.com

01244 343504 info@ellis-uk.com

http://bit.ly/business-discounts-Wrexham

Business-to-Business Discounts

Discounts are now available via Businessline from the following Wrexham based businesses, please see the web-page listed above for further information:

Real Time Information (RTI)

Tax Allowances on Commercial Property

The vast majority of property owners (and their professional advisers) aren’t aware that tax allowances

can be claimed on the plant, equipment, fixtures and fittings embedded in their property. Examples of

qualifying assets include, but aren’t limited to, elevators, suspended ceilings, light fittings, cabling,

toilets, washbasins, and pipework. Even if the building was purchased many years ago this claim, if not

made previously, can still be made.

How is the claim put together? A specialist RICS qualified surveyor conducts a detailed analysis of the

property, along with its dimensions and structure. A report identifying the equipment in the property is

then produced for the clients accountants showing exactly what should be claimed, the cost price, and

the calculations involved. If the property has been owned for some time the report can be used to

amend the two previous years tax returns, giving an immediate tax refund, which is normally more than

sufficient to pay the fees for the exercise. The balance of allowances will then be claimed in the future.

Although claiming these allowances is a legal right contained within the Taxes Acts, it’s essential that

expert advice is sought. HMRC has 6 years following submission to challenge the accuracy of the

report. So:

• Ensure that the exercise is undertaken at no financial risk to you.

• Ensure that the advisor will support you at least until the challenge period expires, and has the

necessary PI cover to do so.

Article submitted by: Nicoll Financial Solutions Ltd www.nfsltd.co.uk

0151 608 7883 07866 604020

Advertise your business in our monthly newsletter

For more information: http://bit.ly/UJlFeZ

Wales Economic Growth Fund

The Wales Economic Growth Fund is a non-repayable grant fund specifically set up to encourage:

• business and social enterprise by supporting projects that will stimulate economic growth and

create and/ or safeguard employment

• business to develop and bring forward projects that will have an economic impact and benefit for

Wales

The Wales Economic Growth Fund will be in two phases:

• phase 1 - March 2013: expressions of interest for funding of minimum £50,000, maximum

£100,000

• phase 2 - Autumn 2013: expressions of interest for funding of over £100,000 .

The Wales Economic Growth Fund offers a great way of putting your business into the best possible

shape for 2013.

To register your interest for Phase 1 of the Fund, complete the online form ( http://bit.ly/XUmGOu ) and

send it to wegf@wales.gsi.gov.uk. The closing date for receipt of these Expressions of Interest is 5 April

HM Revenue and Customs: Key March Updates

E-learning survey

If you have completed one of our e-learning products within the last 3 months, please complete this

short survey ( http://bit.ly/12rxISX ) before 14 March 2013 to help us assess how well it meets your

needs.

Real Time Information – Further Help Available

HMRC have produced online help to give Employers information about Real Time Information (RTI).

We have produced three webinars ( http://bit.ly/VAL1MP ) that are available on the HMRC website and

two videos ( http://bit.ly/XFAnkm ) that are on the HMRC YouTube Channel. They cover what is

happening and when, the importance of accurate employee information and will help employers to

prepare for submitting PAYE information in real time. These recordings are available 24/7, so

employers can access this information at their convenience.

Business Payment Support Service: do you need help?

If you're worried about not being able to meet payments owed to or due to be paid to HMRC, you may

wish to find out more about the Business Payment Support Service ( http://bit.ly/ZlRUiW ) and how it

might be able to help you.

Free business advice for Small and Medium businesses.

We are currently running a series of free informal advice days for those new to business and for those

who need some help with understanding their tax obligations, including RTI. We recommend booking

as this will help you to plan your day with us. From here ( http://bit.ly/WMsJdq ), just enter your postcode

or location, and choose “Tax” from the “Topic” drop down menu to give you direct access to the events

in your area.

VAT rates for energy saving materials.

Do you have concerns or questions about what qualifies ( http://bit.ly/12ryu2r ) for the reduced VAT rate

when installing energy saving materials?

From April 2013 employers will pay one HMRC bank account

Employers paying HMRC by Bacs Direct Credit, Faster Payments by online/telephone banking or

CHAPS will make their payments to a single bank account from April 2013 ( http://bit.ly/13EE4OL )

. We have started to send employers information about this change and may also contact you if you

have made a payment without using a payment reference ( http://bit.ly/WMtvqS ) or given a wrong one.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Small and Medium businesses.

HMRC is running an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) trial aimed at helping resolve tax disputes in

compliance checks. If you feel that you can go no further with an HMRC caseworker, find out more

about ADR ( http://bit.ly/YTYEET ), and how to apply. The

application process takes no more than 10 minutes and we will

give you a decision within 30 days as to whether we can help

your dispute.