You can find Insights articles by month in 2020 on our Insights index page.
Any older Insights article that has been removed from ICAEW.com can still be found by searching ICAEW's collection on the Internet archive.
If you would like to see old copies of Economia, please visit the ICAEW Digital Archive.
You can find out more about the history of Economia and ICAEW's other magazines.
Displaying 1-50 of 181 results
Chart of the week: The debt of G7 nations
- Article
- 29 Apr 2021
This week’s chart looks at how the pandemic has driven government debt levels higher, a topic that will be on the agenda at the G7 summit in Cornwall in six weeks’ time.
EU reporting framework for financial information remains fit-for-purpose
- Article
- 28 Apr 2021
The European Commission has released the results of its legislative review of corporate reporting in the EU. While comprehensive changes are underway to enhance sustainability reporting in the EU, financial reporting is assessed as being broadly fit-for-purpose.
Fintech revolution: who stands to benefit?
- Article
- 26 Apr 2021
ICAEW has cautiously welcomed the government’s support for the UK’s burgeoning fintech sector as a driver of post-pandemic economic recovery but warned that developing the sector without addressing social and financial inclusion issues would be a missed opportunity.
Future-proofing tax to make it green, digital and fair
- Article
- 21 Apr 2021
How can tax systems help solve the climate emergency? Is it possible to tax digitalised businesses? And what tax challenges and solutions do ageing populations pose?
‘Complete rethink’ needed to tackle social media fraud
- Article
- 19 Apr 2021
The Fraud Advisory Panel has outlined five key recommendations to combat social media fraud as online scammer statistics continue to surge.
How the profession won back trust in the Netherlands
- Article
- 19 Apr 2021
The Netherlands accountancy and audit profession faced a public backlash after high profile failures. Through collaboration and iterative improvements, it has steadily restored trust.
Chart of the week: personal tax bands
- Article
- 15 Apr 2021
This week’s chart examines the complexity in the tax system and potential options for reform by looking at the number of tax bands for salaried employees across the UK.
Uber drivers are workers. What does that mean for tax and employment?
- Article
- 15 Apr 2021
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled on a landmark employment law case involving Uber. Mark Hammerton, partner at law firm Eversheds Sutherland, explores the fallout and what it means for tax.
HM Treasury identifies ways to make better use of the public balance sheet
- Article
- 12 Apr 2021
Ten years on from the introduction of the Whole of Government Accounts, HM Treasury’s Balance Sheet Review has been looking at how to improve balance sheet management in the public sector.
Why HMRC impersonation scammers are so successful
- Article
- 09 Apr 2021
HMRC impersonation scams are getting increasingly sophisticated and scammers have ramped up their activity during the pandemic.
Chart of the week: 40 years of technology
- Article
- 18 Dec 2020
Our last chart this year takes a look at how technology has advanced over the last forty years
2020/21 Reporting Season: find the help you need
- Article
- 15 Dec 2020
December 2020: Help from ICAEW to assess the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit on businesses and the implications for 2020/21 financial reporting.
Business Spotlight: Romesh Jeyaseelanayagam, the FD consultant
- Article
- 15 Dec 2020
Applying the financial best practices of a FTSE 100 giant to growth-hungry startups might seem like a tall order.
Chart of the week: Government bond yields
- Article
- 11 Dec 2020
Ultra-low or negative yields provide governments with an opportunity to borrow extremely cheaply, but what will happen if and when interest rates rise?
Business spotlight: powering the online fitness industry
- Article
- 10 Dec 2020
The growth of online fitness services and apps is one of the success stories of lockdown. ICAEW Insights speaks to Laurence Hodgkins, a chartered accountant at the heart of one such high-growth app.
A year in the life of local authority finances
- Article
- 10 Dec 2020
It has been quite a year for local authorities as their finances, accounts and audit arrangements have all been put to the test.
Using audit skills to help businesses in trouble
- Article
- 08 Dec 2020
8 December: In these uncertain economic times many organisations will be looking for support in restructuring their business. Ryan Grant, partner at BDO, says accountants looking for a new challenge can use their skills to make a difference and develop their career.
Chart of the week: UK trade in goods
- Article
- 04 Dec 2020
With less than a month to go before the UK leaves the EU Single Market and Customs Union, trade is high on the agenda as negotiations between the UK and the EU go down to the wire.
Domestic digital services taxes put pressure on OECD proposals
- Article
- 02 Dec 2020
2 December 2020: The French Government confirmed on 25 November that it would be issuing notices for payment of its digital services tax, having previously suspended them while the OECD sought to reach a multilateral agreement on the taxation of the digital economy.
Talent: Stepping up after the ACA. Young entrepreneurs realise their business dreams
- Article
- 01 Dec 2020
Thanks to the skills and knowledge learned studying the ACA, , three accountants explain how they have set up their own businesses
Why the role of the ethics partner is more vital than ever
- Article
- 01 Dec 2020
In this issue's regulatory debate feature, we look at how current economic and professional pressures may affect ethics.
Business Spotlight: keeping Inter in the black
- Article
- 30 Nov 2020
Tim Williams, CFO of Italian football giants Internazionale, tells ICAEW Insights editor Tom Herbert how the club is coping with the challenges of coronavirus.
People and Planet in the Accounts: sustainability reporting and the role of ICAEW
- Article
- 30 Nov 2020
In the midst of all the various initiatives taking place to put people and the planet into the accounts, ICAEW – and particularly its Financial Reporting Faculty – has been heavily active.
People and Planet in the Accounts: Riverford brings its B game
- Article
- 27 Nov 2020
30 November: Riverford Organic Farmers became a certified B Corporation in 2020. Its finance director explains how its employee-owned structure keeps purpose at the forefront of its decision-making
Chart of the week: Spending Review 2020
- Article
- 27 Nov 2020
In the wake of the government’s Spending Review, this week’s chart focuses on the bigger picture and looks at the scale of public spending in relation to the size of the overall economy.
City taskforce to tackle socio-economic diversity
- Article
- 27 Nov 2020
30 November 2020: ICAEW has welcomed the creation of a new taskforce to tackle socio-economic diversity across financial and professional services.
Infographic of the month: ESG climbs the M&A due diligence hit list
- Article
- 27 Nov 2020
28 November 2020: This month’s infographic looks at the growing importance of ESG as a consideration in M&A due diligence for investors.
People and Planet in the Accounts: let’s measure what we treasure
- Article
- 24 Nov 2020
Coca-Cola European Partners has been measuring business parameters for years. Michael Clark explains why this makes sound business sense and feeds the sustainability agenda.
2020/21 Reporting Season: six questions for year ends
- Article
- 24 Nov 2020
24 November 2020: To help members think through how to approach the upcoming reporting season, ICAEW has produced a flowchart of six business questions (and accounting consequences) for 2020 year ends.
Chart of the week: Ireland Budget 2021
- Article
- 20 Nov 2020
The #icaewchartoftheweek takes a look at the Irish Government’s fiscal plans for 2021 and how it plans to tackle the twin headwinds of COVID and Brexit.
2020/21 Reporting Season: plan for year end but also for wellbeing
- Article
- 20 Nov 2020
23 November 2020: We know that the 2020/21 reporting season is going to be tough for many, but do we know how we are going to cope with it? Isabelle Campbell, CABA Trainer and Coach (and also Commercial Finance Director and Chartered Accountant), urges members to write mental health into the equation.
Business spotlight: pivoting the fitness industry
- Article
- 19 Nov 2020
Raj Thiruchelvarajah, Chief Executive Officer of Goal Master Fitness, tells ICAEW how a grounding in audit provided him with invaluable experience for the startup world.
Chart of the week: UK claimant count
- Article
- 13 Nov 2020
The claimant count soared at the start of the pandemic but levelled off since then. Will a wave of redundancies see it climb again over the winter?
Accountants must be wary of COVID-support fraud
- Article
- 12 Nov 2020
Following claims of fraudulent activity around government support schemes, chartered accountants should turn to their code of ethics to assess and manage their potential exposure to ethical and reputational risk.
ESMA identifies German supervisory failings in Wirecard case
- Article
- 10 Nov 2020
11 November 2020: A peer review report issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority has highlighted important deficiencies in the German supervision of Wirecard’s financial reporting. The findings feed into a broader reflection on the state of the EU’s supervisory architecture.
Chart of the week: UK electricity projections
- Article
- 06 Nov 2020
Renewables, imports and nuclear are expected to provide around 85% of UK electricity generation by 2040, but will that be good enough to achieve carbon neutrality a decade later in 2050?
Brexit planning: labels, logistics and whisky
- Article
- 02 Nov 2020
Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd is a Scottish independent company that has forged a strong reputation in the spirits industry. Its CFO, Mike Younger, talks Brexit, labels and logistics.
Chart of the week: US federal deficit
- Article
- 30 Oct 2020
The US federal government spent $3.1tn more than it received in the year to 30 September 2020, more than three times the $1.0tn deficit incurred in 2019.
Navigating a pandemic through data visualisation
- Article
- 30 Oct 2020
What the COVID-19 crisis can tell us about visualising data effectively.
Infographic of the month: Examining the rising cost of cyberattacks
- Article
- 29 Oct 2020
30 October 2020: Cyberattacks on large businesses are becoming more sophisticated and widespread. We look at how different countries and industry sectors have been affected in recent years.
Digital skills gap: why analytics skills are in demand
- Article
- 29 Oct 2020
Digital transformation in many organisations has accelerated this year. The need for accountants with data analytics skills has never been higher.
Injunction bans unrecognised accounting institute from misleading public
- Article
- 28 Oct 2020
ICAEW, ICAS and Chartered Accountants Ireland have won a High Court injunction to ban an unrecognised, unlicensed organisation from offering chartered accountancy qualifications.
Chartered accountants call for business rates cut and sector support
- Article
- 27 Oct 2020
28 October 2020: Changes to business rates and targeted support for specific sectors are among key levers the government should use to boost the UK’s economic recovery, according to a new survey of ICAEW members.
Are you planning a virtual Christmas party?
- Article
- 26 Oct 2020
Updated 20 November 2020: Organisations wanting to provide some festive cheer for their staff this winter face some difficult challenges. ICAEW’s Tax Faculty outlines the tax considerations that employers will need to think about.
Chart of the week: Half year public spending and receipts
- Article
- 23 Oct 2020
The gap between spending and receipts widened to £208bn in the half-year to September 2020, significantly greater than the £80bn in the first half of 2009-10 at the height of the financial crisis.
2020/21 Reporting Season: COVID, Brexit and other challenges
- Article
- 23 Oct 2020
26 October 2020: The FRC’s Executive Director, Regulatory Standards, Mark Babington, urges the profession and all businesses to put clarity of information and high-quality assurance at the forefront during this difficult time.
ICAEW members recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours list
- Article
- 22 Oct 2020
23 October 2020: A former Grant Thornton UK CEO, the first female Deputy Director-General of the BBC and ICAEW’s own public sector director were among a group of chartered accountants recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
ICAEW increases investment in Engine B, takes board position
- Article
- 22 Oct 2020
23 October 2020: With artificial intelligence poised to transform the world of accountancy, ICAEW has increased its investment in AI and digitisation data platform Engine B and taken a seat on its board.
Local government commercial activities in the headlines again
- Article
- 21 Oct 2020
Recent reports on the commercial activities of local councils in Wales and Spelthorne Borough Council’s £1bn commercial property bet highlight the pressures local authority finances are under.
OECD announces delay to global digital services tax framework
- Article
- 21 Oct 2020
21 October 2020: UK digital services tax will continue for longer than originally anticipated after OECD decision to extend discussions until mid-2021 ICAEW’s Tax Faculty reports.
Displaying 1-50 of 181 results