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Economy and business environment articles

Read our latest features and articles on the economy and business environment.
Displaying 1-30 of 643 results
Chart of the week: Budget 2025 Fiscal Insight
  • Article
  • 09 Jan 2026
  • ICAEW Insights
Our chart this week returns to the scene of the Budget as we publish an in-depth analysis of its effect on the public finances and how it was ‘all about the headroom’.
Suren Thiru, ICAEW Director Economies
2026: a difficult year ahead for the economy
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2026
  • ICAEW Insights
The tricky economic climate is here to stay, but inflation is likely to fall more quickly in the year ahead, according to Suren Thiru, ICAEW's Director, Economies.
David Petrie, ICAEW Head of Corporate Finance
2026: New deal skills and more capital investment
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2026
  • ICAEW Insights
While the economy may not be perfect, there are positive signs that we’ll see more public company and private equity activity in 2026, says David Petrie, ICAEW’s Head of Corporate Finance.
Bank of England
Economic update: What to expect in 2026?
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2026
  • ICAEW Insights
Following a difficult end to 2025, the UK’s economic performance is likely to weaken further, despite lower inflation and falling interest rates. Suren Thiru, ICAEW’s Director, Economies, outlines what to expect in the year ahead.
Iain Wright and David Williamson
A World Cup bump, an AI slump? 2026 predictions
  • Podcast
  • 31 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
In the first episode of 2026, our usual team of soothsayers David Williamson, Frances Haque and Iain Wright review the events of the past 12 months, and look ahead to what we might expect in the coming year.
A selection of graphical charts
Chart of the week: Inflation
  • Article
  • 19 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
The Bank of England’s Christmas present to the nation of a cut in interest rates prompts our chart of the week to take a look at what is going under the hood of inflation.
Female in smart attire working on her laptop
Strengthening global relationships in 2025
  • Article
  • 18 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
In an increasingly interconnected global economy, ICAEW’s international presence plays a vital role in strengthening the accountancy profession, influencing policy, and supporting members wherever they live and work. Find out more about what was achieved this year.
A group of people sat down round a table having a meeting
Member Insights 2025: Lessons in resilience
  • Article
  • 18 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Across the year, members navigated a challenging mix of rising employment costs, geopolitical tensions, tariff disruption, subdued consumer confidence and a persistent lack of policy certainty.
Palace of Westminster, London
Influencing policy throughout 2025
  • Article
  • 17 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
As the Labour government marked its first year in power, ICAEW has worked to ensure members’ views are heard by policymakers on important issues, including employment rights, industrial strategy, apprenticeship funding and audit and corporate governance reform.
Can the government’s Business Growth Service get small businesses growing?
  • Article
  • 15 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
The Business Growth Service is designed to make it easier for small businesses to find the support they need.
A selection of graphical charts
Chart of the week: Budget 2025 debt blues
  • Article
  • 05 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Our chart this week illustrates how despite being a “tax-raising Budget”, the cumulative net effect of all the changes announced last week is to add £61bn to the public sector net debt forecast for 31 March 2030.
Houses of Parliament at night
Budget expected to have negative impact on businesses, says ICAEW
  • Article
  • 04 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
An ICAEW poll has found that close to three-quarters of respondents agreed the Budget would negatively impact their organisation.
Iain Wright, Guy Ruddle and Frances Haque
Budget 25: where’s the growth?
  • Podcast
  • 01 Dec 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
This episode is all about the Budget. What was in it? What are the implications? Was there anything positive to glean from it?
Economy explainers: what is the public balance sheet?
  • Article
  • 28 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Public Sector Team
What is the 'public balance sheet' and what does it mean for people and businesses? ICAEW experts offer this simple guide on the public balance sheet – the government’s assets and liabilities – why they matter and the future outlook.
Economy explainers: public finances and spending
  • Article
  • 28 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Public Sector Team
What are the public finances and how do they affect people and businesses? ICAEW experts offer this simple guide on how the government raises money and how it spends it, as well as the future outlook.
Economy explainers: what is the deficit?
  • Article
  • 28 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Public Sector Team
Journalists and politicians talk a lot about ‘the deficit’. But what is it and how does it affect people and businesses? ICAEW experts offer this simple guide on the deficit, why it matters, and the future outlook.
Group of people around a table having a meeting
Understanding the economic implications of the Budget
  • Article
  • 28 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Economic update: ICAEW’s Economies Director Suren Thiru discusses the implications of the Budget, what you need to know about current economic conditions and key points to watch.
Rachel Reeves ahead of delivering her Budget on 26 November. Photo: Simon Walker / HM Treasury
Member reaction to the Budget: ‘Nothing for growth’
  • Article
  • 28 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
ICAEW members deliver a muted response to the Chancellor’s raft of announcements, but express relief that there were no unexpected surprises for business.
A group of people sat down round a table having a meeting
ICAEW member insights November 2025: pre-Budget nerves
  • Article
  • 28 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
ICAEW members report subdued confidence across most sectors, shaped by uncertainty around the Budget. Recurring themes this month included varied consumer sentiment, shifting investment outlooks and adoption of new technologies.
A selection of graphical charts
Chart of the week: Autumn Budget 2025
  • Article
  • 27 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Our chart this week looks at how the Chancellor used tax rises to refill and increase her budget headroom after forecast revisions and spending increases eliminated the projected current budget surplus for 2029/30.
Rachel Reeves ahead of delivering her Budget on 26 November. Photo: Simon Walker / HM Treasury
Budget: businesses dodge tax bullet, but costs will still bite
  • Article
  • 26 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
The Chancellor delivered a raft of small tax changes, rather than any big tax increases. But despite no increases in business taxes, the Budget offered few reasons to be cheerful.
Houses of Parliament at night
Budget: ‘change course or stifle growth’ say ICAEW members
  • Article
  • 21 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Survey of ICAEW Chartered Accountants reveals strong need for certainty and clarity on tax from the Chancellor in next week’s Budget.
Houses of Parliament at night
Reforming VAT could raise £80bn a year, says ICAEW
  • Article
  • 21 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
ICAEW is urging the government to consider a single rate of VAT with minimal exemptions. Such reforms will make it simpler to do business and generate billions for the UK economy.
A selection of graphical charts
Chart of the week: Controlling for debt
  • Article
  • 21 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Our chart this week shows how the high level of public debt is the main factor shaping next week’s Autumn Budget.
Four customs headaches for temporary exports
  • Article
  • 20 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
The frustrations of customs compliance have forced one UK-based business to find an EU-based distributor to do the heavy lifting for its European customers, but shipping demo products to trade shows continues to present customs challenges.
Palace of Westminster, London
Economy explainers: what are interest rates?
  • Article
  • 19 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Economies Team
Interest rates are often discussed in the media and political debates. But how are they calculated and how do they affect people and businesses? ICAEW experts offer this simple guide on interest rates, the future outlook and the challenges in managing them.
How to tackle compliance challenges in export markets
  • Article
  • 19 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Exporting can trigger a series of compliance challenges, so it is vital that businesses understand the risks to ensure success in other jurisdictions and avoid costly pitfalls.
Tax news in brief 18 November 2025
  • Article
  • 18 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Highlights from the broader tax news for the week ending 18 November 2025, including: new guidance from HMRC on the recovery of winter fuel payments; and a new tool for generating reports based on data held in the customs declaration service.
Image of Victoria Street and West Bow in Edinburgh, on a sunny day. Shoppers are in the street and bunting hangs between the shops.
New process for indirect exports from 15 December 2025
  • Article
  • 14 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
From next month, businesses may need to change how they move goods through indirect exports from Northern Ireland. Guidance shared by HMRC explains why this is the case and sets out the options for traders.
A selection of graphical charts
Chart of the week: A big Autumn Budget hole to fill?
  • Article
  • 14 Nov 2025
  • ICAEW Insights
Our chart this week takes a look at the £40bn ‘hole’ in the public finances that the Chancellor may have to fill when she presents the Autumn Budget 2025 to Parliament on Wednesday 26 November.
Displaying 1-30 of 643 results
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