In her first major speech new High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt tells retailers that business rates support is now helping all parts the country.

Six months after it was introduced the £1,000 business rates discount for local shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs (up to a rateable value of £50,000) is estimated to be giving nearly 300,000 premises more than £272 million of tax relief this year.

The minister called on all local authorities, businesses and citizens to follow this example and use government tax breaks as a springboard to shaping the future of Great British high streets across the country so they can remain a vibrant, viable part of the community where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.

High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said:

“We must help all respond to the needs and wants of the consumer so the high streets remains at the heart of our communities – more than simply places to shop.

We announced the biggest package of business rates support in over 20 years to support local shops, pubs, cafes, and restaurants. Overall, this is worth £1 billion to business with half of that backing high street shop and retailers in England.

Around 300,000 retail premises are getting our new £1,000 retail discount and our comprehensive list shows where those shops are located in the country. A typical small business could now be saving 30% extra or more compared to last year’s bill.”

The full list of the present business rate support measures are:

• a new reoccupation discount of 50% for 18 months for new occupants of retail premises that have previously been empty for a year or more
• allowing businesses to pay their bills over 12 months (rather than 10), which will help every firm with their cash flow
• a 2% cap on business rate inflation increase
• the new £1,000 business rates discount for local shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs (up to a rateable value of £50,000) estimated as more than £272 million of tax relief this year
• the doubling of the extension of the small business rate relief until 31 March 2015, which will mean 360,000 business properties pay no bill at all

Letting agents have until 1 October 2014 to register with 1 of 3 redress schemes, to ensure tenants and leaseholders have a straightforward option to hold their agents to account.

Anyone who feels they get a poor deal from their letting agent will then be able to take their complaint to the redress scheme, and could receive compensation.

The schemes are run by The Property Ombudsman, Ombudsman Services Property and the Property Redress Scheme.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has recently advised:

“Most tenants and landlords are happy with the service they get from their letting agent, but in the small number of cases where people have complaints these should be addressed quickly and effectively.

That’s why from 1 October letting agents will need to belong to 1 of 3 approved redress schemes. This will mean that anyone who feels they are not being treated fairly will have somewhere to go with their concerns – and could receive compensation.

I’m pleased to see that already the vast majority of letting agents have signed up – but with 1 month to go before it becomes a legal requirement, I would urge those who haven’t done so yet to follow suit.

Other measures being introduced to protect tenants include:

• a new voluntary code of practice to set standards for the management of property in the private rented sector
• a new Help to Rent guide, which helps tenants understand what they should expect from their rental deal and how they can take action if they are the victim of poor standards of accommodation
• the introduction of a model tenancy agreement, which landlords and tenants can use for longer tenancies if they wish, which will provide extra security and stability for families
• extra guidance for local councils on how to tackle the small minority of rogue landlords, protect tenants from illegal eviction and how best to push for harsher penalties before magistrates for housing offences where these have a real impact on peoples’ lives

Any letting agent not signed up to one of the three approved redress schemes will face a fine of up to £5,000.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced that he will give his annual Autumn Statement to Parliament on 3 December 2014.

The statement provides an update on the government’s plans for the economy based on the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility. These forecasts will be published alongside the Autumn Statement on 3 December.

Full details of the announcements will be available following the Chancellor’s statement to Parliament.

This year the government is seeking your views on what you would like to see in Autumn Statement 2014. If you would like to make a suggestion here’s the instructions released on the GOV.UK website:

“In the interest of open and transparent policy-making, the government welcomes original and innovative ideas, which will be considered by HM Treasury as part of the policy-making process. Business, charities and members of the public can submit these views via email to autumnstatementrepresentations@hmtreasury.gsi.gov.uk

In order to inform policy development for the Budget or Autumn Statement, your representation should contain policy suggestions for the upcoming fiscal event and explain the policy rationale, costs, benefits and deliverability of proposals. It should also be evidence based, providing clear arguments on how it contributes to the aims of the Budget or Autumn Statement.

You may wish to consider:

• likely effectiveness and value for money
• revenue implications for the Exchequer
• wider macroeconomic implications (for economic stability and growth)

Such as:

• sectoral impacts
• distributional impacts
• administrative and compliance costs and issues
• legislative and operational requirements
• environmental impact

HM Treasury will not consider representations which are not practicable and/or that violate HM Treasury’s legal obligations, including but not limited to State aid, human rights and diversity. HM Treasury will delete representations which are inappropriate or offensive.

To allow for full consideration in advance of the Autumn Statement, any submission should be sent to HM Treasury by 17 October.”

UK Businesses will have access to a new suite of services to help boost their international trade through UKTI’s new e-Exporting Programme.

• new suite of services and support to help UK companies take advantage of online selling, forecast to reach £60 billion by 2018
• UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is working with the world’s leading e-marketplaces to help UK companies fast-track international sales
• UKTI has detailed information for more than 400 of the world’s e-marketplaces, to help companies plan their sales strategies

Businesses of all sizes from across the UK will have access to a new suite of services to help boost their international trade through online channels.

Trade Minister Lord Livingston will launch the government support package on Monday 8 September 2014 at the Autumn Fair at the NEC in Birmingham.

UKTI’s new e-Exporting Programme has been created to ensure UK companies are best placed to tap into the huge opportunities that exist online. The growth of technology has dramatically changed consumers’ purchasing habits with Britons now spending approximately £91 billion a year online making the UK one of the world’s leading e-commerce countries.

UKTI is working with a number of international e-marketplaces including Tmall China, Amazon China, Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten and Harper’s Bazaar. Operating through these e-marketplaces presents a cost-effective way for companies – particularly small and medium-sized businesses – to increase their reach in terms of both numbers and geography. The programme encourages UK exporters to reach out to the generation of digitally-capable consumers who are increasingly influenced through online channels.

The programme is the first of its kind in the world – UKTI is the only organisation to hold the operational information of global B2C and B2B e-marketplaces with the central aim of using the information to revolutionise exporting.

Car tax changes 1 October 2014

From 1 October 2014, the paper tax disc will no longer need to be displayed on a vehicle windscreen. If you have a tax disc with any months left to run after this date, then it can be removed from the vehicle windscreen and destroyed. Car owners with a Northern Ireland address will still need to display their MoT disc.

You can apply online to tax or SORN your vehicle using your 16 digit reference number from your vehicle tax renewal reminder (V11) or 11 digit reference number from your log book

What this means to you

To drive or keep a vehicle on the road you will still need to get vehicle tax and DVLA will still send you a renewal reminder when your vehicle tax is due to expire. This applies to all types of vehicles including those that are exempt from payment of vehicle tax.

Buying a vehicle

From 1 October, when you buy a vehicle, the vehicle tax will no longer be transferred with the vehicle. You will need to get new vehicle tax before you can use the vehicle.

You can tax the vehicle using the New Keeper Supplement (V5C/2) part of the vehicle registration certificate (V5C) online or by using the DVLA automated phone service. Alternatively, you may wish to visit a Post Office branch.

Selling a vehicle

If you sell a vehicle after 1 October and you have notified DVLA, you will automatically get a refund for any full calendar months left on the vehicle tax.

Vehicle tax refunds

You will no longer need to make a separate application for a refund of vehicle tax. DVLA will automatically issue a refund when a notification is received from the person named on DVLA vehicle register that the:

• vehicle has been sold or transferred
• vehicle has been scrapped at an Authorised Treatment Facility
• vehicle has been exported
• vehicle has been removed from the road and the person on the vehicle register has made a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)
• person on the vehicle register has changed the tax class on the vehicle to an exempt duty tax class

Paying vehicle tax by Direct Debit

From 1 October 2014 (5 October if setting up at a Post Office), Direct Debit will be offered as an additional way to pay for vehicle tax. This will be available for vehicle owners who need to tax their vehicle from 1 November 2014:

• annually
• 6 monthly
• monthly (12 months tax paid for on a monthly basis)

Provided an MOT remains valid, the payments will continue automatically until you tell DVLA to stop taking them or you cancel the Direct Debit with your bank. Valid insurance should also be in place for vehicles registered in Northern Ireland.

The Direct Debit will be cancelled and payments automatically stopped when you tell DVLA that you no longer have the vehicle, or the vehicle has been taken off the road and a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) has been made.