In financial services, integrity and transparency are pillars of trust. Yet, amid the complex web of transactions and operations, the potential for misconduct looms large. Whistleblowing is, therefore, a critical mechanism in safeguarding financial systems and ensuring accountability and ethical conduct. Santiago Bedoya-Pardo writes Whistleblowing, enshrined in legislation such as the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) in the UK, empowers individuals to report wrongdoing within organisations. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK bols ..read more

Vertex, a global provider of tax technology solutions and a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), has announced that it has been selected to join the Oracle Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Accelerator for SaaS Initiative. With expertise in Oracle Cloud Fusion Cloud Applications integrations, Vertex continues to leverage the power of contract and tax data to optimise customer operations and outcomes. Vertex vice president of indirect sales, Bradd Wildstein, said: “Building on our longstanding relationship with Oracle, we are thrilled to join the Oracle ISV Accelerator. “Through thi ..read more

The UK Government has announced a series of proposals aimed at reducing complexity and regulatory requirements for micro, small and medium sized entities. The key objectives are:   Increasing the Companies Act 2006 financial size thresholds by approximately 50% to reflect historical and future inflation, bringing more companies into scope of simplified financial and narrative reporting requirements, and also increasing the number of businesses eligible for audit exemption. Streamlining reporting requirements by reducing duplication between the Strategic and Directors’ Report and removing ..read more

Elavon, a global payments provider, has announced its expanded collaboration in Europe with FreedomPay, a global provider of Next Level Commerce technologies. The partnership aims to deliver cutting-edge integrated commerce solutions and omni-channel payments technology to large enterprise merchants across Retail and Hospitality. The agreement pairs Elavon acquiring with FreedomPay commerce technologies to benefit Elavon merchants across Europe, empowering businesses with enhanced payment flexibility and optionality, data security, and a seamlessly integrated payments technology across bo ..read more

The Accounting and Financial Reporting Council (AFRC) has stated that it “welcomes” the 5 measures announced by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) on capital market cooperation with Hong Kong. These measures include increased support for qualified leading mainland companies to raise funds through listings in Hong Kong. This will further deepen the integration and cooperation between the two capital markets and bring more opportunities to the Hong Kong capital market, benefiting the development of the accounting profession. As one of the leading international financial centres, t ..read more

While the UK’s economic outlook is expected to remain modest this year, growth is predicted to build throughout 2024 before accelerating in 2025 thanks to falling inflation, higher consumer spending and anticipated reductions in interest rates, according to the new EY ITEM Club Spring Forecast. The EY ITEM Club now expects GDP growth of 2% in 2025, up from 1.8% in January’s Winter Forecast. However, the growth forecast for 2024 from EY ITEM Club has been downgraded from 0.9% to 0.7% as the lagged effects of the 2023 technical recession continue to be felt this yea ..read more

Kaseya, a global provider of unified IT management and security software for managed service providers (MSPs) and small to midsize business (SMBs), has released its 2024 MSP Benchmark Report, which surveyed 1,000 MSPs from the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions and includes responses from both IT professionals and executives. Notably, cybersecurity remained a top priority and an area of growth for MSPs, with 73% saying it’s a top revenue driver for their business. Cybersecurity: A top challenge and area of growth for IT professionals The threat of cyberattacks continues to weigh on MSPs and their ..read more

AICPA & CIMA have released their ‘Re-defining finance for a sustainable world’ white paper, the latest iteration of their Future of Finance research programme. Originally launched in 2019 with the ‘Re-inventing finance for a digital world‘ white paper, this global research programme explores the future of the accounting and finance profession in the age of disruption and its broader ecosystem, defining essential skills, competencies, and knowledge needed to succeed in an ever-changing business world. A clear divide has opened up between accounting and finance profession ..read more

Ahead of the anti-greenwashing rule coming into force on 31 May, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is supporting industry with guidance to help them meet the standard. The new rule is designed to protect consumers by ensuring sustainable products and services they are sold are accurately described.   Results from the latest  Financial Lives survey shows significant consumer interest in sustainable finance as 81% of adults surveyed would like their investments to do some good as well as provide a financial return. This work supports the long-term growth and competitivene ..read more

HMRC has confirmed that its ‘specialist compliance team’ focused on IR35 investigations (which looks for the underpayment of tax and NI where a business has engaged individuals as self-employed contractors, through personal service companies rather than employees) has a headcount of 45 full time staff, says multinational law firm Pinsent Masons. According to information provided by HMRC, that team also has access to additional manpower and resources outside its core team. Using the IR35 rules, HMRC has led a lengthy and at times controversial crackdown on arrangements where individuals ar ..read more