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TRANSPORT MoT fees MoT fees have increased*. Cars and light
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vans (Class IV) rise from £30.8710 £32.11; light CVs (Class VII) rise from 132.77 to £33.80.
* Motor Vehicles (Tests) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (SI /999 No 2199), available from the Stationery Office, priced 11.50.
HGV Operator's Licences
The conditions* required to hold an HGV Operator's Licence have been amended.
* Goods Vehicle Operators (Qualification) Regulations (S/ 1999 No 2430) are available from the Stationery Office, priced Lr.5o.
Greener fleets The DOT has appointed consultants to help develop the "greener fleet" certification scheme recommended by the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force earlier this year. It is scheduled to come into force in April 2000. Successful companies could well receive public recognition.
COMPANIES Keeping going
The DTi has published an interim report* of a joint DTi/HM Treasury review of company rescue, which suggests this is often preferable to company liquidation because it benefits employees and creditors.
* A Review of Company Rescue and Business Reconstruction Mechanisms is available free from Maureen Charles at the Insolvency Service, phone 0171 291 6740. Comments are due by 12 November 1999.
EMPLOYMENT
Working Time Draft Regulations* have been laid before Parliament to amend the Working Time Regulations 1998 (CSR Vol 22, p97). These regulations are concerned with workers: • Who agree to exclude the 48-hour limit;
• Whose working time is not measured or predetermined, or who can determine their own working time—these workers are exempted. * Working Time Regulations 1999 are available, priced /1.5o, from the Stationery Office.
Employment relations
The Employment Relations Act 1999 (Commencement No 1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 1999* activates various provisions of Employment Rights Act 1999. * SI 1999 No 2509 is available from the Stationery Office, priced
TUPE revision Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 1999* correct a defect in Regulation 8 of Collective Redundancies and Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (CSR Vol 23, p76).
* Si 1999 No 2402 is available, priced LI, from the Stationery Office.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Health in print
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has updated its poster* and leaflet** outlining British health and safety law, which all employers must provide for their workforce. They are available from HSE Books, PO Box r999, Sudbury, Suffolk COio 2,WA, phone 01787 881165. * Health and Safety Law, priced 17.5o.
** Health and Safety Law What you Should Know, priced £5 for packs of 25.
Ear Protection The HSE has published revised guidance on ear protection for employees and employers. The leaflet for employers, Ear protection— employers' duties, the pocket card for employees, Protect your hearing!, and the poster, Wear ear protection properly, are available free from HSE Books (see above). Ear protection packs, containing 30 pocket cards, five employers' leaflets and five posters, are also available, priced
17.50.
TAXATION
Corporation tax reform The Chartered Institute of Taxation (C I OT), as part of its Budget 2000 representations*, has published proposals for the modernisation of corporation tax and stamp duty. The CIOT invites comments on a number of proposals designed to bring corporate taxable profits more closely into line with accounting profits.
The CIOT also suggests that the rules for calculating the amount on which stamp duty is payable are arbitrary and in need of reform, and that the appeals procedure needs to be brought into line with the procedure for income tax appeals.
* All the proposals are on the internet at: www.tax.org.ulcilitml/pripr_index.htm. Comments on the Reform of Corporation Tax are due by 30 November i999.
Stamp duty charges Changes to stamp duty, which were introduced by the 1999 Finance Bill*, have come into force. They will mean: • An increase in the minimum level of duty to 15 and a change in the scale of duties so that the amount payable is rounded up to a multiple of15; • The introduction of an interest charge for stamp duty which is paid late, and the increase of penalties to modern levels; • The introduction of a clearer and easier framework for stamp duty reserve tax to replace the existing stamp duty regime for unit trusts and open-ended investment companies.
For further details contact the Inland Revenue helpline on 0845 603 0135.
* Available, priced 116.95, from the Stationery Office.
Interest on late payments Legislative changes in the Finance Act 1998 allow companies to deduct interest chargeable on late payments of corporation tax and income tax when working out their taxable profits. As a result, it will no longer be necessary for the interest rate formula for late payment by companies to include an adjustment for tax.
Because of this the Treasury has laid amendments* before Parliament which remove the reduction for tax from the interest formula.
* Taxes Interest Rate (Amendment No 4) Regulations (SI 1999 No 2637) will be available from the Stationery Office.