Small businesses hail law changes

Jones Harris Chartered Accountants said changes in law, planning and business rates guidance were good news.

Martin Wigley, director at the Fleetwood frim said recently, the Business Minister, Matthew Hancock, announced a package of additional support for the nations 2.9 million home based business owners.

The law will be changed so that landlords can be assured that agreeing to home working by tenants will not undermine their residential tenancy agreement.

A new model tenancy agreement will also be made available shortly;

Updated planning guidance will make it clear that planning permission should not normally be needed to run a business from your home; and new business rates guidance will clarify that in the majority of circumstances home based businesses will not attract business rates.

Martin Wigley, at Jones Harris which acts for hundreds of home based businesses, said: “This is welcome news Home based entrepreneurs contribute £300bn to the UK economy and have a marked effect on employment.

“It’s not surprising, therefore, that the Government have woken up and realised that they should be supporting this sector.

“If one in 10 home businesses took on just one extra employee it would create 300,000 jobs.”

“It’s just a pity that the announcement didn’t include a relaxation in the overly complicated Capital Gains Tax rules that can affect individuals who claim for the use of a room at home to run their business.”