If you’re worried about paying your tax on time, whether as a business or an individual, then get in touch with HMRC’s Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) as soon as possible.

Over 2250 business in the North West have delayed paying over £49 million of tax after contacting the BPSS. The telephone number is 0845 302 1435 and the lines are open from 8am to 8pm during the week and 8am to 4pm at weekends.

HMRC has set up this service to help those who are in business or who are self-employed, and who have temporary financial problems with paying Income Tax, National Insurance, VAT, PAYE, some duties or other payments.

The service offers a fast and streamlined way of setting up a time to pay agreement based on an affordable timetable. In the majority of cases the caller will get a decision and have a payment arrangement set up within 10 minutes.

Terms are being agreed on a case-by-case basis and HMRC will be as flexible as possible, with the aim of bringing the business’s tax back up to date on a timetable that is both reasonable and takes into account each individual situation. If your affairs are too complex to be dealt with in one call, the BPSS will call you back as soon as a decision has been made. This will happen within the region of four working days.

The service is for new enquiries only and acts as a supplement for HMRC’s existing time to pay arrangements. If you have already been contacted by HMRC about an overdue payment then just call the office that originally contacted you.

If you need any more information, visit the HMRC website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/pbr2008/business-payment.htm. Then make sure you have the following information to hand: a tax reference number, details of the taxes that you are worried about and a date when you expect to be able to pay the bill.

The service is there so that we know in advance of any problems. If you think that you will need more time to pay your tax, please contact us as early as you can.  Please do not wait until the last minute or until payment is overdue.

You’ll feel a whole lot better once you have made that call, so why don’t you pick up the phone?

In the current climate, businesses are finding it increasingly hard to access the finance they need, particularly working capital.

This is not because the business has suddenly transformed from a success to a failure; but because the current economic conditions has made a significant impact on the availability of capital as the banks change their approach to risk and tighten lending conditions.

Under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee, the Government will guarantee lending to viable businesses to ensure that they can get the working capital and investment that they need.

Find out more on the DBERR website here.

Here’s some news of some new business support opportunities from Business Link…

In a competitive, global environment - business support matters. The right advice, loan or grant at the right time can help a company deal with tough problems, setting them on a course to succeed.

‘Solutions for Business - funded by government’ is a package of business support to help companies start, grow and succeed.
Businesses complained that government products were too complicated and hard to access. So, we’ve made it easier for businesses to get the advice and help they need.

We’re streamlining the thousands of public funded support products that businesses find so confusing into a package of 30 products and services with a common look and feel that can be accessed via Business Link.

Products will help businesses with common problems such as starting, growing, innovation, finance, skills and the environment. They will be in place by March 2009. And, we’re committing to keeping the system simple yet flexible for the long term should business or economic circumstances change, offering stability and
consistency whilst still allowing for dynamism and innovation.

The guide  below gives a summary of the ‘Solutions for Business’ products, letting you know how each can work for you. It outlines the business support available in England, with some schemes available
across Great Britain. The programme will not affect business support funded by the Devolved Administrations.

Download more info about the solutions here [PDF]

Businesses looking for support can contact Business Link by phone
(0845 600 9006), online

Or How To Use The iPhone As A Business Booster

Our good friends ICDC and Kisky Netmedia have put together a fab report on the wonderous magic that is the iPhone and how you can use it as a business platform to help you work and communicate better.

They say:

iPhone: Why the hype?

Everyone knows the iPhone is big news; those who have one say they’d “never go back”, but to some, the “joy of iPhone” is still a mystery. Why is the iPhone changing the mobile landscape? Does it live up to the hype?  How can businesses engage their customers on the move? And just what makes a great iPhone app?

What’s the iPhone opportunity for your business?

The Amazing iPhone Report is aimed at developers, and business owners alike. It’s aim is to give a grounding to those new to the platform. The Amazing iPhone Report covers:

• An overview of iPhone: why all the hype!
• Mobile 2.0: the changing mobile landscape
• The Opportunity
• Developing for iPhone: skills you need

Maybe you’re already working with mobile apps, maybe you see iPhone as your first foray into mobile. The Amazing iPhone report offers business owners strategic insight into why they should consider iPhone as a key platform for engaging communities, customers and enterprise. Entrepreneurs will learn what works; and what’s hot on the iPhone platform.

So whether you think the iPhone is a piece of Apple-Mac saucery, or the potential tool to help you profit, check out the Amazing iPhone website for more info and the full report.