Introduction
It
has been a lengthy process but finally the new Companies Act
has been issued. It is the longest piece of legislation ever
to have been passed by parliament and at over 700 pages that
is not the end of it! Further consultation on many of the
detailed provisions is now taking place and the government
has announced its intention to commence all parts of the Act
by October 2008. In this briefing we consider some of the
main practical changes you can expect to see that will affect
you and your company.
Looking back
The
company law reform process began as far back as 1998, with
an independent review. White Papers followed in 2002 and 2005
and a Bill was eventually published in November 2005. The
Act itself finally received Royal Assent on 8 November 2006.
The overall objectives
The
government's overall objectives were to simplify and
modernise company law so that it better meets today's
business needs and provides flexibility for the future. While
the reform process aimed to 'think small first',
the resulting legislation has an impact on directors, auditors,
shareholders and company secretaries of private, public and
quoted companies.
The Act itself has been written in simplified language, with
a particular focus on small business.
Briefing - National Insurance - What's Changing?
NI
continues to affect our businesses and finances and there
continue to be a number of developments and opportunities.
This briefing looks at recent and forthcoming changes as well
as some other current areas of interest.
Briefing
- Charities - the new requirements
The
2006 Charities Act introduces a number of changes affecting
the administration and operation of charities. Some of these
changes have already been implemented whilst others will not
become effective until 2008 and beyond.
In this briefing we set out some of the key changes that charities
and their trustees can expect to see introduced over the forthcoming
months.
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C o m p l e t e
Regulated
to carry on audit work for a range of investment business
activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England
and Wales