One of the UK’s fastest growing suppliers of architectural and sustainable tiles is celebrating a record twelve months, with news of a major showroom upgrade on the way. Solus, which was founded by Peter Bentley in the family home in 1995, has seen sales soar from £16m in 2021 to £26m last year, with high profile projects currently being completed at Kensington Olympia and Finsbury Dials. The company’s commitment to ‘people’, ‘product’ and ‘planet’ has seen it develop an international network of trusted suppliers that provide unique ranges of sustainable tiles for architects, designers, commercial contracts and retail. With strong growth seen across its satellite showrooms in London and Manchester, the company is also nearing completion of a significant upgrade to its Birmingham HQ and showroom on Warwick Road in Birmingham. CEO Marcus Bentley, who is the son of founder Peter commented: “Last year was our 30th birthday and it gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate what we’ve achieved in that time and, importantly, how we want to move forward over the next decade." “We’ve been based at our HQ in Tyseley since 2008 and felt it was the right time to press the button on a complete transformation of the showroom, creating a unique space that will appeal to the residential market, as well as being a fantastic hub for architects and the design community.” He continued: “The layout has been carefully designed to deliver a clean, intuitive, and enjoyable customer journey. Thoughtful features, such as slab walls, cross-section displays, a free sample wall, and a fast quotation service, make it easy for clients to explore options and make confident decisions. “We’re just putting the finishing touches to the ambitious project and will look at holding a special launch event in early March.” Solus, which holds the Investors in People Gold’ standard, has built its success on strategic partnerships with leading factories and collaborations with top architects, designers and developers. Its current portfolio of high-quality tiles spans more than 300 different ranges, including LoopCrete and LoopStone (both incorporating 63% of pre and post-consumer recycled content) and its recently launched ‘carbon zero’ Caldera and Masso. Since 2019, the company has supplied over 2.5million sq metres of tiles and has been involved in prestigious locations with Porsche, Five Guys, BMW and Aston Villa Football Club. Sam Frith, Creative Director at Solus, went on to add: “In the retail space and certainly in the West Midlands, we are probably the home improvement market’s best-kept secret." “Our reputation is strong with architects, designers and big corporate specifiers and we can bring that same quality, attention to detail, innovation and customer service to the local public." “The new HQ and showroom will display a carefully curated product range that blends exceptional quality with accessibility across all budgets. And this will be reinforced by our friendly and knowledgeable team that will be on hand to help homeowners choose the ideal tiling solutions for homes and gardens.” For further information, please visit here . Photos: Solus Garden Centre: Solus’ Construct range can create a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. Ryan and Marcus (Solo): (l-r) Ryan Bennett (Managing Director) with CEO Marcus Bentley.

Nearly 6,000 high-growth business owners left the UK in just two years between 2024 and 2026, with the greatest proportion working in tech sectors, according to new analysis commissioned by Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth and asset management groups. The findings reflect a marked rise in international mobility among UK business owners and amount to a significant outflow of entrepreneurial talent from the country, underscoring wider concerns about economic competitiveness, tax pressures and the attractiveness of alternative jurisdictions. The analysis of filings at Companies House show that 5,940 business owners left the UK between January 2024 and January 2026. During this time, 3,182 business owners also came into the UK creating a net outflow of 2,758. The data also shows that 8,423 companies in total saw a business owner leave the UK, as many business owners work across multiple firms. UAE was the most attractive destination for those leaving the UK, with Spain in second and the US in third. Portugal and France completed the top five. Certain industries were more affected than others by the exodus, with 10% of companies in software, more than three times the number of the next largest sector, property development, followed by marketing. The departures were also skewed geographically, with nearly half (46%) leaving London and 14% from the South-East, the next highest proportion. While the UAE, Spain and the US were attractive destinations, the analysis showed, the UK saw its strongest inward mobility from Hong Kong, Pakistan and France, followed closely by the US; Hong Kong, Pakistan, Türkiye and China were the only net importers. The data does not show the sectors in which these owners work. Commenting on the research, Michelle White, Head of Private Office at Rathbones Group said: “International mobility among business owners and wealth creators continues to accelerate, and these findings show a clear shift in where UK entrepreneurs choose to base themselves.” “We are talking to more individuals and families – particularly younger business owners – considering relocation in search of better opportunities, more favourable tax environments, and more optimism about long-term growth prospects. While the UK remains a strong global centre, these trends highlight the importance of ensuring that our economy, talent pathways and tax system remain internationally competitive.” These macro trends are mirrored in the experiences of internationally mobile individuals and families seen by Rathbones. One recent example involved a UK born senior professional working at a multinational technology company who relocated from London to New York to take up a global leadership role but still holds UK and international investments managed by Rathbones from the UK. William Luttrell-Hunt, Senior Investment Director who provides discretionary services to US resident clients through Rathbones’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) licence, said: “We are seeing more clients, including many Americans, looking to manage their tax, regulation, currency exposure and long-term financial planning across multiple jurisdictions. They include people leaving the US or wanting to manage at least some of their wealth elsewhere.” Earlier this year, coinciding with the opening of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Camilla Stowell, CEO Wealth, warned of the increasing and complex risks facing internationally mobile professionals and business owners. Rathbones has been developing its services to meet rising demand in this area.

Arco, the UK and Ireland’s leading safety experts, has opened a specialist centre to help oil, gas, and renewables sector companies minimise risk and maximise productivity across demanding onshore and offshore operations. Strategically based in Aberdeen, the new £500,000 centre offers access to Arco’s more than 140 years’ safety experience through best-in-class safety training, face fit testing and respiratory servicing and product decoration services. The centre also provides offshore kit drops which means any order placed before 3pm can be delivered the same day from its 13,700 sq ft base near Aberdeen airport. Each week up to 100 kit bags are dispatched from the Aberdeen centre to the North Sea and beyond as Arco supports workers across the globe, including Africa and the Middle East. The centre’s launch comes after the safety specialists announced in November a 37 per cent rise in pre-exception EBITDA in the past year to £11.4million - a third year of progressive improvement across financial, operational, innovation and service parameters, despite a challenging economic backdrop. Alex Richards, Arco's Energy and Export Director, said: “We've been keeping customers in Aberdeen safe for nearly 40 years, and this new centre signifies more than just a move to a new site." "Our £500,000 centre enables access to Arco’s more than 140 years’ safety experience through best-in-class training, respiratory servicing, face fit testing, and same-day offshore kit drops." “We supply highly certified PPE selected specifically to combat hazards faced offshore, onshore and across complex industrial environments." “Our people are energy sector specialists, with deep understanding of industry regulations, working conditions and operational challenges. That knowledge allows us to provide informed guidance, the right solutions first time, and a level of service customers can rely on. “By keeping people at the centre, and offering products dedicated to the energy industry, we’ve built long-standing partnerships that help protect workers, reduce risk and maximise productivity across Aberdeen’s energy community.”

North West accountancy firm Lamont Pridmore has raised concerns about how prepared family businesses are for succession, retirement and planning future tax liabilities, with many lacking a clear understanding of what their company is worth. Hymans Robertson recently released survey results revealing that 68 per cent of family businesses have only an informal sense of their value. Graham Lamont, Chief Executive at Lamont Pridmore, says this lack of clarity is unsurprising: “It does not surprise me that so many family businesses do not know their true value, given the realities of running a family enterprise, where commercial decisions are often closely tied to personal relationships." “Businesses need to understand what they are worth and who will run them in the longer term, yet those conversations can be difficult to start.” A formal share valuation is often recommended, although the cost can deter some owners, particularly when the process brings wider issues to the surface. “A valuation tends to unravel other questions that need to be addressed at the same time, especially around succession and future ownership." “For instance, is there anyone in the family who can be the successor? Do they actually want the role and are they capable of it? Sometimes you have to assess skills and potentially choose one family member over another, which can be uncomfortable, but the best way to answer these questions is usually by openly talking about the topic with each other at as early an age as possible,” Graham says. “Families can find those discussions hard because they involve both business and personal relationships, and nobody wants to cause a fallout. So instead, they choose to avoid having the conversations in the first place because they think this is the easier route, but this is one of the most common mistakes I see people make." “If you do have concerns about addressing these questions with your family, a trusted adviser can help guide you through those discussions." “A family constitution or charter can be developed which will support these conversations and help family members agree their shared values, vision for the future and the way both the business and the family relationships should be conducted to provide continuity.” Graham explains that misunderstanding the company’s worth can have serious financial consequences, particularly where owners expect a future sale to fund retirement. “Many business owners assume they can rely on selling the company to support their plans, although in a challenging market that may not deliver the value they expect,” he says. “Planning at least five years ahead gives time to develop a strategy, obtain a valuation, strengthen performance and profits if needed and ensure the business is effectively marketed for sale.” Accurate information is even more essential where most family wealth is tied up in the company rather than held personally. “It is impossible to plan properly without clear information,” Graham says. “Owners need to know whether the business is generating enough to support those planning to retire and those continuing to work in it." “They will also need to answer questions such as how shares will be passed to the next generation, how family and non-family members are appointed to the board and what family members who are not involved in the business can expect." “The answers can be documented in a Shareholder Agreement to avoid confusion and future disputes.” When planning for family succession, Graham also encourages clients to consider how to make the transfer of ownership as easy as possible. “Can the next generation afford to fund the transition, and do they have the right skills or experience? These are issues that need to be considered early so they can be addressed where possible." “For instance, if the future successor lacks the experience required to take the reins successfully, they can work outside the business or shadow the current owner to learn first-hand what they will be expected to handle.” Upcoming changes to Inheritance Tax and Business Property Relief are prompting many higher-value businesses to review their position, particularly where company valuations exceed £5 million. “With the Government choosing to raise the threshold for Business Property Relief to £2.5 million each for husband and wife from the originally planned £1 million, some family-owned businesses may find they fall outside the changes, although higher value firms still need to plan carefully around Inheritance Tax and succession,” Graham says. Decisions such as gifting shares can reduce Inheritance Tax if the owner survives seven years, although this may transfer a pregnant Capital Gains Tax liability to the next generation. “It is important to look at taxes together because they affect one another. An accurate valuation is needed to understand the overall position,” says Graham. A lack of clarity can create serious difficulties if a business owner dies unexpectedly, leaving uncertainty around both tax exposure and the company’s ability to continue supporting family members and employees. Graham shared that enquiries from business owners concerned about Inheritance Tax have significantly increased at his firm. He encourages all family business owners to obtain an accurate valuation and plan early to gain more control over what happens next. “Valuations should be reviewed whenever significant changes are being considered, including restructuring, redistributing shares or preparing for retirement, as well as when trading conditions shift materially in either direction." “Without early planning, some businesses risk having to sell assets or even the company itself to meet unexpected tax liabilities.” Lamont Pridmore is family run firm and offers a full range of accounting, tax, and business advisory services from its offices in Barrow, Carlisle, Carnforth, Kendal, Keswick, Penrith, Whitehaven, and Workington. For more information about the firm, please visit here .

The rugged landscapes of Northern England are the focal point of a new art exhibition in the latest gallery display at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa. The Spring 2026 ‘Art in the Atrium’ exhibition at the spa resort near Windermere is celebrating the work of two renowned artists with close connections to the Craven district of North Yorkshire. The gallery is featuring Katharine Holmes, who currently works from her studio at the Malham cottage where her mother and grandmother lived and painted before her, and Anna Adams, whose watercolour paintings of Ribblesdale, as well as her ceramics and poetry, won widespread acclaim. Working with Lancaster based Gavagan Art, English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues has developed the ‘Art in the Atrium’ gallery at Low Wood Bay into a quarterly exhibition which is introducing an array of contemporary and historic fine art to new audiences. Katharine, who paints outside in all weathers, is best known for her paintings and drawings of her native Yorkshire landscape. One of her most prominent exhibitions was ‘A Malham Family of Painters’ in conjunction with Leeds University and her work is found in many private and corporate collections too. The distinctive limestone environment around Malham Cove and Gordale Scar feature in many of Katharine’s paintings. Her large oil painting, ‘Limestone and Rain’ forms the centrepiece of the latest exhibition. As part of the gallery’s ceramics showcase section, a host of ceramics, small scale paintings and a selection of Anna Adam’s poetry books will also be on display. Anna and her husband, the painter Norman Adams RA, made a farmhouse close to Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales their main base from the mid-1950s. Executive chairman at English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues Simon Berry says: “This is already the eighth independent, free and open art exhibition that we have put on here in the atrium at Low Wood Bay in the last two years. They continue to prove highly popular with both guests and visitors." “Just like the spectacular landscapes of the Lake District, the dales have their own distinctive limestone formations, rolling hills and valleys which have inspired and attracted artists such as Katharine and Anna for hundreds of years. It’s a pleasure to be able to put their works on display here for more people to see and to learn about the artists and their careers.” Mary Gavagan from Gavagan Art adds: “There is much to see and marvel at with Katharine and Anna’s work exhibited in the latest gallery at Low Wood Bay." “It is a pleasure to present Katharine’s work to a new audience. She is fascinated by the effects of light and her paintings are as much about atmosphere as they are about the physical features of the landscape. “She works in a range of media from ink, watercolour and gouache on paper to oil or acrylic on canvas. And alongside her Yorkshire works, the exhibition includes drawings and paintings of other locations around Britain. “Anna’s sensitive figurative works in clay, especially her ceramic birds, are a striking example of her ability to capture the essence of the world around her. The display includes birds, animals and examples of her watercolour paintings and prints.“ Having graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Katharine returned to live and work in the Yorkshire Dales in 1990. Beyond home and the familiar landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales, she loves to paint and portray the wilder fringes of Britain and Ireland, especially the Scottish highlands and isles and South West Cornwall. Anna Adams (1926-2011) was educated at Harrow Art School and Hornsey College of Art. She worked as a designer, a freelance artist and an art teacher before devoting her creative energies to writing prose and verse in the 1960s. Anna’s first poem was printed in 1969 and Peterloo Press published her first book, A Reply to Intercepted Mail, in 1979 as part of its Peterloo Poets series. Anna was poetry editor of The Green Book from 1989 to 1992, and also a member of the Poetry Society and the Piccadilly Poets Committee. Anna published a number of books with her husband Norman, including ‘Life on Limestone: A year in the Yorkshire Dales’, featuring her writing along with his watercolours. An earlier publication was Island Chapters, documenting their visits to the island of Scarp in the Outer Hebrides. The latest exhibition in the ‘Art in the Atrium’ gallery at Low Wood Bay runs until late May. For further information, visit here .

Manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to February, though at a slower pace than in January – according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey (ITS). Manufacturers expect volumes to decline at a similar pace in the three months to May. Total and export order books remained historically weak in February. Stock adequacy strengthened, while selling price inflation expectations continued to be elevated. The survey, based on the responses of 305 manufacturers, found: Output volumes fell in the three months to February, but at a slower pace than in the three months to January (weighted balance of -14%, from -25% in January). Manufacturers expect output volumes to decline at a broadly similar pace in the three months to May (-12%). Output decreased in 13 out of 17 sub-sectors   in the three months to February, with the fall being driven by the metal products, food, drink & tobacco, and mechanical engineering sub-sectors. Total order books   were reported as below “normal” in February (-28%, from -30% in January), remaining considerably weaker than the long-run average (-14%). Export order books  were also reported as below “normal”, to a slightly lesser extent than in January (-26%, from -30% in January). The balance was also below the long-run average (-19%). Expectations for average selling price inflation   were elevated in February (+26%, from +29% in January), standing well above the long-run average (+8%). Stocks of finished goods   were reported as “more than adequate” in February (+14%, from +3% in January), with the balance being broadly in line with the long-run average (+12%). Cameron Martin, CBI Senior Economist, said: “The downturn in manufacturing output eased in February, after a downbeat period around the turn of the year. However, many firms continue to report customers holding back amid low confidence and elevated cost pressures." “The Spring Forecast is an opportunity for the government to build momentum behind its growth mission and restore confidence. Manufacturers want to see the government focused on accelerating Industrial Strategy delivery, addressing skills shortages, and lowering the cost of doing business by bringing forward energy costs support. Tackling punitive energy costs will strengthen competitiveness, ease cost of living pressures, and help boost demand across the economy.”

Digger manufacturer JCB has donated £1,000 to help a community group stage a life-saving heart screening programme in memory of a mechanical engineer who died suddenly aged just 26. Formula One mechanical engineer, Anthony Lane, who grew up in Stubwood, near Denstone, close to the company’s World HQ in Rocester, died from an undiagnosed heart condition after collapsing while exercising at his home in Rugby in October 2022. Now special free screening days in Anthony’s memory are being organised by Uttoxeter Rotary Club in conjunction with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) at Oldfields Hall Middle School, in Stone Road, Uttoxeter, on 6th and 7th June. Anthony’s parents Penny and Paul Lane, of Lichfield, have praised the initiative. Paul said: “Anthony was always such a fit and healthy young man, and his death came as a shock to all of us. We are delighted that Uttoxeter Rotary are arranging screening days in Anthony’s memory that could go on to help hundreds of young people in the area.” JCB has donated the £1,000 to Uttoxeter Rotary Club to support a campaign delivering two specialist screening days aimed at identifying young people aged 14 to 35 who may be at risk of undiagnosed heart conditions, including heart muscle disorders and electrical faults of the heart. Statistics show that every week in the UK, 12 apparently fit and healthy people under the age of 35 die from an undiagnosed heart condition, around 80% of whom show no prior symptoms. Jerry Gear, Past President of Uttoxeter Rotary Club, who is leading the campaign said: “These events can literally be life saving for young people as they have the potential to identify those young people who are walking around unaware of underlying health conditions." "Last year 15 young people were identified as needing further medical investigation. This is why we couldn’t be more grateful to businesses like JCB who continue to show their support each year. The whole process is very simple and takes just 15 minutes but really it is vital. I would encourage young people who haven’t been before to take advantage of the opportunity and book their free place.” Each screening session relies on £6,800 of funding per day and involves using a medical history questionnaire and electrocardiogram (ECG) to identify risks. Up to 100 young people a day will get free access to the scan with further tests and medical referrals provided if needed. Uttoxeter Rotary Club is working with local businesses like JCB to raise the funds to cover the costs of the two June screening days. They are looking for a further £6,000 to meet the target for the sessions and then hope to raise additional funds for further dates later in the year.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is sounding a warning shot ahead of a looming cost crunch in April that could push many small firms to breaking point. In less than two months, rising energy bills, business rates hikes, spiralling employment costs and changes to Statutory Sick Pay will all rise at a record pace, due to Government decisions. This could lead to closures, stalled growth and fewer entrepreneurs willing to start up a business - unless urgent action is taken. March’s Spring Forecast is the Government’s last chance to act before the new costs surge in April. FSB has written to the Chancellor, calling for her to protect the UK’s 5.7 million small businesses and self-employed people from these unparalleled cost hikes. Latest research from FSB has revealed more than a third (35%) of small businesses are planning to close or contract over the coming year, rising to 41 per cent in the wholesale and retail sector, and 45 per cent in accommodation and food services. Costs are already rising at a record pace, and more small firms are now seeing their revenues fall than rise. As a result, more businesses expect to shrink over the next year (35%) than grow (21%). What’s rising in April and what can Government do to help? One of the biggest costs for small employers is the price of labour – driven by increases in the National Living Wage (NLW) and rising employer National Insurance contributions (NICs). Despite the increased Employment Allowance offsetting some of the cost, April will see further rises in the NLW, pushing up employers’ National Insurance bills. A small employer with nine staff on NLW has seen its annual employment costs rise by £25,850 between January 2025 and April 2026 - equivalent to the cost of an additional staff member. The same business’s employer national insurance bill over that period would have increased by £4,400, or 46%. The Government should uprate the Employment Allowance so it continues to cover the employer NICs costs of four employees on NLW. Many small businesses in England will see their business rates bills rise from April, due to the commercial property revaluation and changes to multipliers – as well as the loss of the 40% discount for retail, hospitality and leisure firms, replaced by a new multiplier. FSB estimates these changes mean small businesses in these sectors will face an average 52% increase in bills, phased in over the next three years. We’re calling on the Government to extend the three-year support package for pubs to other small businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sector, and increase the Small Business Rate Relief threshold to £25,000. There is also a need for measures to protect small businesses from rising rates bills in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where similar revaluations and other changes are coming into effect. Since the energy price crisis, energy costs have continued to rise. Small firms will see their annual standing charges increase by over 40% in April. A business with an annual electricity consumption of around 40,000kWh (typical for a small restaurant, hair salon or gym), would see their annual standing charge rise from £3,680 to £5,283. We are calling on the Government to remove up to 75% of the Renewable Obligation costs from non-domestic energy bills, mirroring the support that has already been given for households. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) costs will jump from April, with all employees becoming eligible and payments starting from day one of sickness. FSB analysis finds this will add around £110 a year for every worker on the minimum rate. Introducing a SSP rebate for small and medium employers would mitigate the cost impacts of changes. From April, dividend tax rates will rise by two percentage points, taking the basic rate to 10.75% and the higher rate to 35.75%. For company directors, this means lower take home pay, as many rely on a mix of salary up to the personal allowance limit and dividends to withdraw income efficiently. We urge Government to defer the increase of the basic rate until April 2027. Business owners will also face compulsory Making Tax Digital compliance and increases in fees from Companies House. FSB Policy Chair Tina McKenzie said: “April’s impending cost crunch will make running a small business in the UK more expensive - and that has real consequences." “It will push already struggling small firms past breaking point, deter would be entrepreneurs from setting up in business as the numbers no longer stack up, and put the brakes on the small business growth the economy depends on." “Small businesses are resilient - but they are not invincible. They simply cannot go on absorbing endless cost increases. The local greengrocer who has been serving the community for 60 years, the tech start up that wants to expand and the garage that employs dozens of staff including apprentices – they will all be feeling the pressure and have to make tough decisions off the back of it." “Many of these hardworking businesses have already been forced to increase prices, lay off staff, or cancel expansion plans." “Next month’s Spring Forecast is the last chance to take action before the new costs surge. The Chancellor must recognise the huge pressure that our 5.7 million small businesses and self-employed people are under and show she is willing to ease even a fraction of these cost pressures to help stem the tide of these rising costs.”

For many family businesses, shares in a trading company form a core part of long-term family wealth. Importantly, they’ve historically provided a tax-efficient way to pass on wealth via inheritance. Simply keeping hold of shares until you pass away has been an effective form of inheritance tax planning for many years. This is because, shares in qualifying trading companies have usually benefitted from full relief from inheritance tax. But under new legislation, that’s set to change From the start of the new tax year in early April 2026, new inheritance tax rules will significantly limit the reliefs available on shares in trading companies. For some families, the impact could be substantial. The key point is that there is still a window of opportunity to act, but this window is closing quickly. In this short article, we’ll examine the changes, what they mean for you, and what you can do to structure your affairs efficiently. What the rules were and what’s changing from April 2026 The current position Under the existing rules, shares in an unquoted trading company typically qualify for 100 percent Business Property Relief (BPR) once they’ve been held for two years. In practice, that means: no inheritance tax is payable on the value of qualifying shares on death the relief is uncapped, regardless of the size of the shareholding the same relief can apply to certain lifetime transfers. For many business owners, this has made shares in a trading company one of the most inheritance tax-efficient assets to hold and a particularly good option when passing on significant asset value in excess of the usual inheritance tax thresholds. The new rules from April 2026 From 6 April 2026, Business Property Relief will be capped. Originally it was proposed that the first £1 million of qualifying business property (e.g. shares in a trading company) would continue to receive 100 percent relief and that allowance could not be transferred on death to a spouse. However, the government announced just before Christmas that this amount would be increased from £1m to £2.5m and the £2.5m allowance could be transferred between spouses when one passes away (which effectively means a couple can, if structured correctly, have a £5m allowance). This means shares in a trading company are still a good option for values below that £2.5m threshold (or potentially £5m where that value is shared between spouses). However, any value above £2.5 million will only receive 50 percent relief. The remaining 50 percent will be subject to inheritance tax at 40 percent, creating an effective tax charge of 20 percent on the excess over £2.5m. This is a fundamental shift in how trading company shares are treated for inheritance tax purposes and will likely affect estate planning for many with shares in excess of £2.5m. A representative example To illustrate the impact, consider shares in a trading company valued at £4 million. Under the current rules £4 million qualifies for 100 percent BPR meaning no tax is paid on those shares at all. From April 2026, that same amount will see £1.5 million (i.e. the excess over the £2.5m allowance) taxed at a 50% rate. With inheritance tax at 40%, the 50% discount equates to a 20% tax on that £1.5 million, resulting in a total tax bill of £300,000. That is a six-figure tax bill on an asset that would previously have passed tax-free. Whilst HMRC are allowing this liability to be paid interest-free and in equal annual instalments over a period up to 10 years, paying an inheritance tax liability like this will often mean either having to use other liquid assets from the estate, which would ordinarily have ended up in the hands of beneficiaries effectively reducing their inheritance. Alternatively, the company itself may have to have to fund this over time. However, extracting cash out of a company to meet any such liability will incur its own tax liability, meaning the amount the company needs to find would need to be grossed up – effectively double taxation (a consequence the government appear to have glossed over). This may also be an overhead the company simply can’t afford, or which will wipe out its profits. The question that jumps to mind is how can you structure your affairs to be as tax-efficient as possible? The best approach to take is to act before the changes come into effect in April at the start of the 2026/2027 tax year. Structuring your shareholdings before the April deadline For shareholders with more than £2.5 million in qualifying trading company shares, the most effective planning opportunities are those taken before April 2026. Inter-spouse gifting of shares Given the changes announced in late 2025, which now allow the £2.5m allowance to be transferred between spouses, one simple thing that can be done is to move shares between spouses, so both spouses hold shares in the company. Gifts like this between spouses are usually treated as “no gain, no loss” and, as a result, are generally tax neutral. By way of example, if one spouse own shares worth £4m and passes away, then under the new rules, inheritance tax would be payable at the effective rate of 20% on the £1.5m excess over the £2.5m allowance. This is a tax charge of £300,000. If the spouse holding the shares were to transfer half of those shares to their spouse now, then when they pass away, they would only be holding shares worth £2m, so no inheritance tax would be payable. The surviving spouse would then inherit those shares as well as the deceased’s £2.5m allowance. This means when the second spouse passes away, they would be holding shares worth £4m (i.e. the £2m worth of shares gifted to them and the £2m worth of shares inherited) with an allowance of £5m at that point (i.e. their original £2.5m allowance plus the £2.5m allowance inherited from their late spouse). This means that no inheritance tax would be payable when they pass away as the £4m falls within the £5m allowance. This simple act alone would save £300,000 in inheritance tax. Lifetime gifting of shares Another option to take before the deadline is a lifetime gift of shares. Shares in a trading company can be transferred during lifetime rather than on death. If the person making the gift survives for seven years, the value of the shares falls completely outside their estate for inheritance tax purposes. Crucially, under the current regime: Business Property Relief can apply immediately to lifetime gifts that means no inheritance tax charge at the point of transfer full 100 percent relief applies where the shares qualify and the transfer structure is appropriate. For business owners with shareholdings above £2.5 million, gifting shares before April 2026 can lock in the current, more generous treatment. This approach is particularly relevant for: family businesses with adult children involved in the company owners already thinking about succession shareholders comfortable with reducing personal ownership over time. It does, however, require careful planning around control, valuation and future growth so it’s important that you engage with financial and legal professionals to take advice and to execute your plans. Why timing matters If this option is a good fit for you, you should take action as soon as you can before the deadline. Once April 2026 has passed, the same gift will not qualify for full relief if the value exceeds the new £2,5m cap. For many families, these simple changes on their own will be enough to justify reviewing their structure now rather than later. If you’ve already gifted or are planning to make a gift, the rules around the 7 years and the reliefs available will depend on when the gift was made (pre 30th October 2024 or after 30th October 2024 but before 5th April 2026) and when the person making the gift eventually passes away. As such, it’s important to get advice to understand exactly where you stand (or could stand in the future) if you have or are planning to go down this route Other options to consider as part of wider planning While transfers between spouses and lifetime gifting are often the starting point, it is not the only option available. Other approaches may be appropriate depending on your business, family and long-term objectives. Share reorganisations You may choose to reorganise your share capital to separate the current value of the business from its future growth. In practice, this often involves restructuring the company’s shares so you as the founder retain shares reflecting the current value of the business. You then issue a separate class of shares that carry rights to future growth, which are then transferred to the next generation. These are commonly known as “growth shares”. The benefit of this approach is that: the value built up to date remains with you, the founder any future increase in the company’s value sits with the new shareholders (usually the next generation) that future growth is removed from the founder’s estate while Business Property Relief is still fully available. This type of planning is particularly relevant if you’re a growing businesses where a significant proportion of the value is expected to be created in the years ahead. It requires careful valuation and robust documentation, but it can be an effective way to reduce long-term inheritance tax exposure without stepping away from the business. Use of trusts Trusts continue to play an important role in succession planning for shares in trading companies, especially where you want to balance tax efficiency with control and protection. Whilst many of our clients express concerns over using trusts, mainly borne out of news headlines about people in the news (usually for the wrong reasons) using trusts to “hide” assets, when structured correctly, you can transfer shares that qualify for Business Property Relief into certain trusts without triggering an immediate inheritance tax charge. You then appoint trustees to ensure the shares are managed in line with your wishes. Such trusts can provide long-term protection for your family members, including younger or vulnerable beneficiaries. In these instances, the trust is then the shareholder, so issues and inheritance tax liabilities as a result of the death of a key person become less of an issue. As things currently stand, you can transfer an unlimited amount of qualifying assets (i.e. shares) into a trust without triggering a tax charge providing everything is structured correctly. However, from the start of the 2026/2027 tax year, there will be a lifetime limit of £2.5m worth of qualifying assets that can be placed into trust with any excess triggering an immediate tax charge. For those whose shareholdings are above the £2.5m allowance (or £5m for a couple where the shares are split between the couple), trusts can also help manage how and when value is passed on, rather than making outright gifts at a single point in time. While trusts bring additional reporting and administrative responsibilities like registration with HMRC, a 10 yearly tax charge on the value of the assets in the trust (albeit at a rate significantly lower than inheritance tax rates), annual accounts to be prepared and filed with HMRC etc, trusts are still a useful option for you if you want to plan ahead of the April 2026 changes while retaining oversight of how the business is owned and controlled. Spreading ownership across family members As the new £2.5 million Business Property Relief allowance applies per individual, you may want to review how company shares are held within the family group. This may involve: transferring shares to your spouse or civil partner as above bringing your adult children into ownership earlier as part of a wider succession plan. The aim here is to ensure that more than one individual can potentially benefit from the £2.5 million allowance, rather than having all shares held by a single owner. Any changes must reflect genuine commercial and family arrangements and be supported by proper governance. However, when aligned with the long-term direction of the business, this approach can form part of a sensible and tax-efficient ownership structure. Life insurance as mitigation It may be that transferring shares is not a desirable option for you and your business. Perhaps you want to retain full ownership and control, or perhaps the business isn’t ready for succession. In this case, life insurance can be used as a mitigation strategy. This works by taking out a policy to cover the expected inheritance tax liability on the value above the new £2.5 million cap. This policy is typically written in trust so the proceeds will fall outside of the estate on death. Your family can then use the payout to meet the tax liability without requiring shares to be sold or the business to fund the bill. This approach doesn’t reduce the inheritance tax itself and the premiums for these types of policy can be expensive, but it can provide certainty and protect your business from disruption at a critical time. The bottom line If you have shares in a trading company in excess of £2.5 million and are concerned about succession planning, the time to act is now. If you fail to do so before the deadline, you could looking at hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of pounds in additional inheritance tax that someone somewhere will have to pay. Many of the most effective options are only available, or most effective, if done before April 2026. Waiting too long will narrow your choices considerably. Undertaking any of the routes referred to above will require formal tax and legal advice from your accountant and solicitor, or maybe even a formal tax clearance application to HMRC, to make sure everything is done correctly and other tax liabilities (such as capital gains or income tax) are not accidentally triggered.

A rural Lake District hospitality venue has launched a new elopement package in a nod to the rising trend of couples choosing greater intimacy for their wedding day. The rationale for Wild Boar Estate’s new wedding service comes from the rapid increase in elopement specific requests at the venue. It mirrors the continuing success of sister hotel Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa which in recent years has hosted a record number of eloping couples seeking a more personalised and lower cost wedding ceremony. Focusing on intimacy with a bit of adventure thrown in, Wild Boar Estate’s 'Escape to the Lakes' elopement wedding package features romantic touches such as the use of the estate’s grounds and woodlands for photographs, an engraved bird box symbolising the wedding date and a 4x4 Land Rover ride up to a private tarn. English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues wedding and events manager Lucy Carway says: “We’ve worked hard to develop our elopement services so we can provide an intimate option for smaller weddings, as we have seen a rise in specific enquiries for this in the last couple of years." “More couples are looking to keep the day for themselves and then have a larger celebration party back at home. This allows them to have a day that is less overwhelming and more about the two of them." “There is a cost element associated with this as well, as it allows them to escape to the lakes without putting the pressure on guests, especially elderly relatives and parents with young children, to travel long distances and stay away from home." “We have deliberately created a luxurious elopement and ‘mini-moon’ experience all rolled into one. And a lot of couples are opting to extend their stays past the two included nights, with some staying here for up to a week.” The rising popularity of elopement weddings in recent years has seen more couples seeking scenic or remote areas to get away from it all and make their vows. Reducing costs is a key factor, with the average wedding now reportedly coming in at an eye-watering £22,000. Elopement weddings at Low Wood Bay virtually trebled in 2025, with 31 bookings compared to 11 in 2024. The new elopement service at Wild Boar Estate is based on two nights’ B&B accommodation in a luxury room, romantic 3-course evening meals with a bottle of wine and added treats like a cosy wood-fired afternoon tea. And there’s the option for couples to extend their stay with a mini-honeymoon. Other key features include the provision of witnesses and a wedding co-ordinator to oversee the whole day. There is also the chance for the couple to immerse themselves in a relaxing 3 hour thermal journey in the spa at nearby Low Wood Bay. Photo: Wild Boar Estate wedding co-ordinators Lucy Carway (left) & Ioanna Stergiaki.

A full sized JCB digger dressed up like a collector’s scale model stole a few hearts on Valentine’s Day – and stopped Londoners in their tracks outside an iconic railway station. The ‘JCB Backhoe in a Box’ drew huge crowds when it was first unveiled at the digger maker’s World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire. Now the capital is digging the love for this innovative display as it arrives in London - proving romance really does come in all shapes and sizes, even giant, beautifully boxed ones. The JCB Backhoe in a Box - a full-sized digger presented as though it were a scale model - has been carefully dismantled in Staffordshire and, transported south, before being lovingly reassembled and unveiled on Valentine’s Day outside King’s Cross railway station. The striking installation will be on display for a full week from February 14th, giving commuters, visitors and Valentine’s Day couples the perfect spot for a memorable photo. Standing nearly 15 feet high and more than 20 feet across in its special packaging, the life size display is impossible to miss. Visitors to King’s Cross can enjoy the exhibit day or night, with the installation illuminated after dark to ensure the magic continues long after the evening commute. JCB Deputy Chairman George Bamford said: “There’s no better day to celebrate something you love than Valentine’s Day - and Britain has loved the JCB backhoe loader for more than 70 years.” JCB Worldwide Events Manager Alice Taylor has helped oversee the installation. She said: “King’s Cross is always buzzing, but this installation brings something truly unique to the area. It’s fantastic to engineer some romance in London by unveiling the Backhoe in a Box in London on Valentine’s Day.” Its appearance in London marks the start of a UK-wide tour celebrating both JCB innovation and the enduring appeal of one of Britain’s best known machines – invented by JCB in 1953. The next stop will be the Cheltenham Festival in March. First unveiled at JCB’s World HQ as part of the company’s 80th anniversary celebrations, the Backhoe in a Box is a playful nod to the popular 1:32 scale models cherished by enthusiasts.

A leading home improvement specialist has started its recruitment drive this week to create up to 20 new jobs in Telford. 5 Star Windows & Conservatories is looking to take on fitters, designers, surveyors and sales specialists to work at its new state-of-the-art showroom in St Georges, which is due to open in May. More than £750,000 is being invested in the transformation of the old C-Thru building, creating a dedicated modern space for people to visit and explore the latest windows, doors and conservatories and, on the first floor, a large range of modern living spaces. Potential customers will be able to discuss their ambitious home projects with a team of experts, whilst gaining an insight into latest innovations like hup!, the new modular extension system that makes building conservatories, orangeries and living spaces quicker, easier and more energy efficient. Richard Manser, Managing Director of family-run 5 Star Windows & Conservatories, commented: “Our sector appears to be defying the growth of online shopping, with people still keen to visit a physical location to touch and feel the products - it’s almost like they want to see their vision come to life in person." “That’s why we’re investing £750,000 into creating a dedicated Telford showroom that will be one of the most advanced in the region. We are already completing 100 installations every month across Shropshire and believe we can treble that number by having a local place people can come to.” He continued: "The 3000 sq ft, two-floor building will be completely refurbished in time for our April opening and will, at any one time, house up to 50 different windows, doors and lifestyle extensions." “20 new jobs will be created because of this venture and we’re actively recruiting now. As well as looking for experts in the sector, we also want to attract people who share our passion for customer service and home improvements.” 5 Star Windows & Doors, which is part of the CO Home Improvement Network, has enjoyed a strong trading year across its existing showrooms in Kidderminster and Worcester. This has been driven by a renewed appetite from consumers for home improvements and to tap into the firm’s all-round service, from initial consultation and design, right through to sourcing products, installation and after sales support. More than 40,000 projects have been completed since the 5 Star Windows & Conservatories brand was created back in 2002, all carrying its industry-leading 20-year guarantee. This commitment to best practice is reinforced by its dedicated training centre, which ensures its 90-strong team are kept up to date with the latest legislation and construction techniques. Richard continued: “5 Star is bringing more choice, premium products and unrivalled single storey extensions to Telford, utilising our in-house team of designers, surveyors and trades people – all under one roof." “We’ve also invested in the latest technology so that people will be able to see various products superimposed on their own homes using state-of-the-art visualisation software. This is a great tool when considering which style and colour to choose.” Whilst the Telford showroom will primarily cater for retail clients, commercial and trade customers will still be able to tap into 5 Star Windows & Conservatories’ specialist trade counter in Kidderminster. For further information, please visit here or follow the company across its social media channels. Images: How the current Telford showroom looks ahead of its transformation