Updates

Changes to VAT and charity advertising

HMRC has recently clarified its position on the VAT treatment of certain types of digital advertising. As background, under the VAT legislation, many supplies of advertising services will be VAT zero rated, meaning that when a charity purchases such supplies from an external provider, it should not be required to pay VAT. However, any supply …
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Return to Retail and the Impact on Real Estate

Lockdown restrictions are at long last starting to ease. In England from 1 June schools and a limited number of businesses, have started to re-open and the rules on the number of people who can meet have changed.  The next significant step is that non-essential shops will start to re-open on 15 June, provided that …
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Easing lockdown and planning for a return to the workplace: key considerations for employers

We are all now having to grapple with the easing of lockdown restrictions. For some UK employers this means turning to the difficult task of reopening their workplaces and considering what ‘normal’ should look like after the end of lockdown. At the forefront of this will be protecting the health and safety of staff coming …
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Brexit and your trade marks – what now?

Now that we are in the ‘transitional period’ many uncertainties about the post-Brexit future remain. The good news is that dramatic changes in trade marks rights are unlikely – at least for now. Mathew Healey explains that this particular cloud may have a silver lining for brand-owners.
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Coronavirus and visiting the UK

Despite having the highest death rate in Europe from coronavirus, the UK is one of the few countries that has not to date overtly imposed significant restrictions on travellers entering the country as visitors. Although the numbers of flights arriving into the UK has been hugely reduced, it is still possible to travel here from a number …
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Real estate update – Winter 2020

Our latest update summarises the key real estate topics which have developed over the last few months. This update summarises what you need to know about key real estate topics such as: Click here to read the full update. To receive updates like this in your inbox, sign up here.
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Charity Governance and Solvency: A Coronavirus Guide

We have created a quick guide for charity trustees who are concerned about solvency and wondering how to approach it in the immediate crisis caused by the coronavirus shutdown. Click here to read the full guide now.
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One way to make the UK’s pretensions for global climate leadership a reality

David Hunter explains why he feels the publication of the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill could mark a turning point in the fight against the climate emergency. It is a bitter irony that humanity has for some precious time known how to address the causes of climate change, but has lacked the collective will to …
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Case update from Bates Wells’ Real Estate team

Megan Vick reports on the latest case law developments.
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On 22 October 2020, the Home Office published a lengthy Statement of Changes setting out the ‘Future Points-Based Immigration System’. We examine the key changes to the Skilled Worker route.

Intended as a roadmap for post-Brexit immigration, some changes are coming into effect early, at 09:00 on 01 December 2020. The Skilled Worker route fully replaces the current Tier 2 (General) migrant category. The government’s ambition to streamline the visa categories remains in question, but a key takeaway is the potential for employers to leverage …
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Covid-19 immigration concessions for family and private life applications

The Home Office recently updated its Covid-19 related concessions for those applying to enter or remain in the UK on the basis of family or private life. The key concessions are now: Switching into a family or private life route from within the UK Up to 31 August 2020 those in the UK as a …
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FAQs on the UK Government’s coronavirus quarantine rules

Since 8 June 2020, many people arriving in the UK need to provide their contact details and self-isolate for the first 14 days of their entry to the UK.   There are separate regulations in place in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. More information about the different rules for each nation is available here. Who …
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