Business Counsel Blog https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog Utility, tax and technology updates for UK businesses. en-gb Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is live. If you missed the first deadline, here's where things stand. https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/making-tax-digital-income-tax-2026.md https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/making-tax-digital-income-tax-2026.md Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT From 6 April 2026, sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000 must keep digital records and file quarterly with HMRC. The first quarterly deadline has just passed — here's what changed. The old phone network switches off on 31 January 2027. Around 350,000 businesses are still on it. https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/pstn-switch-off-2027.md https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/pstn-switch-off-2027.md Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Openreach is retiring the copper PSTN network for good. Here's what that means for phone lines, card machines and alarm systems still running on it — and why it isn't a nice-to-have. The energy price cap just rose 13%. Here's what it actually means for your business. https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/energy-price-cap-july-2026.md https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/energy-price-cap-july-2026.md Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Ofgem's July 2026 price cap rise doesn't apply directly to business energy contracts — but the same wholesale pressure does. What business owners should check now. 43% of UK businesses had a cyber breach last year. Most weren't big companies. https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2026.md https://businesscounsel.co.uk/blog/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2026.md Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT The government's 2025/2026 Cyber Security Breaches Survey shows breaches are now closer to routine than rare. What it means for small businesses without an in-house IT team.