Mercia Podcast

Mark Morton records as the nights draw in and the party conferences wrap up, with the Budget weeks away and remarkably little being said about tax.

In this episode:

• Why the conferences produced almost no detailed tax comment from anyone, the government included
• Big promises on the personal allowance from the Lib Dems and Reform, and the awkward question of how they get funded
• A hundred billion of a 1.2 trillion income going on debt interest, and what thirty years of never balancing the books has left behind
• Whether this government is quietly reaching George Osborne's conclusion of 80% cuts to 20% tax rises
• The triple lock watered down rather than tackled, and public sector pay quietly driving average earnings
• Why a VAT escalator on fuel could take ten pence off a litre, and why nothing has been done

Mercia will be covering the Budget in full on the day, with Mark and Norman mulling over what was actually said, and why, the morning after.

Autumn Budget 2026

For more information on this topic and more, please visit www.mercia-group.com for further details.

Lee Eagling, A&A and Compliance Technical Consultant at Mercia Group, gives his initial reaction to the government's long awaited consultation on modernising corporate reporting. Seventy pages, sixty questions, and just about everything on the table.

In this episode:

• Bringing company law and financial reporting requirements under one roof
• Reshaping the frameworks: UK endorsed IFRS, FRS 102, UK GAAP for SMEs and FRS 105
• Diluting true and fair for SMEs, and what that could mean for the quality of financial statements
• Medium entities moving closer to the small company regime, with knock on audit implications
• Replacing distributable profits with a solvency test for declaring dividends
• Redefining headcount on a full time equivalent basis

The consultation closes on 30 November. You do not need to answer every question, so pick the ones that matter most to you. Mercia will be submitting a response and would welcome your views.

Join us this autumn:

Accounting: what's new for autumn 2026

Accounting and audit: what you need to know in autumn 2026

For more information on this topic and more, please visit www.mercia-group.com for further details.

Recording from a hotel room ahead of our Autumn Tax Update course, Mark Morton reflects on the Chancellor's first major speech and everything it didn't say about tax.

In this episode:

• An awkward day in Coventry, as Jaguar Land Rover announces significant job cuts down the road
• The letter to MPs signalling less consultation, and whether HMRC consultation ever really meant consultation
• Fiscal devolution: high on the government's agenda, but is it high on anyone else's?
• A growth message set against national insurance and minimum wage rises
• High borrowing costs, a spent surplus, and no stated tax policy
• Why two months of Budget speculation leaves businesses unable to plan

Mercia will be covering the Budget in full detail on Wednesday, 28th October 2026, followed by Pat's rapid reaction webinar the morning after.

https://www.mercia-group.com/marketing/budget-and-tax-rates/

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Mark Morton explores the upcoming Autumn Budget, examining rumours around stamp duty, council tax reform, social care funding, inheritance tax, defence spending, and Making Tax Digital (MTD). He shares practical observations on housing affordability, government policy challenges, and what advisers and businesses should be watching ahead of the Chancellor's October announcement.

The next UK Budget is scheduled for Wednesday 28 October 2026. Chancellor John Healey confirmed the date, and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish its accompanying economic and fiscal forecast on the same day.

For more information on this topic and more, please visit www.mercia-group.com for further details.

Mark Morton reviews the first major announcements from the new government, explores the implications of potential tax changes, and discusses how policy leaks, cost-of-living measures and public finances could shape the upcoming Autumn Budget.

For more information on this topic and more, please visit www.mercia-group.com for further details.

Mark Morton shares his reaction to a recent BBC Radio 4 Money Box interview on Making Tax Digital (MTD), questioning its effectiveness, highlighting concerns about low taxpayer engagement, and discussing whether the initiative is delivering any real benefits for self-employed businesses and HMRC. Based on current uptake figures and industry feedback, Mark argues that MTD may be creating additional costs and complexity without achieving its original objectives.

https://www.mercia-group.com/courses/making-tax-digital-where-are-we-now/

For more information on this topic and more, please visit www.mercia-group.com for further details.

In this episode, Lee Eagling (Technical Consultant at Mercia Group) discusses the new ICAEW requirements effective from July 2026, requiring authorised training employers to implement formal annual appraisals for partners, directors, audit staff, and students. The podcast explores the background to the changes, compliance expectations, practical implementation options, and why effective appraisal processes can deliver benefits beyond regulatory compliance.

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In this episode, Mark Morton unpacks HMRC’s latest Tax Update 26, exploring proposed changes to self-assessment, ISAs, national insurance, and debt collection. He questions whether these reforms truly simplify the system or add further complexity, while highlighting the real-world impact on taxpayers, businesses, and financial planning.

Blog: https://www.mercia-group.com/insights/tax-update-2026-reform-and-changes/

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Mark Morton breaks down the latest HMRC update on payrolling benefits, highlighting delays, phased rollouts, and growing complexity for businesses. With uncertainty around timelines, compliance, and reporting, the episode explores why the system may become even more confusing before it improves.

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Mark Morton reviews the chancellor's pre-bank holiday announcements, covering free children's bus travel, reduced VAT on family activities and meals, fuel duty, mileage allowance changes and what they mean in practice for businesses and families. Mark offers a candid take on whether these measures are likely to make a material difference and who they really benefit.

For more information on this topic and more, please visit www.mercia-group.com for further details.