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Financial firms may soon gain clearer Consumer Duty compliance boundaries. The FCA has opened consultation on targeted changes to the regime, with wholesale activity, non-UK customers, distribution chains, and proportionality central to the review.
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Imperial Brands faces scrutiny over football-linked marketing before tighter regulation. A Rizla fashion collaboration has placed regulated-product adjacency, youth culture, and tournament marketing risk back in focus.
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Sovereign investors are moving closer to energy and gold assets. A new Invesco survey says geopolitical disruption, concern over the dollar, and weakening bond-equity diversification are reshaping reserve and sovereign wealth portfolios.
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Central banks have warned that market resilience is becoming thinner. The BIS says AI investment, fragile bond-market liquidity, inflation risks, and strained public finances are creating a tougher policy environment for governments, investors, and companies.
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Audit sanctions sharpen independence warnings for finance and governance leaders. The FRC has penalised King & King and Milankumar Patel over GFG Alliance audits, citing fee dependency, ethical breaches, and audit failures.
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Britain’s tax gap is widening despite stronger enforcement ambitions again. HMRC estimates £59.2bn went unpaid in 2024 to 2025, with small businesses accounting for the largest share.
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HMRC’s tax update adds another compliance track for finance teams. The 2026 package spans digital tax administration, marketplaces, customs, PAYE, self-assessment, VAT, software standards, and company distributions.
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Cheap import reforms will redraw tax pressure across online retail. The government is accelerating customs changes for low-value imports and reviewing online marketplace VAT liability, raising operational questions for retailers, platforms, sellers, and finance teams.
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AI agents are gaining authority faster than enterprise controls inside. Kore.ai says most enterprises report unmanaged risk as agents move into data, decisions, customer interactions, and financial activity.
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Retailers face a short operational runway before VAT changes begin. The Accountancy Partnership says hospitality, leisure, and attractions businesses need to review systems, pricing, and records before 25 June.