Increasing red tape leaves small firms in South West with a £1.8 billion bill for annual compliance costs

Although there is uncertainty about the economic recovery, there is no doubt that the administrative costs on the region’s small firms is increasing.

• Red tape costs business in the region £1.8 billion or £1,910 per job

• Internal compliance costs have risen to £1.2 billion

• Consultants account for £590 million, a slight reduction on 2013

• Forum members spend slightly less time on compliance but 50% less on external consultants than other firms.

Red tape now costs businesses in the South West just over £1.8 billion. This means that compliance with legislation now costs small firms £14,700 each or around £1,920 per employee – according to research from the Forum of Private Business.

Internal compliance costs have risen to £1.2 billion, eclipsing the modest savings on external consultants which has dropped to £0.6 billion.

On average, each firm in the region hands over approximately £4,800 per year to companies offering legal guidance, including advice on employment law, health and safety and tax – around a third of their £14,700 annual compliance bill, which includes internal time costs.

The not-for-profit Forum’s research shows that the combined annual amount paid by the South West’s small firms to consultants for tax advice is in excess of £346 million, external health and safety support costs almost £120 million per year and employment law consultancy services come to £60 million.

“SMEs in the region continue to struggle to control costs – particularly in the current economic climate – and remain frustrated by the amount of red tape they have to negotiate every day,” said the Forum’s South West consultant, Colin Ward.

“Unlike large companies, small firms simply do not have internal departmental resources dedicated to complying with regulations, so it is either the business owner or a key senior manager who is forced to devote a large amount of time to this task – an average of almost 37 hours each month – or pay for an external consultant, which can be extremely expensive.

Small firms who are Forum members spend slightly less time on compliance than other businesses of their size and around half that of other business on consultants’ fees thanks to our support, however our members in the capital are increasingly concerned about the lack of straight answers from HMRC and other enforcement agencies.”

The Forum has found that small firms across the UK pay external contractors a total of £6.5 billion for regulatory compliance services, while internal time costs are £13.5 billion in total.

“There is also evidence that the government is failing to consider the implications of regulations on the region’s smallest and most numerous employers as micro businesses are paying almost ten times more per employee than medium-sized firms,” continued Mr Ward.

“Paying commission on holiday pay has been a bolt out of the blue and businesses with fewer than five people say that they simply cannot get shared parental leave to work without it harming their ability to grow.”

“It is vital that companies ensure they have the correct internal processes in place to avoid the hefty fines and damaging consequences of non-compliance but we should be moving towards businesses being able to manage risk rather than spend significant resources on avoiding it.”

In addition to its legal expenses insurance, the Forum continues to help small businesses negotiate employment law pitfalls via its Employment Guide. The new and updated 2016 guide is to be published in October.

The Forum has also bolstered its support for members in light of concerns about tax investigation.

For further information visit www.fpb.org

ENDS

Notes to editors

Representing thousands of small businesses across the UK – including retail, service providers and manufacturing companies – the Forum is recognised by the Government as one of the six main business support and lobby groups. It uses this position to influence decision-makers in the UK and Brussels on the issues that matter to small businesses.

Media contacts for this press release

Thomas Parry

Research Manager

Tel: 07885 888085

Email: thomas.parry@fpb.org

Regional Contact

Colin Ward

South West Business Consultant

Mobile: 07808 899603

Tel: 023 8044 0660

Email: colin.ward.fpb@gmail.com


About Forum of Private Business

The Forum of Private Business is a not-for-profit comprehensive business support organisation founded in 1977. Our membership is spread throughout the UK and primarily made up of companies that employ between 1-50 employees, helping them to manage employees, saving time, giving advice, support and protection where a business needs it. We are a recognised leading authority on business issues and represent the interests of business owners on many consultative bodies. We have built a solid reputation, being influential in many areas of policy-making, in changing laws that affect small businesses, and we continue to campaign for the fair treatment of businesses within the UK. Everything we do is about making sure our members’ businesses operate profitably. This means that every penny we make goes back in to supporting our members, providing the support and resources that will enable businesses to flourish and grow.


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