'Businesses call for late payment protection in Budget'

02 April 2009



Three-quarters of small businesses believe the government should be doing more to help them during the recession, according to a survey by Intuit.

Four in ten small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) claim that late payments have been particularly problematic in the recession, research by financial management firm Intuit has found.

Mark Wordley, of ASUK Accountants in Staffordshire, warned that tougher legislation will be needed to solve this problem. He said: "The issue of late payments continues to be a thorn in the side of many small businesses. "The survey results reiterate that the current legislation is inadequate but also highlights that the problem of late payments is very difficult to address."

Meanwhile, a fifth (21 per cent) would like to see more initiatives outlined in the upcoming Budget to ensure late payments are reduced, while two-thirds believe that relief from indirect taxes would be of greatest benefit.

Just under half (46 per cent) of businesses surveyed have called for a reduction in National Insurance contributions, while more than a quarter (27 per cent) would like the increase to corporation tax deferred.

Alistair Darling is due to make his Budget announcement on April 22nd.

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