# News & Insights > News and insights from TS Partners, page 6. 1. News and Insights ## Articles [](https://tspartners.co.uk/uk-economy-proving-more-robust-than-expected-but-gdp-fell-by-0-3-in-march/) ## [UK economy proving more robust than expected, but GDP fell by 0.3% in March](https://tspartners.co.uk/uk-economy-proving-more-robust-than-expected-but-gdp-fell-by-0-3-in-march/) The UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) continued its recent flatlining trajectory over the first three months of 2023, with reasons for both gloom and optimism. For the more upbeat observers, the ‘headline’ of 2023’s first quarter will be that the UK has continued to narrowly avoid recession into this year, recording 0.1% growth in its \[…\] May 28, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/was-the-recent-coronation-of-king-charles-iii-a-good-or-bad-thing-for-uk-business/) ## [Was the recent coronation of King Charles III a good or bad thing for UK business?](https://tspartners.co.uk/was-the-recent-coronation-of-king-charles-iii-a-good-or-bad-thing-for-uk-business/) It will not have escaped the notice of too many observers in the UK, and certainly great numbers of people further afield, that a nationally defining event took place over the bank holiday weekend. Specifically, the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Camilla, was held on Saturday 6th May at Westminster Abbey, and \[…\] May 26, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/six-month-high-in-the-number-of-uk-business-sectors-that-are-recruiting-new-staff/) ## [Six-month high in the number of UK business sectors that are recruiting new staff](https://tspartners.co.uk/six-month-high-in-the-number-of-uk-business-sectors-that-are-recruiting-new-staff/) Our team here at TS Partners appreciates that for many long-time readers of our news pages, there will be an eagerness to see almost any reason to feel positive about the prospects for UK business. And sure enough, there has indeed been some heartening news lately, in the form of the Bank of Scotland UK \[…\] May 24, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/is-the-tourist-tax-spelling-bad-news-for-your-business/) ## [Is the “tourist tax” spelling bad news for your business?](https://tspartners.co.uk/is-the-tourist-tax-spelling-bad-news-for-your-business/) As recently reported by the Daily Mail, a hundred of the biggest names in tourism, retail and hospitality have come together to campaign to bring back tax-free shopping for tourists travelling to the UK from overseas. Such firms have expressed fears that the “tourist tax” is holding back the UK economy. There are concerns that \[…\] May 15, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/uk-businesses-putting-up-their-prices-at-the-slowest-pace-in-two-years/) ## [UK businesses ‘putting up their prices at the slowest pace in two years’](https://tspartners.co.uk/uk-businesses-putting-up-their-prices-at-the-slowest-pace-in-two-years/) As businesses up and down the UK continue to pick their way through the challenges brought by a sluggish economy, it seems that there is at least some hope of inflation cooling soon. That much emerged from the Bank of Scotland’s UK Sector Tracker, which found that during March, UK businesses increased their prices for \[…\] May 12, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/south-west-england-firms-show-encouraging-business-resilience-but-are-struggling-to-find-staff/) ## [South West England firms show encouraging business resilience, but are struggling to find staff](https://tspartners.co.uk/south-west-england-firms-show-encouraging-business-resilience-but-are-struggling-to-find-staff/) Many an organisation drawing upon our own VAT advice in Plymouth or payroll expertise in Newton Abbot will be interested to read about the findings of a new survey for the first quarter of 2023. The research in question revealed both good and bad news about the situation for firms in South West England. Although \[…\] May 10, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/uk-confirmed-to-have-narrowly-avoided-recession-in-the-fourth-quarter-of-2022/) ## [UK confirmed to have narrowly avoided recession in the fourth quarter of 2022](https://tspartners.co.uk/uk-confirmed-to-have-narrowly-avoided-recession-in-the-fourth-quarter-of-2022/) As businesses up and down the UK continue to grapple with the challenges and opportunities that 2023 represents, it has recently been confirmed by Office for National Statistics (ONS) data that the UK was fortunate enough to avoid slipping into recession during the fourth quarter of 2022. The news is sure to be welcomed by \[…\] May 8, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/government-publishes-bill-to-revamp-business-rates-system-but-does-it-go-far-enough/) ## [Government publishes bill to revamp business rates system – but does it go far enough?](https://tspartners.co.uk/government-publishes-bill-to-revamp-business-rates-system-but-does-it-go-far-enough/) On Wednesday, 29th March 2023, the UK Government introduced a new bill in Parliament, which ministers have said will help businesses in England “by modernising the business rates system to incentivise property improvements and support more frequent revaluations.” If the Non-Domestic Rating Bill becomes law, it will stipulate that valuations of business rates take place \[…\] March 31, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/spring-budget-2023-a-formula-for-business-growth-or-just-underwhelming/) ## [Spring Budget 2023: a formula for business growth, or just underwhelming?](https://tspartners.co.uk/spring-budget-2023-a-formula-for-business-growth-or-just-underwhelming/) Wednesday, 15th March, saw this year’s Spring Budget presented to Parliament by Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt. Unsurprisingly, the Second Lord of the Treasury was keen to talk up the UK as being on a “lasting path to growth” after the tumult of the past year – including that associated with last autumn’s now-notorious \[…\] March 30, 2023 [](https://tspartners.co.uk/less-than-half-of-smes-in-the-uk-have-taken-advantage-of-the-super-deduction-tax-relief-scheme/) ## [Less than half of SMEs in the UK have taken advantage of the super-deduction tax relief scheme](https://tspartners.co.uk/less-than-half-of-smes-in-the-uk-have-taken-advantage-of-the-super-deduction-tax-relief-scheme/) As things stand at the time of typing, the UK Government’s super-deduction tax relief scheme will end on 31st March 2023. The scheme has been running since April 2021, when it was put in place in a bid to encourage businesses to invest in plant and machinery assets that would enable them to boost productivity \[…\] March 4, 2023