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Europe's inflation has fallen to a new record low since the beginning of the financial crisis. The European Central Bank has said this is now becoming very dangerous for the economies of Europe.Inflation rose only by 0.4% in July, down from 0.5% in June. At this low rate there is a very real risk of deflation. The European Central Banks target is 2%. If it stays lower than 1% there is a chance prices could begin to spiral.A few EU countries have also felt a deflation and Spain`s latest figures have shown a fall in prices over the last 12 months. Other countries such as Greece and Portugal have had inflation well below Zero.It is widely expected that the European Commission Bank will begin on a programme of quantative easing, with them buying financial assets from governments such as debt and bonds, with the aim to help increase inflation.These figures show how weak the Eurozone economy is and the UK is very lucky to not be part of the since currency at present, as the UK continues to grow and thrive.This blog was brought to you by Your Virtual Office London, if you enjoyed this post, you can read more interesting and insightful articles on our business and economy blog.

Yes, annual return and company tax return are two obligations bestowed upon companies which are a legal requirement. In this article we will look meticulously as what is needed and when you need to act upon this.

I have a limited company do I need to be aware of an annual return?

If you run a Limited company you will need to understand the legal requirements that are necessary in order for your company to run legally. An annual return is a legal requirement, this is snap shot of your companies` information, this is required at least once every 12 months and needs to be updated if major changes have taken place. The annual return is a publicly available record and provides Companies House and the public with key information.

Key features of an Annual Return

• Provides a comprehensive view of how the company is set out
• Substantiates who runs the company in the form of directors and shareholders details
• It confirms the registered office address of the company
• It will confirm the secretaries` details if there is one allocated
• Compulsory every 12 months, and are due 28 days from the anniversary of the company incorporation

Do I need to complete a tax return?

If you run a limited company then you are legally required to complete a tax return. It`s a legal requisite from HMRC that facilitates a tax calculation to be performed on the financial figures produced from the companies trading. The director of the company is normally responsible for ensuring the statutory tax return is completed, if this is overlooked the company will amass fines and will ultimately be struck off if the notices are ignored.

How to find out when my tax return date is

You can find out when your tax return date is by using the Web Check system for companies house, this is a free online service and it provides insightful information about any Limited Company including your own. This is different to an annual return; the tax return provides more detailed financial information regarding your company`s financial trading. It is used to determine how much corporation tax is owed. An annual return is required by Companies House; a tax return is required by HMRC and then is submitted to Companies House so that they can list this on the company register for public access.You will need to either type your company name or company number in the search field. You will then be presented with a list of companies, select your company. On the next screen you will see the snap shot information including the accounts due date.

Key features of an Annual Return

• Legal requirement normally every 12 months,
• Your accounts due date can be found online via the Web Check service
• The tax return is for HMRC, need for tax computation to establish if any tax is due

If you found this blog helpful you can read more insightful articles on accountants and taxation here. Your Virtual Office London is a leader in virtual office, accounting and company formations.

With effect from January 2015 UK drivers may face the prospect of dealing with driverless cars on our already overcrowded city roads.At present the UK government has announced that these driverless vehicles will be allowed on public roads from January next year and have invited cities to declare an interest for the hosting of just three technical trials before the start of October. The trials will be starting at the same time and are intended to run for between 18 and 36 months, and it is thought that in addition to testing public opinion and safety these trials will be used to review the current UK road regulations and to provide appropriate additional guidelines if it is proved necessary.Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, made the announcement at the research facility of Mira, an automotive engineering firm based in the Midlands, and mentioned that this transformational technology will open up new opportunities for the UK economy and society.The UK government has set aside a £10m fund to cover the cost of the trials and this will be divided between the three host cities.The government has already requested civil servants at the Department of Transport to publish a review of road regulations and has given them a deadline of December 2014. This review will concentrate on the compliance with safety and traffic laws and which may involve various changes to the current Highway Code as it applies to England, Scotland and Wales.Additional areas to be reviewed will examine how these new rules and regulations will apply to these driverless vehicles in which the driver can take back control at short notice, for example in an emergency situation, and how they should apply to driverless vehicles, especially in the case of an accident where both legal and insurance issues may require specific conditions to be met by either the driverless vehicles, such as a routine testing of the guidance system, or one of the passenger(s) may need to be nominated as the designated driver in case of an emergency situation.If you found this business blog interested you can read more articles in our business blog here.

it is reported that the US economy grew at a high rate of 4% during the months of April to June. The United States Department of Commerce have reported that the growth during this second quarter now has reversed the contraction seen at the start of the first period in the current year.Now growth is forthcoming the Federal Reserve would start to ease the economic stimulus, it is expected that the Federal Reserve will reduce it`s monthly bond purchased from $35 billion to $25 billion.However the growth is now leading to inflation fears, the US labour market is a lot weaker than predicted and this could lead to higher inflation when combined with low interest rates, which are suggested to remain low until mid 2015. Low inflation rates could increase inflation, inflation increased by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2014, it is higher than the 1.4% target.If you enjoyed this business blog post, you may like to know there are more interesting and informative articles in our business blog.Your Virtual Office is a leading virtual office provider in London, if you would like to speak to us about our products please get in contact with us here.

It is now the second time Argentine has defaulted on its debt, this will be the second time in 13 years. It was hoped that discussions being held in New Your with a group of bond holders would be successful however it has ended in failure.The bond holders we requesting a full pay-out of the $1.3 billion on the bonds they hold. Argentina stated they ant afford to purchase the bonds back and suggested the bond holders were using the debt crisis to cash in and make a profit out of them.The last time Argentina defaulted was in 2001, a US judge has given a deadline of 04.00 GMT for a deal to be agreed. The Argentine Minister has said that the Bond Holders rejected their latest offer.The latest default is not expected to have the same effect on the economy as it did in 2001. In the 2001 default many people were protesting and dozens were killed, authorities froze many savers accounts in order to stop a run on the banks.If you found this economy blog interesting you can read more insightful articles in our economy and business blog sections

The simple answer to that is yes, an LLP (Limited Liability Partnership) must provide a registered office address when forming the company.When the company is being registered with Companies House, Companies House requires a registered office address for this type of company. The address will be used for all official stator mail from HMRC and Companies House.It`s a legal requirement however the address can be changed at any time, however if you are looking to keep your residential address private, we would recommend from outset using our registered office address in London from outset. When you change an address at company`s house, and you are allowed to change the address at any time, all changes are kept on public record. This means anyone can see past addresses which could be your residential address.You are allowed to use any UK address as the main registered office address, residential, commercial or other. We always recommend our service address as its very affordable and it keeps your details private.

Benefits of using our registered office address

• Stops unwanted junk mail
• Stops unwanted or disgruntled visitors
• Prestigious London address
• Impresses clients with a professional commercial address
• All mail is forwarded free of charge

Why our registered office service?

Our London office address service adds instant prestige to your company, creating a professional corporate image that impresses your clients. Using your residential address will not have the same effect on clients, some clients are hard to please and our service is aimed at impressing everyone no matter how difficult they may be to please.

Your Virtual Office London registered office service

Your Virtual Office London provide company formations which include formations of Limited Liability Partnerships and Limited Companies, a registered office address in Central London. Our location is very eminent and well recognized globally for being the hub of commerce and finance in London. With our registered office address all HMRC and Companies House statutory mail is forwarded to your location free of charge by 1st class mail same day, and this does include forwarding to international address for our overseas clients.If you found this blog helpful you can read more articles on our address services here.

The United Kingdom should be prepared to pay the economic price for Russia`s sanctions, Philip Hammond has warned.He has suggested all of Europe will feel the after effects of large financial sanctions on Russia. Philip Hammond suggests that the UK will feel from the sanctions will be no worse than other EU member states and that it is essential for the sanctions in order to curb Russian aggression.Full details regarding the EU sanctions on Russia will be announced on Wednesday. It is thought the latest sanctions will target Russian oligarchs with a new round of asset freezes and even possible travel bans.The EU is thought to face increased oil and gas prices due to suspected sanctions on the oil sector. Further sanctions are also going to be aimed at defence equipment and sensitive technologies.

Are the sanctions working?

The idea of sanctions is to apply pressure on the Russian banks and top businesses owners. These people will feel the pressure of sanctions with many billions of dollars being lost. The central bank in Russia is having to spend many billions of dollars in order to prop up the rouble.The sanctions are designed to make Russia understand that they cant carry on supporting the Rebels. The sanctions will hurt the UK and Europe but they will hurt Russia far more.The big economies of the EU will share the pain from the sanctions but it will be worth it, taking a stand to the Russian aggression in Ukraine will benefit the civilised world and we must be prepared to pay the price for doing so.If you found this economy blog interesting you can find more great articles in our business and economy blog.

Here are the top 5 tips for conducting a good interview:

1. Plan the interview

Having a plan is vital, create a structure to the interview, having an opening, middle and end is important for yourself and the candidate. This will help the conversation flow and for the candidate to best respond to questions in a natural fashion. If there is more than one person conducting the interview make sure you both understand the structure and who is asking what questions.

2. Know your candidate

Make sure you prepare and read the candidates CV and cover letter. Get to know their name and location along with key information such as past roles, skills and any other points that may stick out from the CV. Knowing the candidate may then give rise to other questions which you can prepare before the interview takes place.

3. Appearances are important

Make sure you look your best when you conduct your interviews, no late nights before the day and having your best outfit ready will give your candidate a very good impression of your company. Remember the candidate may have other options and you are not just choosing the candidate, they are choosing you, which many people overlook until the job offer is overlooked. Marinating eye contact, smiling at appropriate places during the interview, being polite and most importantly listening to what they have to say. It sounds so simple, but one or more of these are often overlooked by interviewees.

4. Take notes

This is one of the most overlooked parts, taking a notepad in the interview can really help you remember key parts of the conversation when reviewing the day`s candidates. If you have lots of candidates make sure your notes are clear and well structured. Taking notes on the conversation and answers the candidates give to your structured questions are vital.

5. Be quick offering the role

Many employers again overlook this, however good candidates do not stay on the market long. A candidate may often have a block of interviews lined up and the very best may get multiple offers. If you find the candidate that is the right one for the position it is best to offer them the role with a few days as every day that passes increases the chance that they will not accept the offer due to external factors.If you found this blog helpful, you can find more helpful hints and tips in our advice section of our blog. Please favourite our business blog.This was brought to by Your Virtual Office London, leaders in company formation, virtual office services and professional services.

It has been reported that 7 out of 10 regions across the UK have recorded house price falls in June reported by the Land Registry.In comparison house prices are still 6.4% higher when compared to the same period in June 2013. The average price of a home is currently at £172,011.The Land Registry report does show that the largest rise was in the West Midlands in June, up 1.9% and the largest fall was in Yorkshire which feel by 1.3%.Of course the largest rise was in London, the year on year figure was up a staggering 16.4%, the slowest yearly rise was in the North East area of England, with a slow 0.8% increase.Many forecasters are suggesting that the UK house prices will start to slow over the summer period, house prices typically rise in Spring and then slow over the summer holiday period.One commentator suggested that the talk of an interest rate rise was starting to affect house buyers confidence, but people are still keen to buy property.If you found this economy blog interesting you can find more informative blog posts in our economy blog section here.

If you have been selected for a job interview you will need to prepare. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Our hints are for your benefit and come out of experience. You want to give a good impression and our hints will really help you impress.

Research your employer

Find out who your employer is, what they do, and key facts such as locations, services provided, prices they charge, and even who the competition are. Prepare to be asked questions about the company, look up fact`s such as last year`s profits and any news in social media or the company blog. Researching the industry they are in and any developments can really impress your clients and make you look professional.

Prepare and practice

There is no right or wrong format for the interview, however there are some questions that should always be prepared for. Questions such as what you are weaknesses will always crop up, being prepared for this question will put you in good stead, addressing weaknesses in the interview will give your prospective employer trust in your honesty. You should also practice explaining why you are the best person for the job, go into past experience in work and personal life.

Dress Smart

No matter what people say appearances are important, your prospective employer will judge you and how you look, the smarter you look the better. Simple things such as well fitted clothes and clean shoes sounds obvious but many people can overlook this.

Ask Questions

Be proactive, ask the prospective employer questions, this will show your interest in the company and the position that you are applying for. We recommend preparing at least 4 questions, questions about the company`s future, culture and what goals they are expecting from you and the company as a whole.

Stay Calm

Staying calm is very important, being in control of yourself and your answers will really boost your chances of becoming the person they choose for the position. Prepare for the interview, write down your questions and answers, get your outfit out ready the night before. Smiling is important, a firm handshake can also work well, stay calm, the interviewers are also just normal people like yourself.If you found this blog helpful, you can read more on our business and economy blog here. Your Virtual Office London providing professional business services for small companies.