http://www.charteredsecretary.net Chartered Secretary magazine is the magazine of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA). It is published for the ICSA by ICSA Information & Training Ltd, the publishing and training company of the ICSA. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3917 The EU Services Directive took effect in the UK at the end of last year, through the introduction of the Provision of Services Regulations 2009. The regulations cover both those providing services and those supervising them, such as: local authorities, national regulators and professional bodies. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3916 In April the EU Commission adopted a new block exemption regulation on the application of the EU competition rules to vertical agreements. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3915 BSkyB and the FA Premier League look set to mount a legal challenge against OFCOM, the broadcasting regulator, over its demand that Sky reduce the price at which it sells premium sports content to its broadcasting rivals. OFCOM brought this case under the Communications Act 2003 to ensure fair competition in the provision of broadcasting content. However, this case also provides guidance as to how competition regulators will use their powers under the Competition Act 1998 to regulate margin squeeze situations. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3914 The European Commission has used its cartel settlement powers for the first time. The procedure, which has been available since 2008 but not used thus far, was used to settle the case of DRAM computer chip price-fixing. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3913 Perfume maker LOreal has won its long-running case against Bellure in the Court of Appeal, which confirmed the judgement handed down by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year. However, in implementing the judgment, the Court of Appeal also said that it disagreed with the ECJs approach on a number of key points. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3912 The High Court has ruled that although the annual fixture lists of the English and Scottish football leagues are not protected by virtue of being a database, they are in fact protected by copyright. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3911 Since my last column the General Election has come and gone, and before you read this an emergency Budget will have been called by the new Chancellor. From what we already know, it seems highly likely that we can expect a lot of tax changes from the new administration, alongside a lot of specific new anti-avoidance measures and closing of loopholes at the behest of the Liberal Democrats. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3910 If you havent sent your 200910 Employer Annual PAYE Return to HM Revenue & Customs yet, you should do so online without delay, even though it is past the 19 May deadline. Any returns HMRC receives now are late and you may be charged a penalty. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3909 HMRC has announced revised advisory fuel rates for use by employers paying mileage allowances to employees using company cars. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3908 In my December column I pointed out that all UK companies are under obligation to file their company accounts and company tax return online from 2011. HMRC has recently provided more details about the processes involved and the range and types of software packages that are acceptable. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3907 Companies which have more than usually complex accounting issues, or tax issues concerned with loan relationships, will be interested in the latest word on the ongoing consultations with HMRC on this very complex subject. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3906 Not all tax tribunal decisions relate to the cutting edge of the business. Despite the cornucopia of precedents on basic tax topics, there are still some cases involving basic concepts that require clarification. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3877 The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has issued a consultation on the registration of charges. It proposes to amend the existing regime for the registration of charges under Companies Act 2006. The current law can be found in Part 25 of the Act for the most part, it is the same as it was under Part 12 of the Companies Act 1985. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3876 A licence to print money might seem a rather exaggerated description for most businesses. However, for many decades, it was a totally apt summary of Britains commercial independent television companies. But the times and fortunes of the broadcasting business sector have changed. By 2004, the countrys regional television companies were finally amalgamated into just one single company, ITV plc. Since then, the financial performance of independent terrestrial television has slumped to worrying levels. A more suitable description of this ailing television empire might now be a tale of riches to rags. http://www.charteredsecretary.net/briefings.php?id=3875 Regulators were confident that they had cleaned up many of the accounting, auditing and management practices that led Enron to collapse dramatically in 2001. Accounting neglect, weak regulation, poor auditing by Andersens, the misuse of off-balance sheet vehicles, low standards of corporate controls and the greed and ineptitude of senior management all combined to lead to the collapse of the seventh-largest US company. The resulting corporate turmoil led regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to introduce stricter accounting, auditing and governance controls. But perhaps the regulators confidence was misplaced. Now it seems, that in investigating the collapse of Lehman Brothers, they have discovered that these practices merely went underground.