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Google adds gluten-free and halal badges to menus: tick with care
For cafés, restaurants, takeaways and bakeries with a menu on Google: what Google added in October, the legal line behind "gluten-free", and what to check before you tick a box.
By Yusuf Gökce · 3 minStaff now have 6 months, not 3, to take you to a tribunal
For every employer in England, Wales and Scotland: what changed on 1 October 2026, which problems the new limit covers, and the one line to fix in your staff handbook this week.
MoneyTurn over more than £30,000? Making Tax Digital starts April 2027
For sole traders and landlords with more than £30,000 turnover in 2025 to 2026: what changes on 6 April 2027, why there is no penalty-free first year, and what to do before then.
MoneyMissed HMRC's 5 October sign-up? Register now, pay by 31 January
For sole traders and anyone else new to Self Assessment who did not tell HMRC by 5 October 2026: what happens now, and how to stay clear of a penalty.
MarketingNew Google Business Profile rule: file too many unfounded support reports and Google may stop assessing your complaints
Google has added a "Misuse of support channels" paragraph to its Business Profile policies. It applies to every profile owner and to any agency acting for you, in the UK and Germany alike.
MoneyThe UK vaping duty is live: £2.20 per 10ml and a 31 March 2027 deadline for unstamped stock
Since 1 October every bottle of vape liquid made in or brought into the UK carries a new excise duty, and shops have six months to sell through what is already on the shelf.
MoneyGermany cuts fuel tax by 14 cents a litre from 1 October: what it is worth for a van, and why you should not bank on it
Since 1 October, and until 31 December 2026, energy tax on petrol and diesel is 14.04 cents per litre lower, up to around 17 cents at the pump including VAT. Whether the full amount reaches the pump is up to the fuel companies.
MoneyGermany plans mandatory electronic tills from 2028: what the €100,000 line means for your shop
The cabinet has approved a bill that would require a certified electronic till from 1 January 2028 for businesses above €100,000 in annual turnover, and replace the paper receipt with a digital one. Parliament still has to vote.
Law & StaffCustoms questioned 3,300 salon staff in one Saturday. Here are the papers every salon in Germany should have ready
On 26 September around 2,200 customs officers inspected hairdressers, barbershops, nail and beauty studios across Germany. Hundreds of proceedings followed, many of them for missing registrations and ID documents rather than for undeclared work.
MarketingGoogle now shows you what its automated assistant collected about your business
A new "Collected info" tab in your Business Profile shows details Google picked up from calls and chats with your business — and lets you delete the ones that are wrong.
MoneyHMRC's faster Self Assessment sign-up is live — register before 5 October
A rebuilt online registration means new Self Assessment customers get their tax reference in days, not weeks — but the 5 October deadline hasn't moved.
MarketingGoogle Ads Adds Two New Ways to Prove Ads Are Driving Store Visits
A Performance Max toggle now prioritises nearby shoppers, and a Data Manager update lets you plug in your own sales data, both ahead of the holiday rush.
TaxThe £1,000 trading allowance, explained simply
If you earn a little on the side, this is the number that decides whether HMRC needs to hear from you.