Jade Wright

HMRC is urging the public to anonymously report suspected tax fraud, money laundering, labour exploitation and illegal sales of tobacco and vapes by high-street businesses such as vape shops and barbers. More than 30,000 enforcement interventions are planned for 2026–27. The initiative is part of a wider government effort against organized crime, supported by a new High Street Organised Crime Unit funded with £30 million and involving HMRC, Trading Standards, police partners and the National Crime Agency.

Starbucks will increase the number of Stars required for several Rewards from September 3, 2026. Handcrafted drinks will rise from 500 to 600 Stars, filter coffee, Americanos and hot teas from 130 to 150, selected bakery items from 300 to 350, and selected merchandise from 1,000 to 1,150. The earning rate will remain 10 Stars per £1 spent, and the Gold Member threshold will be unchanged, meaning customers will generally need to spend more to claim the same freebies.

Restaurants, pubs, cafés and supermarkets across the UK are offering free or heavily discounted children’s meals during the summer holidays. Deals include free meals with an adult purchase, 88p and £1 children’s meals, low-cost breakfasts and app-based promotions. Tesco is also offering free fruit for children, while Morrisons is running free breakfast clubs alongside its café deal. Families are advised to book ahead, use loyalty apps, check participating branches and review age limits, minimum spends and dates; careful planning could substantially reduce the cost of family meals over the holidays.

HMRC has warned more than 864,000 sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000 from self-employment or property that they must submit their first Making Tax Digital quarterly update by August 7, 2026. The update covers the first three months of income and expenses and must be filed using HMRC-recognised software; it does not replace the annual Self Assessment return, which remains due by January 31, 2027. Registration is still open, and accountants can enrol clients. HMRC will not issue penalty points for late quarterly updates in the scheme’s first year, but late tax returns and payments remain subject to normal penalties. Eligibility will expand to people earning over £30,000 in 2027 and over £20,000 in 2028.

New powers under the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill allow the Department for Work and Pensions to require banks to run checks on accounts receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Employment and Support Allowance to identify potential inconsistencies with eligibility rules. Banks may share only limited information, such as account details and confirmation that an account meets predefined indicators; they cannot provide transaction history or spending information. Flagged cases must be reviewed by human staff, with artificial intelligence excluded from entitlement decisions. The system will be phased in from 2026 with independent oversight, and the DWP expects it to identify up to 100,000 incorrect benefit payments annually. State Pension accounts are not included and cannot be added through secondary legislation.