A bumpy few months ahead

A bumpy few months ahead

“The slight uptick in Construction PMI suggests the sector is steadying but not bouncing back. Any small improvement is likely due to reduced weather disruption. Overall, demand still looks weak and many projects are being pushed back rather than kicked off. “The market is still split. Infrastructure is holding up…

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Accountancy firm MHA announces partner promotions in Scotland

MHA, the chartered accountancy and business advisory firm, has announced two key promotions to Partner.   In Edinburgh, Ben Sutherland has been promoted to Partner from Director, having started with the firm as a trainee chartered accountant 13 years ago. As part of MHA’s accounts and business advisory services team,…

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Halifax House Price Index indicates a market losing momentum

Emeritus Professor Joe Nellis is economic adviser at MHA, the accountancy and advisory firm. A rise in mortgage rates will dampen house price growth in 2026. Resurgent inflation will increase affordability pressures on potential buyers. The housing market and the broader economy are mutually reinforcing (or undermining). The latest Halifax…

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MHA completes acquisition of MS UAE

Leading accounting and advisory firm MHA is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of Moore Stephens LLC, an audit practice, and Moore Stephens Consulting LLC, a tax and consulting services firm (together “MS UAE”). On 22 December 2025, MHA announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire…

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Giant marshmallows are not confectionery — at least not for VAT purposes

After several years winding its way through the courts, the long‑running VAT dispute over giant marshmallows finally reached a (mostly) definitive conclusion earlier this week. https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukftt/tc/2026/500 After a trip through the Tribunals starting in 2022, the argument found its way to the Court of Appeal. The Court sent this case all…

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UK economy hit hardest by crisis in the Middle East

Emeritus Professor Joe Nellis is economic adviser at MHA, the accountancy and advisory firm. The OECD’s warning that the UK could be the hardest hit among G20 economies by the Iran conflict underlines how vulnerable the country’s fiscal position remains to global shocks — especially those that drive energy prices…

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MHA supports financial literacy programme for young people in Edinburgh

Accountancy and advisory firm MHA has donated £3,500 to help improve the financial literacy of young people in Edinburgh. This is the first donation to be announced in Scotland from the MHA 1892 Foundation, a new charitable initiative designed to address the financial literacy gap among young people across the…

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North Sea policy shifting beyond tax to control, risk and transition pace

By Alan Stewart, Tax Partner, MHA, the accountancy and business advisory firm The rising energy pressures linked to instability around the Strait of Hormuz highlight a more fundamental issue – whether the UK is willing to maintain influence over its own energy position or continue drifting towards greater dependency. The UK Government…

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Inflation holds in February, but the outlook for the UK economy is bleak

UK inflation held at 3% in February, but this is not a sign of things to come. The inflationary landscape has been upended since conflict in the Middle East reignited on the last day of the month. The crisis is injecting fresh volatility into energy markets. Any sustained increase in…

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UK steel strategy and what it means for Scotland

By Alan Stewart, partner at MHA, the accountancy and business advisory firm The UK Government’s ambition to increase domestic steel usage is understandable, particularly in the context of supply chain resilience and supporting UK industry. However, from a Scottish perspective, the implications are more complex. Scotland is not a major…

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