Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac says there’s still everything to play for in the PRO 14 this season, ahead of a crucial clash against the Dragons at Parc Y Scarlets on Saturday.

Wales hooker Ken Owens makes a surprise appearance at No8 for the Scarlets.

Ryan Elias is set to make his 100th appearance for Scarlets in the final home derby clash of the season.

The Carmarthen-born Academy product comes into the 15 to mark his centenary, after injuries to Will Boyde and James Davies against the Blues see a pack reshuffle. 

With Leigh Halfpenny unavailable due to concussion, Johnny McNicholl moves to full-back, with Paul Asquith and Ioan Nicholas completing the back-three. 

Kieran Hardy and Dan Jones form the 9/10 partnership with Hadleigh Parkes back in midfield alongside Jonathan Davies.

Following the Dragons upset against the Ospreys last time out, the West Wales region are under no illusions about the tough challenge represented by the Gwent region this weekend.

Commented ahead of the derby clash, head coach Wayne Pivac said; “We haven’t been too far off. We had 68% possession and 65% territory against the Blues so we did some good things. It’s more about the things that we can do to make sure we convert that pressure and time in the opposition’s 22 into points.  The focus for us this week has been on our pass accuracy and the separation between our ball carriers and runners.  There were some positives out there and we’re focusing on that and tightening up in other areas.

“Results are going all over the shop and we’re still one point off the play-offs.  Other results have meant there’s everything to play for. We believe that by the end of the season if we can get our top side on the pitch then we’ll compete in this competition. We’ve got to accumulate enough points between now and then.  This game against the Dragons on the weekend becomes vital in that quest.  We believe we’ll turn it round and the boys are working very hard and haven’t lost sight of the end goal.”

Scarlets team to take on Dragons at Parc y Scarlets, Saturday 5th January, kick-off 17:15;

15  Johnny McNicholl , 14 Ioan Nicholas, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12  Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Paul Asquith, 10 Dan Jones, 9  Kieran Hardy, 1 Rob Evans, 2 Ryan Elias, 3 Samson Lee, 4 Josh Helps, 5 David Bulbring, 6 Ed Kennedy, 7 Dan Davies, 8 Ken Owens ©

Replacements; 16 Marc Jones, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 Tom Price, 20 Tom Phillips, 21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, 22 Steff Hughes, 23  Tom Prydie, 24 Phil Price, 25 Gareth Davies 

Injuries –
James Davies- foot, Leigh Halfpenny- concussion, Will Boyde- ribs, Rhys Patchell – hamstring, Jake Ball – shoulder, Lewis Rawlins – shoulder, Steve Cummins – shoulder, Uzair Cassiem – shoulder, Blade Thomson – concussion, Josh Macleod – foot, Angus O’Brien – knee, Aaron Shingler – knee

By Mark Jones, director of Carmarthen-based Clay Shaw Butler chartered accountants and business consultants. The Money Matters column appears in the Pembrokeshire Herald, the Carmarthenshire Herald and the Llanelli Herald newspapers.

The Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) has published the first of two reports on inheritance tax.

The first report sets out an explanation of the issues and complexities of IHT, gives an overview of concerns raised by the public and professional advisors during the review and then makes recommendations.

This first report examines the administrative issues that people complain about and which were raised in the responses.

The second report covering other wider areas of concern to people will follow in the Spring.

The first report highlights the benefits of:

• reducing or removing the requirement to submit forms for smaller or simpler estates, especially where there is no tax to pay
• simplifying the administration and guidance
• the advantages of banks and other financial institutions having standardised requirements
• automating the whole system by bringing it online

Angela Knight CBE, OTS Chairman, said:

“Inheritance tax is both unpopular and complicated. The basic design of the tax itself is for government, but at the OTS we can address that most frequent of all comments ‘at least make it easier for the families to fill in the forms’.

“The OTS has worked on ways to address these practical complexities, which have come through loud and clear.

“The recommendations in this report will make it easier for the majority, and would mean that in future, many may not have to do the forms at all. Improving the administration of this tax in these ways is important as having to deal with the current process can seem overwhelming to people at a time when they are both preoccupied and distressed.”

More than 3,500 people shared their views about Inheritance Tax with the OTS, far more than in any previous review.

Many of those who responded told the OTS that, at what is such a difficult time, they felt they were being asked to fill in complicated forms even where the relative who had died had only left a small amount.

Although Inheritance Tax is payable on less than 5% of the estates of the 570,000 people who die in the UK each year, around half of the families have to fill in the forms.

The OTS is undertaking this two-part review of IHT in response to the request from the Chancellor of the Exchequer in January 2018.

Paul Morton, OTS Tax Director, said: “It has been hugely positive to have had the benefit of so many personal insights into the experience of dealing with Inheritance Tax alongside deep engagement with many professional advisers.

“This has been key to informing the overview of the tax that the report provides, and will underpin the OTS’s continuing work on its second report.

“The key recommendation in this report on the administration of the tax, as with other work of the OTS, is that technology should be deployed to provide a digital solution to transform the experience of those dealing with the tax on a day to day basis.

“It is always a priority for the OTS to focus on improving the experience of individuals and others who need to engage with the tax system.

“During this review, the OTS consulted with a wide range of individuals and businesses effected by Inheritance Tax issues. They received a record response to a call for evidence from individuals, advisers and the general public. There were nearly 3,000 responses to an online survey, a further 500 emails from individuals and over 100 written responses from experts.”

If you need help with Inheritance Tax advice, then please contact the team at West Wales chartered accountants Clay Shaw Butler.

The OTS is the independent adviser to government on simplifying the UK tax system, to make it easier for the taxpayer. It does not implement changes – these are a matter for government and for parliament.

The OTS works to improve the experience of all who interact with the tax system. It aims to reduce the administrative burden – which is what people encounter in practice – as well as looking to simplify the rules. Simplification of the technical and administrative aspects of tax are important, both to taxpayers and to HMRC.

You can find out more about money matters on the Clay Shaw Butler website (under our news for business section) – 

http://www.clayshawbutler.com/news/latest-news-for-business

We have a strong and experienced team with great local knowledge all geared-up to helping you get the very best from your finances – whether that is as an individual or as a business.

We stay ahead of the game by putting great store by continual professional development for our staff.

With Investors In People status at Clay Shaw Butler, we care passionately about making sure our staff have all the tools they need to serve you, our customers.

Weblink – http://www.clayshawbutler.com

The team at Clay Shaw Butler can be contacted on 01267 228500.

The team at Clay Shaw Butler are on Twitter. Look for @clayshawbutler.

A few photos from darling daughter’s surprise birthday party –

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CVgTeJ8EcbPz91LVA

The party was on New Year’s Day.

A big surprise as her birthday is today!

50 plus guests in the house was a squeeze but well worth it x

Latest news from the Federation of Small Businesses (Swansea) –

#FSBConnect Swansea   

When: Friday 11 January, 8.30am – 10.30am, and regularly every second Friday of each month

Where: University of Wales Trinity St David, High Street, Swansea, SA1 1NE 

Cost: The cost is £6 including VAT and includes breakfast and refreshments 

Each month in Swansea, we host our networking breakfast at UWTSD’s Business School. The cooked breakfast provided by the new catering management at the Business School at recent networking breakfasts has been fantastic. Why not come along and enjoy a delicious breakfast while making connections with like-minded business owners? 

All are welcome so why not bring a friend/colleague to meet fellow business owners and entrepreneurs over breakfast in a friendly, informal environment. 

After informal networking over breakfast, attendees will be given the opportunity to promote their business and hear others do the same, all in a supportive, unpressured environment. Please bring any promotional literature you might have. 

There will also be FSB representatives on hand to talk to you about making the most of your FSB membership.

The next event is 11 January 

To learn more about FSB Connect events in your area please visit our website – https://www.fsb.org.uk/standing-up-for-you/national-offices/wales/wales-events

For general enquiries regarding the event or to learn more about FSB Connect events in your area please contact Christie Engwell.

Llanelli’s customer service centre is offering more services than ever before with hundreds of people coming through the doors every week helping to drive town centre footfall.

The Hwb in Vaughan Street deals with around 3,000 appointments every month on issues ranging from housing benefit and council tax claims to licensing and Blue Badges.

Some planning information is also handled at the centre.

Some 3,500 payments are taken over the cash desk per month and around 400 people use the cash machine to pay things like council tax or rent.

A number of successful projects are being delivered from the centre including Learn Direct which offer a wide range of courses and qualifications for those wishing to improve their skills.

Workways + and Communities for Work offer support around employment and training including courses required to obtain relevant skills and qualifications to move into work.

Digital facilities and printing are available for those wishing to look for work or accessing on-line council services.

One customer said that her life has been turned around after visiting the Hwb.

Rebecca (not her real name) said: “When I first went to the Hwb I was at the stage of feeling beyond help and was a total mess – I didn’t have a job and was suffering from a number of ailments including depression and anxiety. I also had a number of previous criminal convictions and didn’t think anyone would want me to work for them. The staff listened to me, guided me through the different stages, gave me suitable training and then linked up with a number of voluntary organisations which I now work for. I’m a different person now and most of all I’m happy.”

The centre has also partnered up with volunteering organisations for those wishing to gain on the job experience whilst looking for work.

The council’s executive board member for resources, Cllr David Jenkins said: “The Hwb in Llanelli has proved very popular and a lot of additional services have been brought into it. Whilst these services attract increased footfall and have boosted trade, it also makes it easier for people to access them all under one roof or for those who prefer face to face contact.”

A new Hwb providing similar service has opened in Quay Street, Ammanford.

Introbiz is wishing everyone a happy new year, as we look forward to the business opportunities 2019 brings.

Last year, we connected thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and business owners together at our eight different types of networking events.

We are always aiming to connect you with your target audience in fantastic venues. In 2019, we have no plans to slow down with hundreds of businesses expected to attend our first few networking events of the year. Start the new year the right way and connect with like-minded business professionals who will help you transform your business.

Be proactive in 2019 and come and meet your next client or business partner. Visitors are welcome to attend to discover the many ways we can help your business grow. 

Upcoming Introbiz events for 2019

Power Group Event at the Vale Resort Hotel

Join us at our first business networking event of 2019. We will be hosting a power group event at The Vale Resort, Hensol on Thursday, 10th January from 4-6pm. Over 80-100 businesses attended this event last year. Connect with like-minded business professionals and build new relationships for 2019. The first hour will be used for informal networking where you can enjoy a delicious selection of refreshments. The second hour will take a more formal turn as guests take their seats at their designated tables. At the end of the event, there’ll be an opportunity to hand out your business cards and ask or answer any questions you may have. Celebrate our first business networking event of the year. Book your ticket, here. 

Ladies Lunch at Holm House Hotel 

Are you looking to meet, socialise or network with the amazing women in your community?  Join us for ladies’ power lunch held at Holm House Hotel on Friday, 18th January from 12:30-2:30pm. Over 40-60 businesses attended this event last year.

This event is structured around helping to create a strong professional network for like-minded business professionals. On arrival, guests will collect a glass of bubbly and network informally for the first hour. During the second hour, a delicious main course and dessert lunch will be served followed by more networking. Book your ticket, here. 

Networking Breakfast at the Vale Resort Hotel

Join us, Friday 25th January from 7:30am-9:30am, at the Vale Resort Hotel. Over 80-100 businesses attended this event last year. This is the perfect opportunity to connect with new business owners, corporate companies and SMEs in a brilliant venue. Enjoy networking over a delicious cooked breakfast. You’ll be sat on a table with businesses that meet your target audience and you’ll be able to showcase your business and what you do. Join us at the first networking breakfast event of the year, book here.    

SAVE THE DATE

Introbiz 10th year birthday celebrations

Introbiz are celebrating ten years in business and as we reach this milestone we want to celebrate with everyone who has been part of our success, as we truly appreciate your support. Join us, Thursday 7th February at Novotel Hotel, Cardiff from 4pm-7pm. To find out more, click here.

To book onto these exclusive networking events please call the

Introbiz team on 02920 291002 or email info@introbiz.co.uk.

FUTURE EVENTS

Introbiz 10th Year Birthday Party, Novotel Hotel Cardiff 

Thursday 7th February

4pm- 7pm

Ladies Lunch at Holm House Hotel

Friday 18th January 2019

12:30pm-2:30pm

Ladies’ Lunch at Ty Madeira Restaurant, Cardiff

Friday, 15th February

12:30pm–2:30pm

Networking Breakfast at the Vale Resort

Friday 25th January 2019

7:30am – 9:30am

Introbiz Networking Events 

CONTACT:

02920 291 002     E. INFO@INTROBIZ.CO.UK   

WWW.INTROBIZ.CO.UK