Business

PKF-FPM post-Budget seminar 'will take delegates on journey through the unknown'

READY FOR LIFT-OFF: Launching the PKF-FPM/Irish News 'Journey into the Unknown' post-Budget breakfast in Newry on March 15 are PKF-FPM director Paddy Harty (right) and Irish News business editor Gary McDonald
READY FOR LIFT-OFF: Launching the PKF-FPM/Irish News 'Journey into the Unknown' post-Budget breakfast in Newry on March 15 are PKF-FPM director Paddy Harty (right) and Irish News business editor Gary McDonald READY FOR LIFT-OFF: Launching the PKF-FPM/Irish News 'Journey into the Unknown' post-Budget breakfast in Newry on March 15 are PKF-FPM director Paddy Harty (right) and Irish News business editor Gary McDonald

BRITISH Chancellor Phillip Hammond will unveil his Spring budget on Wednesday March 8 against the background of global economic and political uncertainty following the Brexit referendum leave vote and new US President Donald Trump's policy of ‘America First’ - both issues which will impact on inward investment into the UK and Ireland.

There's also uncertainty around HMRC’s launch of the Digital Tax Account (DTA) system from April next year, while few can adequately grasp yet what will happen around the implementation of corporation tax-setting powers at Stormont, which lies in limbo in the absence of an Executive and a balanced budget.

These are all issues which will be tackled head-on at a business breakfast in Newry on Wednesday March 15 hosted by award-winning accountancy practice PKF-FPM in association with The Irish News.

"We really are on a journey into the unknown, and business needs clarity on these and many other issues," says PKF-FPM director Paddy Harty.

"Hopefully our post-Budget breakfast - which we've been running for more than a decade now - can help try to chart a course through these many unknowns."

Harty, who is currently chairman of the NI tax committee of Chartered Accountants Ireland, will join fellow PKF-FPM director Malachy McLernon among the speakers on March 15 (the free-to-attend event in the Quays starts with breakfast from 7.30am, with the formalities commencing at 8.10am).

There will also be a keynote address from Brian Keegan, director of taxation at the Chartered Accountants Ireland, who has worked as a tax adviser in 'big four' and medium-sized practices for the past 20 years and who is a regular contributor to the Irish media on taxation affairs.

Harty adds: "This Budget, coming less than a week after our snap Stormont election, will most likely have a critical impact on every single business in the north.

"It's vital companies know exactly how it will affect them in the short- and medium-term, so hopefully our long-established post-Budget breakfast initiative, just as it's done in past years, can help steer them through that maze."

Irish News marketing manager John Brolly said: "The long-running PKF-FPM/Irish News breakfast has proven to be a 'must-attend' event for business people, consistently delivering a quality insightful analysis on the most important aspects of the Budget."

To book a free space on March 15 log on to www.pkffpm.com/news/pkf-fpm-post-budget-breakfast-2017 or contact Lauren Quinn at 028 (048 RoI) 302 61010 or l.quinn@pkffpm.com