Daily Mail

THE DAILY BRIEFING

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■ TAX DODGERS Restaurant­s and takeaways are among the most likely to default on tax.

They make up nearly a fifth of the businesses and owners ‘named and shamed’ as deliberate tax defaulters by the HMRC, according to research by accountant­s Moore Stephens.

It said HMRC was now automating most checks on the restaurant industry by taking data from card readers and cross-referencin­g it against a restaurant’s declared takings.

■ BOSSES OPTIMISTIC Business leaders are confident in their own firms ahead of Brexit. A poll by the Institute of Directors found that almost half of all business leaders feel optimistic about their own prospects ahead of 2018.

The British Chamber of Commerce has called on the Government to make securing a business-friendly trade deal with the EU a priority.

■ TRADE HOPES Businesses believe western, central and eastern Europe will be key trading markets over the next three years, according to research by the British Chambers of Commerce. However, they fear tariffs, customs procedures and local regulation­s will cause unnecessar­y barriers.

■ BITCOIN ACTION Israel is the latest country to crack down on bitcoin amid fears a toxic bubble is building that could ruin speculator­s. The Israel Securities Authority has banned firms which focus on online currencies listing on the Tel Aviv stock exchange.

It follows a ban in China and regulation in the US and Singapore, as well as warnings from UK watchdogs. The currency rallied 13pc to nearly $16,000 yesterday.

■ JOBS BOOST A huge stimulus package has brought Japanese unemployme­nt down to its lowest level in 24 years.

The jobless rate dropped 0.1pc to 2.7pc – the best figure since 1994, and significan­tly below the UK’s 4.3pc, following a five-year battle to boost growth.

■ DEALS SOUGHT British Gas owner Centrica is seeking deals to expand its production arm, a top executive said. Division head Chris Cox said the business would seek joint ventures with rivals. It follows a tie- up with German firm Bayerngas Norge.

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