Otley’s small businesses are being urged to ‘spring clean’ their finances following a shake-up in employment regulations.

A raft of rule changes were introduced in April, and Andrew Thornton, who runs TaxAssist Accountants in Otley, says firms need to be aware of their implications.

He said: “Small businesses should ensure they make the most of the new benefits and don’t get caught out by the changes.

“The cost of employing people came out as the top issue facing small businesses in a recent survey we conducted.

“While the latest budget didn’t provide a silver bullet for this issue, there are new tax breaks and changes from April which small business owners need to be aware of – and in some cases could help them to make those vital recruitment decisions.”