Self-storage company Big Yellow has warned its annual business rates bill will jump by £1.8 million next year following measures announced in the Budget.

The business said it will be affected by an upcoming tax shake-up, which will see properties worth more than £500,000 taxed at higher rates.

Big Yellow said 27 of its stores will be affected by the change.

It told investors that it was expecting its annual rates bill for the next tax year, beginning in April 2026, to be almost £23 million, up by £1.8 million from its current bill.

The firm said it was appealing the rateable values of some of its stores.

Big Yellow operates self-storage units from 111 locations in England, Scotland and Wales.

In last week’s autumn Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that a new business rates system will be introduced from the next financial year.

This will see rates multipliers lowered for retail, hospitality and leisure firms – funded by higher rates on larger commercial properties, including warehouses.It also means that firms with larger premises, like storage companies and supermarkets, will be hit with a property tax rise.

The Treasury said the move was designed to “rebalance the business rates system” and help smaller firms by putting more of the tax burden onto bigger operators.

Big Yellow has been the subject of a takeover approach from investment firm Blackstone, which confirmed in October that it was considering making an offer.

But it said one of its considerations was the potential impact of the UK Budget on the self-storage sector.

Blackstone is thought to be contemplating abandoning a potential bid for Big Yellow ahead of a December 8 deadline to make a formal offer, Sky News reported on Tuesday.

Shares in Big Yellow fell on Tuesday and were down by about 1% on Wednesday morning.

Nifty might be in for a roller coaster ride in 2026 as several projections have forecasted an upside of over 10% for the index. Nomura pegged the NSE benchmark Nifty at 29,300 for the next year, a level that signals almost 13% upside from Tuesday’s closing mark of 26,032.20, when the index slipped 144 points, or 0.6%.The brokerage also released its list of top picks: ICICI Bank, Infosys, Bajaj Finance, Mahindra & Mahindra, Axis Bank, Titan, Ultratech Cement, Godrej Consumer Products, LG Electronics, CG Power, Swiggy, Dr Reddy’s, Dixon Technologies, Alkem, Mahindra Finance, Sona Comstar, eClerx, Aditya Birla Real Estate and MedPlus.Nomura attributed its optimism to improving conditions at home and abroad. “A positive view on valuation is now underpinned by calmer geopolitics, stable macros, and a cyclical recovery in economic and corporate earnings growth,” the firm said in its client note cited by ET. It also highlighted that the Indian equity market has trailed most global markets for 14 months, bringing the valuation premium “aligned to historical averages.”The brokerage’s estimates come as other global institutions like Goldman Sachs and HSBC predict a bullish stance. The entities recently predicted gains of 12% and 10% in the Nifty and Sensex respectively in 2026.Even so, Nomura struck a cautious tone on overseas capital flows. It does not foresee a sharp increase in foreign portfolio investments, although it expects marginal improvement next year. “In case there is a moderation in global rally and AI trade, FII interest is likely to improve as valuation premium is now in line with the long-term average,” it said.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

New Delhi: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has issued circular regarding discontinuation of extension of timeline for mandatory Aadhaar Seeding with UAN for filing of ECR in respect of Establishments in the North East Region and Certain Classes of Establishments beyond 31 October 2025.

The mandatory requirement for filing Electronic Challan-cum-Return (ECR) only for those members whose Aadhaar number is seeded and verified with their Universal Account Number (UAN) was introduced with effect from 01 June 2021.

Considering the implementation challenges initially faced by employers and employees, several extensions were provided through the cited circulars and Ministry of Labour & Employment communications. These relaxations specifically covered:

North East Region (NER): States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Specific Industries: Beedi-making, Building & Construction, and Plantation industries (including Tea, Coffee, Cardamom, Pepper, Jute, Rubber, Cinchona, Cashewnuts, etc.).

The latest extension, allowed the above categories time until 31 October 2025.

EPFO has however noted that over the past four years, adequate opportunities have been provided to complete Aadhaar-UAN seeding and verification. Current pendency is marginal and continues to decline steadily.

In order to prevent further dependency on recurring extensions, it has been decided not to grant any further extension, said EPFO.

The retirement fund body has also asked all Zonal Offices (ZOs) and Regional Offices (ROs) to immediately commence intensive sensitisation and awareness drives targeting the concerned employers. 

Employers must be clearly informed that ECR filing for the wage month of November 2025 onwards will be permitted only for members whose Aadhaar is duly seeded and verified with UAN, without exception, EPFO added.