NHBF business update – Tuesday 20 May 2025

NHBF welcomes new HMRC guidance on employment status for hair, beauty and barbering professionals

The National Hair & Beauty Federation (NHBF) is pleased to welcome new guidance from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), created to help people in our sector understand whether they’re classed as employed or self-employed for tax purposes.

The guidance is especially useful for those working under the popular ‘rent a chair’ model — where professionals pay a fee or a percentage of their earnings to use a chair or space in a salon, barbershop or clinic.

Put together with input from the NHBF and other sector groups, the guidance includes practical, easy-to-follow information about common working setups, along with real-life examples. It also explains how to use HMRC’s Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool to figure out someone’s tax status — whether that’s as an employee or a self-employed business owner.

Read the full press release

Scottish Government to introduce aesthetic procedures regulation

The NHBF is pleased to inform our Members that the Scottish Government has officially confirmed plans to introduce a Non-surgical Cosmetic Procedures Bill as part of their 'Programme for Government 2025-26: Building The Best Future For Scotland', published on May 6th.

This significant development marks an important step toward improving standards and safety across the aesthetics sector in Scotland, with potential implications for the wider UK beauty sector.

Read the full statement

Trading Standards warn public over products with unregulated ingredients

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) is issuing a stark warning to the public about dangerous and unregulated nasal tanning sprays that are being marketed to consumers on social media platforms. These products can cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, and even changes in mole shape and size. Long-term health impacts are not yet known, but studies have shown a potential link to melanoma, a type of skin cancer.

CTSI is also aware of a new emerging threat/trend, of flavoured nasal tanning sprays and sellers on Facebook and TikTok posting pictures of nasal tanning sprays that are available in flavours, such as peach, bubble-gum, Red Bull, grape, strawberry and lime. These unscrupulous sellers are also marketing tanning drops and gummies designed to be ingested. There is a real concern that these products are being marketed at children, which could lead to these becoming the latest ‘must have' products leading to a youth epidemic as we saw with disposable vapes.

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Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Act

Last week, the UK government passed the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Act 2025. The Act transfers all functions, properties, rights, and liabilities from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to the Secretary of State.

This gives the government direct control over how the apprenticeship process is managed. NHBF will join other organisations in holding the government to account and working to make sure this shift in responsibility leads to a better system for its members.

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Minister announces £250million of Access to Finance funding to support start-ups and SMEs in Northern Ireland

Northern Irish Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has launched a new round of Access to Finance funding from Invest NI. 

The portfolio of three funds includes £100million from Invest NI and is expected to attract over £150million in private sector funding. As a result, a potential total investment of more than £250million will be made over the next 10 years.

Access to Finance is open to any business in Northern Ireland that meets the individual fund criteria. More information is available on each fund at:  www.investni.com/finance