FIRMS in East Lancashire are being warned they risk fines of up to £3,000 if they fail to operate a new tax scheme to help famliies.

Employers face penalties if they don't operate the new working families tax credit for staff.

"As many as ten thousand employees in Lancashire will qualify and employers needs to make sure they know what to do," said Diane Eatough, the Blackburn-based President of the North West Society of Chartered Accountants.

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