Practical advice for UK small businesses. Expert guidance on bookkeeping, tax planning, and growing your business profitably.
The salary most single director companies run through FreeAgent payroll, why £12,570 usually beats a lower figure even after employer NI, and the dividends on top.
Read the guideFreeAgent adds up your loan account from five places, flags an overdrawn balance on the CT600, and leaves the S455 boxes for you. Plus the April 2027 filing catch.
Read the guideFreeAgent creates the board minutes and dividend voucher for you. How to record a dividend, check you have the profits to pay it, and what it costs in tax for 2026/27.
Read the guideR&D claims, asset sales, property income, dormant companies and losses carried back. The cases FreeAgent cannot file, and how to get your year end done anyway.
Read the guideSoftware-only filing, a profit and loss account for micro-entities, and no more abridged accounts. The date is now 1 April 2028. What it means if you file through FreeAgent.
Read the guideFreeAgent can file micro-entity accounts and your CT600 for a lot of small companies. It will not check that yours qualifies, and there is a long list of situations it cannot file at all.
Read the guideThe £90,000 threshold runs on a rolling 12 months, so it arrives mid quarter without warning. The two registration tests, the one that backdates you to the day you realised, and what late registration actually costs.
Read the guideS455 rose to 35.75% for loans made on or after 6 April 2026, and the summary guidance page still shows the old rate. What it costs, the nine month window, and the 30 day rule that catches people who repay and reborrow.
Read the guideCompany cars, fuel, vans and private medical move to real time reporting on 6 April 2027. Loans and accommodation stay voluntary. And your April 2027 payslip may look like you are being taxed twice.
Read the guideRegistering late brings two bills, and only one is still in your hands. What the failure to notify penalty runs on, and why telling HMRC before they ask can take it all the way to nothing.
Read the guideThe late filing penalty is automatic and runs from £150 to £1,500, and it doubles if you are late two years running. The bands, whether an appeal is worth trying, and why the fine is not the worst part.
Read the guideA late confirmation statement can bring a financial penalty and get your company struck off. What happens at each stage, what restoration costs, and the identity verification trap that now stops people filing at all.
Read the guideVerification is now a legal requirement. Directors give an 11 character personal code on the next confirmation statement, and most owner directors have a second 14 day PSC deadline they do not know about.
Read the guideSwitching accountants is far simpler than most owners fear. The step-by-step process, what each accountant does, the best time to switch, and what about mid-contract or owing fees.
Read the guideA step-by-step EIS checklist: how to qualify, how much you can raise, getting the shares right, the HMRC process in order, and keeping the relief. Free PDF download.
Read the guideA request for more information is not a refusal. What HMRC usually asks about, and how to answer so it does not become one.
Read the guideThere is no right of appeal, but two routes stay open. The two kinds of refusal, when to reapply, and when to issue the shares anyway.
Read the guideSEIS bars companies that carried on any other trade first. Why it catches pivots, what counts as trading, and why EIS is often still open.
Read the guideLiquidation preferences, redemption rights and convertibles all break the share conditions. What breaks it, and what is actually fine.
Read the guideThe five most common reasons applications are turned down, from the risk-to-capital condition to excluded trades, and how to fix each one before you apply.
Read the guideThe practitioner's checklist: business plan, forecasts, accounts, articles, pitch deck and a named investor, plus why a weak pack causes delay.
Read the guideHMRC is typically 4 to 6 weeks, up to 8 when busy. What the wait depends on, why applications get delayed, and how to plan your raise around it.
Read the guideSEIS or EIS? What advance assurance actually is, how the two schemes differ, the application step by step, and the compliance that protects your investors' relief.
Read the guideIf your company makes £X, what actually reaches your pocket? See corporation tax, dividend tax, and your real take-home pay as a director — including the 26.5% marginal relief band.
Calculate my take-homeThinking of making a company pension contribution? Enter your profit and contribution to see exactly how much corporation tax your company saves, including the 26.5% marginal relief band.
Calculate my savingEnter your turnover and see instantly how close you are to the £90,000 VAT registration threshold, measured on a rolling 12-month basis, not your tax year.
Check your positionSalary, dividends, or both? The way you pay yourself as a director makes a real difference to your tax bill. Here's how the tax-efficient split works in 2026/27.
Read the guidePaying into a pension through your company is one of the most effective ways to cut your corporation tax bill. Here's how it works in 2026/27, and the £60,000 allowance rules to watch.
Read the guideYour Self Assessment now asks directors for more than before, with a £60 penalty for getting it wrong. Here's what's changed on the SA102 and what it means for you.
Read the guideDividend tax is up and reporting is tighter, so the limited company advantage is narrower than it was. An honest look at whether it's still the right structure for you.
Read the guideMost accountants don't publish their prices. We do. Real 2026 cost ranges for sole traders and limited companies, and how to compare quotes properly.
Read the guideAre you missing legitimate tax deductions? This guide covers the expenses UK small businesses can claim to reduce their tax bill.
Read guideIf you're building software in-house, there's a good chance you're leaving money on the table. R&D tax credits can return 18-33% of your development costs.
Read guideA plain-English, step-by-step walkthrough of registering a limited company in 2026: the £100 fee, the new identity checks, shares, SIC codes, and what to do after.
Read the guideThinking about starting a business? Make sure you have these 5 essentials in place. Missing even one could cost you time, money, and stress.
Read the checklistChoosing accounting software? We compare the UK's two most popular options — features, pricing, ease of use, and which businesses they suit best.
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