One of the most frustrating aspects of running a business is having to pay VAT to HMRC on sales that you haven’t actually been paid for. Many business owners are surprised to discover that under the standard VAT accounting method, VAT becomes payable when you issue an invoice, not when your customer pays it. If […]
From 6th April 2026, the government has increased the approved business mileage allowance for cars and vans from 45p to 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles driven each tax year. This is the first increase in the rate since 2011 and is designed to help workers and business owners cope with rising […]
A recent court ruling involving the UK’s top football referees has once again pushed IR35 and employment status into the spotlight. HMRC has lost an eight-year legal battle against the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for supplying referees to professional football competitions including the Premier League and FA Cup. At the […]
If you’re a small business owner, you’ll already know this: your best ideas don’t always come from the boardroom. They come from the person answering the phone who spots a recurring customer issue. From the engineer who notices a quicker way to do a job. From the admin assistant who realises a simple tweak could […]
Ironically, you may have been too busy to notice that April was ‘Stress Awareness Month’ – which makes it a good time for business owners to step back and ask a simple question: Is the way we’re running our business putting people under unnecessary pressure? When stress at work is discussed, it’s often framed as […]
There are many ‘cliff-edge’ thresholds in the UK tax system – particularly where families and children are concerned. For example, if you have children and receive child benefit, then if either you or your partner (living with you, whether the parent of the children or not) earns over £60,000, then any child benefit starts to […]
Business travel often overlaps with personal time. Here’s how directors should structure trips properly and stay on the right side of HMRC.
Subsistence claims can get messy. Here’s a straightforward guide to what you can claim and how to stay compliant.
