Corporate Tax Return Deadlines in the UK
There’s a peculiar irony in running a business. You spend months building something brilliant—negotiating contracts, landing clients, perfecting your product—only to discover that missing a single date circled in red on some bureaucrat’s calendar can cost you more than your entire marketing budget. I’m talking about corporate tax return deadlines, of course. And if you’re […]
Why Accounting for Small Companies Is Different
Last thing you want to hear: your accountant treating your three-person startup like it’s Tesco. Here’s why the numbers game changes when you’re small. Right, let’s get something straight from the start. When I tell people that accounting for small companies isn’t just a scaled-down version of big business accounting, I get these blank stares. Like I’ve […]
Auto Enrolment Smart Pension Compliance Guide
Here’s something nobody tells you when you start hiring: that first employee isn’t just about payroll and employment contracts. They’re your trigger for a pension minefield that can rack up £10,000 daily fines if you mess it up. Yes, daily. I’ve watched business owners treat auto enrolment like it’s some optional HR tick-box exercise. Then […]
How VAT Accounting Works in the UK
Here’s something nobody tells you when you first start thinking about VAT: the £90,000 threshold isn’t a finish line you’re racing toward. It’s more like a trapdoor that opens beneath you when you least expect it. I’ve watched countless business owners celebrate their first £90k in turnover, only to realise – usually around 3am on […]
Ecommerce Accounts: What Makes It Different?
Here’s something most online sellers don’t realise until it’s too late: running an ecommerce business means your accounting needs are fundamentally different from a traditional shop on the high street. Not just slightly different. Completely different. I’ve watched countless sellers make the mistake of treating their Amazon or Shopify business like any other retail operation. […]
How Outsource Accounting Works (Step-by-Step)
Last updated: December 2025 Here’s something nobody tells you about running a business: your accounting books are probably messier than you think. I’ve seen it countless times. A business owner thinks everything’s fine — until tax season arrives like an unwelcome relative. Or worse, they miss a crucial VAT deadline because their spreadsheet system (the one […]
Do You Need a Tax Advisors? Here’s How to Know
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: the moment you realise you need a tax advisor is usually about six months too late. You’re sitting there with a £2,000 penalty letter from HMRC, wondering how on earth you missed that deadline, and suddenly professional help doesn’t seem quite so expensive after all. I’ve watched countless business […]
Why Cloud Accounting Is the Future of Finance
Here’s something nobody tells you about running a business: you’ll spend more time wrestling with spreadsheets than actually building your empire. I recently spoke with a cafe owner in Wimbledon who’d been using the same desktop accounting software since 2011. She stored everything on one battered laptop. When that laptop died during the summer heatwave […]
Accountant for Self Employed: What an Accountant Can Do for You
Here’s something nobody tells you when you first go self-employed: you’ll spend roughly 14% of your working week thinking about money you don’t have yet, money HMRC wants from you, or receipts you’ve definitely lost. That’s not an official statistic (I made it up), but ask any freelancer and they’ll nod knowingly. The romance of […]
