Best Small Business Accounting Services in the UK 2026
Here’s something nobody tells you when you start a business: the accounting bit will keep you up at night more than any dodgy client or failed pitch ever could. I remember chatting with a mate who runs a small construction firm in Manchester. Brilliant at what he does – can build you a gorgeous extension […]
Small Business Accounting Services Explained 2026
Last updated: January 2026 | 12-minute read Here’s something nobody tells you when you register your first business: that euphoric moment when you make your first sale? It’s immediately followed by the cold realisation that someone, somewhere, expects you to account for it. Not in the vague “I made some money” sense. In the “HMRC wants quarterly […]
VAT Accounting Rules Every Business Must Follow
Here’s something nobody tells you when you first register for VAT: the rules aren’t actually that complicated. What is complicated is the sheer volume of them, the bizarre exceptions, and—let’s be honest—the fact that HMRC seems to change something every other month. I’ve watched businesses get slapped with penalties not because they were trying to dodge their […]
Inheritance Tax Gifts Rules Every Family Should Know
Here’s something nobody tells you at dinner parties: that £50,000 you’re planning to gift your daughter for her house deposit could end up costing your estate £20,000 in tax. Not because you did anything wrong, but because you didn’t know the rules. I’ve spent years watching families discover—too late—that generosity comes with paperwork. That the […]
Accounting for Small Companies: The UK Compliance Guide
Last updated: January 2026 | Reading time: 12 minutes Here’s something nobody tells you when you register your first limited company: the paperwork doesn’t end with Companies House. In fact, it’s barely started. I’ve watched countless business owners stumble through their first year of accounting for small companies, only to face penalty notices because they thought […]
The Auto Enrolment Compliance Trap Nobody Warned You About
Here’s something they don’t tell you at those business networking events: auto enrolment smart pension compliance isn’t just another tick-box exercise. Last year, The Pensions Regulator took enforcement action against 157,142 employers. Read that number again. Most business owners think they’ve sorted their workplace pension once they’ve signed up with a provider. Then – usually at the […]
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 […]
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 […]
