With the 2018/19 tax year end just around the corner, it’s important that you take advantage of your tax-free dividend allowance. If you haven’t yet made use of dividends as a way of drawing money from your company, then you are running out of time to do so for this tax year. In this article we will look at:

• Using your £2,000 dividend allowance

• How does your dividend allowance work with your personal allowance?

• Can you pay your dividend out of profits and losses?

• Getting the help that you need when handling the tax year end

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As the 2018/19 tax year end comes closer, you may still have some tax allowances that you haven’t taken advantage of or fully utilised. No one likes to pay out more than they need to, especially when it comes to paying the taxman. There are numerous ways you could make a legitimate tax saving, which include benefiting from allowances such as those on charitable donations and payments into a pension scheme. In this article we will take you through the key allowances:

• Charitable Donations

• Pension Allowances

• Personal Allowances

• ISAs

• Married Couples and Children’s ISAs

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At regular intervals, a pension deductions increase will come into place. Other times, though, this may decrease. However, this year, we’re expected to see a significant increase in the amount of money being deducted from pay to go towards your pension. These new pension increases can be confusing, so we’ve tried to cover everything you’ll need to know. This includes:

• What are pension deductions?

• Why are pension deductions put in place?

• Why do pension deductions change?

• How should I deal with pension deduction increases?

• Benefiting from a pension deductions increase

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When running a limited company, you should take into consideration what pension contributions you can make. While finding tax deductible expenses that you can legitimately claim can feel like a challenge, pensions as a business expense are both justifiable and worthwhile. By contributing to a pension plan, you can find several beneficial tax advantages. Not only that, but pensions in a limited company will it help you to protect your long-term future. In this article, we’ll cover:

• Why you should set up pension contributions

• Pensions in a limited company

• Pensions as a business expense: is this allowed?

• Getting help setting up your pension fund

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For many professionals, spearheading their own business is the ideal long-term objective. Working for yourself, and for your clients, is always an enjoyable experience. However, when setting up your own company, it pays to be vigilant with regards to paying yourself. There are a few options that you could use to pay yourself and ensure you can earn a living from your business. In this article, we’ll look at:

• Paying yourself as a business owner

• Salary or draw? What’s the best option?

• PAYE and dividends

• Making the right decision for your business

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Are you looking to work for yourself and utilise your skills as a self-employed professional? It’s easier than you think. Registering, and running, as self-employed in the United Kingdom is much simpler today. However, to run your business properly, you need to take into account a few important factors, including:

• What makes you self-employed in the United Kingdom?

• Registering your self-employed business properly.

• Getting to grips with taxation as a self-employed professional.

• Dealing with cash flow when self-employed.

• Preparing for the future.

• Bringing in the right assistance.

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Running a business can be challenging, especially when it comes to the business structure. Many businesses choose to ignore the opportunity to incorporate their business into a limited company, without realising the various benefits a limited company has to offer. In this article, we’re going to look at the benefits of running a limited company, which includes:

• Ease of set-up

• Reputational gains

• Tax benefits

• Limited liability

• Finding funding

• Pension assistance

• Making the right decision

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Claiming tax relief on your equipment expenses can be a confusing process. If you are trying to work out your capital allowances to populate the right boxes on your tax return but aren’t sure on where to start, this guide will help you to pick up some of the most important do’s and don’ts. It’s very easy to miscalculate or misinterpret what you can and cannot claim back for tax relief. Here, we’ll do what we can to help you make smart choices on equipment expenses. To do this, you need to use what is known as your Annual Investment Allowance (AIA). In this article, we’ll cover:

• What is your Annual Investment Allowance?

• Is there an Annual Investment Allowance limit?

• Who can claim Annual Investment Allowance?

• How can I make my claim?

• Things to consider about Annual Investment Allowance

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To run a successful business, you need to have consistent contact with the most important institutions. While keeping regular contact with suppliers and clients is important, contact with the government is essential. However, when HMRC reaches out to you, how can you tell if the correspondence is genuine or not? The web poses many risks for those who are not careful. To help you avoid phishing scams disguised as government correspondence, we’ll cover important issues such as:

• Ways HMRC might try to contact you

• What kinds of HMRC messages could be fraudulent?

• How to deal with a potentially fraudulent HMRC message

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As we move into a new year, the 2018 tax return deadline is just a few short weeks away. With that in mind, it’s crucial that you get your tax return filed as soon as you possibly can. Otherwise, you face the risk of penalties. In this article, we’ll look at important factors such as:

• When is the 2018 tax return deadline?

• Why do I need to send a tax return?

• What happens if I miss the deadline?

• What should I do if I miss the deadline?

• Getting professional help

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While the Christmas party might be one of the highlights of the year, it’s important to take the tax implications into account. Making sure you address the following points will help you to make the most of that Christmas party. Now, when everyone is having fun, you won’t need to worry about a thing. Key points to consider when it comes to the tax implications of the Christmas party include:

• Should my company throw a Christmas party?

• Is the Christmas party a viable business expense?

• Is there an annual limit on entertainment costs?

• What are the potential VAT implications of having a Christmas party for employees?



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As a business, it’s nice to reward staff for their hard work and commitment to your business. However, many businesses will choose to pick up Christmas gifts for clients and staff as a potential tax benefit. While well-intentioned, it’s easy for a good gesture to become problematic. To help you avoid this, we’ll cover key Christmas gift tax issues such as:

• Can my business claim tax relief on Christmas gifts?

• What are benefits in kind for Christmas gifts?

• Why might my gift be rejected by HMRC?

• The VAT implications of Christmas gifts

• Getting help with your Christmas gift tax issues

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Many charities in the United Kingdom look to use gift aid to benefit themselves and others in equal measure. However, it’s easy to misunderstand what this service offers you – and why it should be something to consider. Here, we’ll take a look at important information such as:

• What is gift aid?

• How does gift aid for charities work?

• Things to consider

• Finding the right expertise for gift aid

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The United Kingdom leaving the European Union (EU) is, without doubt, the biggest political event in decades. Ever since UK entry into the EU, however, there has been a lack of understanding and detail about how the partnership works. With the exit more likely than ever to take place, it’s still unclear just how exactly an exit from the EU would impact upon British VAT-registered businesses trading within the EU. We’ll take a look at the potential ramifications to come, including:

• Registering for EORI

• Arranging supply & shipping

• Finding the correct expertise

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Making Tax Digital is set to create a significant change in the British taxation system. However, much discussion about a delay in its rollout has led to people wondering when MTD will finally come into action. So, what can we expect in the months to come? Is there likely to be a delay in the rollout of this new and often debated tax system? We’ll look at key topics around the debate such as:

• What’s the present political take on Making Tax Digital?

• Is the average business ready for an April 2019 rollout?

• Making Tax Digital: the cause for a delay

• What’s likely to happen?

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When carrying out your Self-Assessment tax return, it’s very easy to make some mistakes you wouldn’t notice yourself. With the rules changing so quickly on taxation, it can be easy to make common self-assessment mistakes such as:

• Forgetting to file.

• Failing to date and sign.

• Working with the wrong tax codes.

• Forgetting to include interest on all income.

• Claiming incorrect/ineligible items.

• Lack of supplementary information.

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Working within the construction industry can seem quite confusing, and we want to help you get a better handle on the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). CIS is very beneficial in some circumstances, but it’s important that you understand how it works. In this article, we’ll take a look at key parts of CIS, including:

• What is the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)?

• What makes me eligible as a contractor/subcontractor?

• What work falls under CIS jurisdiction?

• Does any construction work fall outside CIS?

• Registering for CIS

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In business, there are many reasons why you might choose to set up as a sole trader. However, making sure you follow the right path to sole trader registration is very important. In this article, we’ll cover the key points of how to register your business as a sole trader, including:

• The benefits of sole trader registration

• How to register as a sole trader

• Choosing a business name

• The responsibilities of a sole trader

• VAT registration

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Any business owner who is interested in setting up a limited company may be unsure of the process. If you want to know more, this quick-step guide breaks down the challenges of setting up a limited company as a contractor. This includes important steps such as:

• Form a limited company

• Open a business bank account

• Get PAYE Registered

• Evaluate VAT for your limited company

• Handle all insurance needs

• Take care of all expense records

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When running a business, one of the biggest decisions you can make is hiring a contractor accountant. If you are unsure of how to hire an accountant of this kind, we recommend that you check out this article. We’ll provide you with key tips such as:

• Always pick specialist contractor accountants

• The best contractor accountants are IR35 compliant

• Find a contractor accountant who is tech-savvy

• Know what kind of accountant you need

• Listen to those who know

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