How To Choose An Accountant In The UK: A Practical Guide

Illustration of an accountant holding a £ clipboard next to a ticked checklist, representing choosing an accountant UK and what to look for in an accountant.

Tips & Advice How To Choose An Accountant In The UK: A Practical Guide Published: 21 November 2025 Reading time: ~11 minutes Start With Your Needs And Budget A good choice starts with clarity. List what you need this year and next. Typical services include annual accounts, tax returns, payroll, bookkeeping and occasional advice. Map…

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New Company? 10 Tax Steps Before Your First Year-End (UK)

Icons of scales, pound coins, shield, tax letter, calendar, bank and checklist representing limited company first year tasks and company formation filing deadlines in the UK.

Tips & Advice New Company? 10 Tax Steps Before Your First Year-End (UK) Published: 13 October 2025 Reading time: ~6 minutes Your First-Year Essentials At A Glance Launching a limited company is exciting, but the first twelve months set the tone for compliance, cash flow and calm. This guide gives owner-managed companies a clear roadmap…

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How HMRC’s Focus On Private Use Adjustments Affects Your Tax Return

Illustration of a UK tax return under a magnifying glass with a pound sign, alongside a car, phone, home, laptop and tools to represent mixed-use costs. Highlights private use adjustments UK and HMRC enquiry compliance for business expenses tax rules.

Tips & Advice How HMRC’s Focus On Private Use Adjustments Affects Your Tax Return Published: 04 October 2025 Reading time: ~4 minutes HMRC Targets Private Use Adjustments In Self Assessment HMRC say they raised over £27 million following a 2024 trial encouraging more accurate private-use adjustments, exposing widespread claims of disallowable private use within business…

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Uninhabitable Property Stamp Duty: What Mudan Means For Buyers

Run-down UK house under inspection, illustrating uninhabitable property stamp duty and residential property classification SDLT.

Tips & Advice Uninhabitable Property Stamp Duty: What Mudan Means For Buyers Published: 26 September 2025 Reading time: ~4 minutes Why Mudan Matters For Uninhabitable Property Stamp Duty A recent Court of Appeal decision in Amarjeet and Tajinder Mudan v HMRC helps us understand how “uninhabitable property stamp duty” is applied. The couple bought a…

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York Case: Why Rooftop Panel Installation Wasn’t Enough For EIS

Worker installing a rooftop solar panel on a UK home beside pound and “no” icons, illustrating a First Tier Tribunal tax appeal about EIS qualifying trade requirements and HMRC compliance certificate withdrawal.

Tips & Advice York Case: Why Rooftop Panel Installation Wasn’t Enough For EIS Published: 15 September 2025 Reading time: ~4 minutes What This Case Means For EIS Qualifying Requirements The case of York SD Limited and others v HMRC shows why you must satisfy all Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) conditions to secure the tax relief.…

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Self Assessment CGT Adjustment: How To Correct Your 2024/25 Return

Illustration showing a self assessment CGT adjustment for 2024/25 with pound coins, rising bar chart and tax document, highlighting HMRC CGT calculator use and capital gains tax rates UK.

Tips & Advice Self Assessment CGT Adjustment: How To Correct Your 2024/25 Return Published: 10 September 2025 Reading time: ~6 minutes Why Some 2024/25 Tax Returns May Now Be Wrong The government increased CGT rates on 30 October 2024, and it seems HMRC’s Self Assessment system was not configured to apply the correct rate to…

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How To Pay Yourself From A Limited Company: Salary, Dividends Or Loans?

How To Pay Yourself From A Limited Company shown with icons for PAYE salary, dividends and a director’s loan in the UK.

Tips & Advice How To Pay Yourself From A Limited Company: Salary, Dividends Or Loans? Published: 12 September 2025 Reading time: ~4 minutes How To Pay Yourself From A Limited Company Just set up your business and wondering how to pay yourself from a limited company? There are three ways most owner-directors take money from…

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When “Reasonable Excuse” Can Quash HMRC Penalties

Balanced scales with a UK house and pound sign, coins, a shield tick and an HMRC letter, illustrating reasonable excuse HMRC penalties for rental income tax in the UK and self assessment property income.

Tips & Advice When “Reasonable Excuse” Can Quash HMRC Penalties Published: 11 September 2025 Reading time: ~4 minutes Sayrun Lamuth v HMRC: The Case In Brief Sayrun Lamuth jointly owned a UK rental property with her ex-husband who lived overseas. They agreed she would pass her share of rent to him to hold for their…

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Can You Split a Business to Avoid VAT? Yes… But Here’s the Catch

Illustration of a business split into two with VAT paperwork, symbolising VAT disaggregation

Tips & Advice Can You Split a Business to Avoid VAT? Yes… But Here’s the Catch Published: 8 July 2025 Reading time: ~6 minutes What on earth is VAT disaggregation? Ever thought, “what if I split my business into two to dodge the VAT registration threshold?” That’s VAT disaggregation (or “artificial separation”) and yes, HMRC…

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