Over £50,000 as a Contractor? You’re Already Inside Making Tax Digital
If you work as a contractor and your gross income from self-employment and property exceeded £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is not something coming in the future. It started on 6 April 2026 and you are already in it. Your first quarterly update deadline is 7 August 2026, […]
The First Making Tax Digital Deadline Lands on 7 August: What Slough Sole Traders Need to File
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is now live for the first wave of taxpayers. If you are a sole trader or landlord in Slough and your qualifying income from self-employment and property was over £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year, you must use MTD from 6 April 2026. The first quarterly update deadline is […]
Business Rates Relief for Retail and Hospitality: Are You Claiming Your 2026 Entitlements?
If you run a retail, hospitality or leisure business in England, your 2026/27 business rates bill may look very different from last year’s. The temporary Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief scheme ended on 31 March 2026, but it has been replaced by permanently lower business rates multipliers for qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure […]
Why Using a Fully Registered Tax Adviser Is More Important Than Ever in 2026
If you are relying on an unqualified or unaccountable person to handle your tax affairs in 2026, you are taking a risk that could cost far more than you save on fees. The UK tax system has become more digital, HMRC’s compliance work is more data-led, and businesses now face more frequent reporting obligations through […]
Why Upgrading to QuickBooks Is Essential Under the New 2026 Making Tax Digital Rules
Making Tax Digital is now live for the first group of sole traders and landlords. From 6 April 2026, MTD for Income Tax applies to people with qualifying income over £50,000, based on their 2024/25 Self Assessment tax return. From 6 April 2027, the threshold drops to over £30,000, based on the 2025/26 tax year. […]
HMRC Launches New Advance Assurance for R&D Claims: A Guide for SMEs
HMRC has expanded its advance assurance support for Research and Development (R&D) tax relief claims, and if your small or medium-sized company is carrying out genuine innovative work, this could be useful. The updated assurance routes give eligible SMEs a way to ask HMRC for a view before submitting a claim, which can reduce uncertainty […]
Managing Your Cash Flow Following the April 2026 National Minimum Wage Increases
The April 2026 National Minimum Wage increases have pushed staff costs up for businesses across the UK. If you have not already reviewed your cash flow in response, now is the time to do it. The rises affect businesses of every size, but small and medium-sized employers tend to feel the impact more sharply because […]
Dividend Tax Rates Have Increased: Profit Extraction Strategies for Company Directors in 2026/27
Dividend tax has become noticeably more expensive for company directors. The dividend allowance is now just £500, compared with £5,000 in 2016/17, and dividend tax rates have risen again for 2026/27. For directors taking regular dividends from a limited company, the combined effect of a smaller allowance, higher tax rates and frozen income thresholds means […]
Statutory Sick Pay From Day One: What the 2026 Overhaul Means for Small Employers
From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay changed significantly for UK employers. The old 3 waiting days have been removed, meaning SSP is now payable from the first full day of sickness absence. The Lower Earnings Limit has also been removed, so eligible employees can qualify for SSP regardless of their earnings level. For small […]
HMRC Payroll Reporting in 2026: What Employers Really Need To Know About Hours, Start Dates And Compliance
HMRC did not introduce a new requirement from April 2026 for employers to report the exact number of hours worked by every employee through Real Time Information payroll submissions. That proposal was considered, delayed and then withdrawn before it came into force. Employers must still report payroll information accurately through RTI, and they must still […]