Self Assessment deadline: what to get ready
The 2025/26 return is due by 31 January 2027. The dates, the paperwork to gather now, payments on account and why November beats January.
Insights
Tax and business updates
Short, practical notes on the rules and deadlines that affect owner-managed businesses. No jargon, no padding, and nothing published for the sake of publishing.
Identity verification: the 18 November 2026 deadline
Every director and person with significant control must verify with Companies House this year. Who, how, and what happens if you miss it.
Celebrating 14 years, and a new name
YVB Bookkeeping Services is now YVB Accountancy. Why the name changed, what has not, and a thank-you to the clients who made fourteen years possible.
MTD for Income Tax, quarter by quarter
Live since April 2026 for sole traders and landlords over £50,000. The four deadlines, what each update contains and the penalty points.
The director's loan account, explained
How the balance goes overdrawn without anyone deciding, the Section 455 charge and nine-month rule, and the habits that keep it clean.
What it really costs to employ someone
Employer's NI at 15% above £5,000, the £10,500 Employment Allowance and a worked example of the true cost of a hire.
Dividends vs salary for directors
How director-shareholders take money out, the rules that make dividends lawful, and the mistakes that cause real trouble.
How much does an accountant cost?
The three pricing models, what actually drives your fee, and why the cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest accountant.
How to switch accountant or bookkeeper
Professional clearance, records handover and HMRC authorisations: what actually happens, what it costs and when to do it.
How to improve small business cash flow
Invoice faster, chase properly, set tax aside and forecast. The levers that decide whether you can pay wages on Friday.
Year-end accounts: what to send and when
The checklist your accounts preparer needs, the deadlines that follow a year-end, and why the first month is the cheapest time to do it.
The VAT registration threshold, explained
When turnover approaches £90,000 the clock starts ticking. How the rolling twelve-month test works and why timing your registration matters.
Common VAT mistakes small businesses make
Late registration, blocked reclaims, missed reclaims, scheme misfits and returns that do not reconcile. The expensive classics.
Making Tax Digital: what it means for you
Who MTD already covers, how the Income Tax rollout works, and why well-kept records make the whole subject a non-event.
What business expenses can I claim?
The wholly-and-exclusively rule, the categories most businesses can claim, and the traps that invite an HMRC enquiry.
Sole trader or limited company?
Liability, tax, admin and credibility: the real trade-offs behind the first structural decision every business faces.
How do I start my own business?
Structure, registration, bank accounts, records and the tax habit that prevents the January panic. The practical steps, in the right order.
Hiring your first employee
Registering as an employer, payroll and RTI, pension duties, minimum wage and the insurance the law requires from day one.
Xero, QuickBooks or Sage: which fits your business?
All three keep compliant books and file MTD returns. Where they differ, and how to choose based on your business rather than habit.
Charity accounts: what trustees need to know
Receipts and payments versus SORP accruals, the independent examination and audit thresholds, the annual return and fund accounting.
CIS: what contractors must do every month
Verification, deductions, statements and the monthly return. The routine that keeps construction contractors on the right side of HMRC.
The domestic reverse charge, explained
Who accounts for VAT in construction chains, what invoices must say, and the cash flow effect on subcontractors.
When to register for Corporation Tax
New limited company? HMRC expects to hear from you within three months of starting to trade. What counts as trading, and what happens next.
What is a confirmation statement?
Every company must file one yearly, it contains no accounts, and missing it can end in strike-off. The annual filing explained.
Understanding your profit and loss
Revenue, margins and the layers between them. How to read the account in ten minutes, and why profit is not cash.
What records must a company keep?
The records the law requires, the six-year rule, and why photographing receipts as you go beats every other system.
What is Self Assessment?
Who has to file a tax return, the deadlines that matter, and the payments-on-account surprise that catches first-timers.
For questions about how any of this applies to your business, get in touch; guidance on this page is general and is not a substitute for advice on your specific circumstances.