The main pool writing down allowance falls from 14% to 12% from April 2027, while the first year allowance rises to 50% for companies. What it means for small businesses buying vans, equipment and machinery, and how to time your spending.

The 28 October 2026 Budget in plain English: BADR halved, capital allowances cut, 55p mileage made permanent, trading allowance to £3,000, savings and rental income taxed harder, and HMRC gets more powers. What matters for small firms and directors.

The Autumn Budget is on 28 October 2026. A plain, neutral guide to the areas small businesses and directors should keep an eye on — and why not to act on speculation.

The tax-free rules for staff gifts and Christmas: trivial benefits of £50, the £300 director cap, and the £150-per-head annual party exemption. A guide for small employers.

How company pension contributions work for directors in 2026/27: the £60,000 annual allowance, corporation tax savings, carry forward, and why employer contributions beat personal ones.

How R&D tax relief works under the merged RDEC scheme in 2026/27: the 20% credit, enhanced support for R&D-intensive loss-makers, what qualifies, and the common myths.

How company car tax works for directors in 2026/27: benefit-in-kind rates, why electric cars are taxed at 4%, the 100% first-year allowance, and the petrol comparison.

Self Assessment in plain English: who needs to file, the key deadlines, payments on account, and how to avoid penalties. A guide for Leeds and Garforth taxpayers.

Xero vs QuickBooks for a UK small business: features, ease of use, cost and Making Tax Digital. An honest comparison from a Leeds and Garforth accountancy practice.

How the £10,500 Employment Allowance works in 2026/27: who can claim, the single-director trap, and how to claim back your employer's National Insurance.

How small business rates relief works in England for 2026/27: 100% relief under £12,000 rateable value, tapered relief to £15,000, the new multipliers, and how to claim.

The paper Self Assessment deadline is 31 October — three months before the online one. What it means, the 5 October registration deadline, and how to avoid penalties.

How UK capital allowances work in 2026/27: the £1m Annual Investment Allowance, full expensing for companies, the new 40% first-year allowance, and the fall in writing-down allowances.

How a UK limited company files its annual accounts: who files what with Companies House and HMRC, the seven steps from year-end to submission, deadlines, penalties and the 2028 changes.

Directors working from home have three options: HMRC's flat rate, actual costs, or a rental agreement. How each works and which fits your setup.

The salary is only part of it. Employer NI, pension, holiday and setup — the true cost of a first hire, and the compliance checklist to get right from day one.

Messy books cost twice: your time and your accountant's fee. Five habits — none over ten minutes a week — that make everything downstream cheaper and faster.

Sole traders don't take a salary — you take drawings. How drawings and tax actually work, the three-pot system, and how much to put aside.

The VAT scheme you pick changes what you pay and how much admin you carry. Standard, flat rate, cash accounting and annual accounting compared honestly.

Statutory accounts tell you what happened. Management accounts tell you what's happening. What a good monthly pack contains and what changes when you get one.

Filing on time isn't the same as being well served. Seven honest signs your business now needs more than compliance — and what 'more' looks like.

Identity verification is now mandatory for all UK directors and PSCs. When your deadline falls, how to get your personal code, and what happens if you don't.

Payments on account catch out almost every first-year sole trader. How the January and July payments work, when you can reduce them, and how to plan.

A fractional FD gives you finance-director thinking without the salary. What they actually do month to month, what it costs, and when a business needs one.

Unhappy with your accountant but dreading the change? The handover is mostly done for you. What actually happens, what it costs, and when to move.

Profit isn't cash. How to build a simple 13-week cash flow forecast, spot the squeeze before it arrives, and stop growth from bankrupting you.

What you can and can't claim as a sole trader — the wholly and exclusively test, working from home, vehicles, clothing, and the claims that get challenged.

Taking money out of your company that isn't salary or dividends? It's a director's loan — and if it's still owed nine months after year-end, it's taxed.

Sell a rental property at a gain and you have 60 days to report and pay CGT — separate from your tax return. The rates, the penalties, and the traps.

The UK VAT registration threshold is £90,000 on a rolling 12-month basis. How it's really measured, the 30-day trap, and when registering early pays.

MTD for Income Tax reaches landlords in stages. Who's affected, the key dates, what software you need, and how Leeds landlords can prepare.

Annual accounts, CT600, corporation tax payment, confirmation statement — the four deadlines every UK limited company has, and the penalties for missing them.

Going limited can cut your tax bill — but not always. How to compare sole trader vs limited company properly: tax, admin, and when to switch.

Dividend tax rose in April 2026 — 10.75% basic, 35.75% higher. How the salary-plus-dividends split works now, and when the old advice no longer holds.

A P60 is your end-of-year summary of pay and tax. What it shows, when you get it, why mortgage lenders ask for it, and what to do if it's wrong.

Registering as a sole trader takes minutes — but there's a deadline, a £1,000 exception, and record-keeping rules people miss. The plain-English guide.

Hired your first employee? Auto enrolment duties start immediately. Who you must enrol, the 8% minimum, re-enrolment, and the fines for ignoring it.