Tax guides & accounting advice

UK earners between £100,000 and £125,140 face an effective 60% marginal tax rate. Here is why it happens and five legal strategies — including pension contributions, Gift Aid and salary sacrifice — to avoid it.

New PM Andy Burnham scraps the 5% VAT on domestic electricity bills from 1 October, saving households £45 a year. What it means for you.

Your 10-digit HMRC tax reference explained: who needs one, personal vs company UTRs, exactly how to register, and what to do if yours goes missing.

Mileage, home office, tools, phone, training and more — a complete guide to allowable expenses for the self-employed, and what HMRC won't let you claim.

Registration, deduction rates, verification, monthly CIS300 returns, gross payment status and penalties — the complete contractor's guide.

Qualifications, regulation, fixed fees, industry experience and MTD-ready software — the seven things worth verifying before you hire.

Two rounds of changes — employer NIC rising to 15% in April 2025 and dividend rates rising from April 2026 — have shifted the calculation. Worked examples at £40k, £60k and £100k, including why employer pension contributions now beat everything.

Who's affected, deadlines for MTD ITSA and MTD VAT, software requirements, quarterly updates and penalties — explained in plain English.

From choosing your SIC code and registered address to filing the IN01 and registering with HMRC — a plain-English walkthrough of UK company formation with an infographic, comparison table, and post-incorporation checklist.

Do not contact HMRC until you read this. A step-by-step guide from the moment the letter arrives — investigation types, your rights under Schedule 36 FA 2008, penalty ranges and how professional representation protects your position.

HMRC issuing BADR compliance letters. Pension IHT confirmed at a maximum 67% effective rate from April 2027. NIC salary sacrifice cap now legislated. VCT relief cut to 20%. Cash ISA limit reducing. All in one update.

Corporation tax can be one of the largest outgoings for a limited company. But HMRC's own rules allow you to reduce your bill significantly — from director pension contributions and capital allowances to R&D credits and careful timing of income and expenses. Here is exactly how to do it.

Who must file, key deadlines (31 Jan 2027), documents, allowable expenses, payments on account, HMRC penalties and what MTD for Income Tax means for you. Everything in one place.

MTD now mandatory for >£50k income, FHL regime abolished, Section 24 fully in force, CGT at 18%/24%, Renters’ Rights Act live. The definitive landlord tax guide for 2026.

Income tax bands, NI thresholds, corporation tax, VAT, CGT and IHT allowances — every key number for the new tax year verified against HMRC guidance, in one place.

No new tax rises announced — but confirmed changes from 6 April 2026 include dividend rates rising to 10.75%/35.75%, BADR increasing to 18%, the BPR cap taking effect, and MTD for Income Tax launching. Full DKAT analysis.