Category

Accounting

The accounts section, brought to you in partnership with Sage, features in-depth guides and features for UK small businesses and start-ups needing advice on how to manage company accounts, including topics such as cashflow management, late payment, bad debts and bookkeeping.

Get more time back to build your business with Sage’s one solution for all your business needs. Get accounting and payroll with HR features you can access from anywhere, all with award-winning support and unrivalled business advice.

Employer PAYE returns: common errors

The deadline for filing your Employer PAYE end-of-year returns is mid-May. To make sure you get the best out of online filing, SmallBusiness.co.uk and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have put together this list of common errors to help you avoid making the same mistakes.

Accounting

Accounting

Claiming VAT on postage

Can I claim VAT on postage as it has been pointed out to me the receipts have a VAT no. on them?

Accounting

Tax liabilities when selling a business?

I'm approaching retirement and looking to sell my business. Will there be taxes to pay?

Accounting

Chasing bad debt

I am a freelance designer and I find it impossible to get people to pay me on time. What’s worse, I often end up taking a discount on what I have charged just to get paid because I am short of money. What can I do?

Accounting

Effective cash flow

One of the critical elements of running a successful business is being able to manage your cash flow.

Accounting

Deferring state pension: Good idea?

I am self-employed and shall be 65 on April 3rd and my wife is 62. I intend to draw a deferred pension accrued from when I was working. I understand my tax allowance will be increased this year. If I continue to work for a couple of years or so, and also employ my wife, part-time, to carry out book-keeping, what are the tax implications?

Accounting

How to forecast more accurately

If you already run a business, you will have a trading history and will be able to use this to make decisions about the future.

Accounting

Buying property through a company

Can a private individual set up a company to buy houses and then buy their own house through that company and rent it back? Are there any benefits of doing this?

Accounting

How to forecast more accurately

If you already run a business, you will have a trading history and will be able to use this to make decisions about the future.

Accounting

Buying property through a company

Can a private individual set up a company to buy houses and then buy their own house through that company and rent it back? Are there any benefits of doing this?

Accounting

Business expenses claimable against Income Tax

I am a sole-trader who has been trading for 3 years. I currently have rented office space, however I am in the process of extending my home to provide me with the facilities to work there instead. What build / equipment costs, if any, can I write off against tax?

Accounting

Debt advice for small businesses

Many small businesses operate on a very tight budget. Figures published by the Insolvency Service show that up to 13,000 companies go into liquidation and 11,000 self-employed people are declared bankrupt annually. The need for debt advice for small businesses has never before been in such demand.

Accounting

Tax charges on a second income

My boyfriend and I are planning on starting a part-time business making and selling canvas prints of art work, personal photos and other images - on top of us both working full-time. We will not be making a massive amount of money, it will just be turning a hobby into profit, so will we have to pay tax or any other charges on whatever we earn? I have been told you can earn up to £4,999 without having to pay tax. Do I need to declare the money being earned even if it's less than this amount?

Accounting

Vehicles that are considered for tax relief

I am about to replace my car and have been told by my accountant that 25 per cent relief is allowed on cars and 40% relief is allowed on vans. Which vehicles are considered as 'vans' for the purposes of tax? I have quite a lot of equipment to carry around (ladders etc) and so maybe a van would been of greater benefit than a large estate car. I hope that you can advise. Thank you!

Employing & managing staff

The importance of vocational rehabilitation services for SMEs

In Aviva’s latest SME research*, 57 per cent of employers surveyed agreed that nowadays employees expect benefits to protect against loss of income or earnings. What do you offer your people?

Partner content

What are the benefits of business broadband?

Business broadband offers a host of advantages over standard domestic connections, here’s why you should be considering an upgrade

Partner content

How should I select my business broadband provider?

As with any supplier, it’s important to do your research and ask important questions before you select a broadband provider for your business. But what are the must-have things you should take into consideration?

Business Technology

Future-proof your business communications set-up

Landlines as we know them will be scrapped in 2027 – along with a raft of upcoming business changes. Here's how to ensure your communications set-up is fit for whatever the future brings