UK tax & savings
Plain-English guides to UK tax, reliefs and Making Tax Digital for sole traders and small companies.
Working from home: flat rate or a share of your actual bills?
Flat rate or a share of household bills? How self-employed people claim working-from-home expenses, with both methods explained and compared honestly.
4 min read
The £1,000 trading allowance, explained properly
How the £1,000 trading allowance works, when it genuinely saves you tax, when claiming actual expenses beats it, and the traps around gross income.
4 min read
Sole trader or limited company in 2026/27: an honest comparison
Sole trader or limited company in 2026/27? An honest comparison of admin, liability and tax dynamics — and how to tell which structure fits your business.
4 min read
The Self Assessment checklist: records, deadlines and payments on account
A practical Self Assessment checklist: which records to gather, the deadlines that matter including 31 January, and payments on account in plain English.
4 min read
Your first employee: payroll, RTI and pensions without the panic
Taking on your first employee: registering as an employer, running payroll under RTI, payslips, and pension auto-enrolment — explained step by step.
4 min read
Mileage rate or actual vehicle costs: which should you claim?
Simplified mileage rates or actual vehicle costs? Who can use each method, how to run a fair comparison, and the traps that catch UK sole traders.
4 min read
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: the plain-English guide
A plain-English guide to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: who must join from April 2026, what quarterly updates involve, and how to prepare now.
5 min read
CIS for subcontractors: deductions, statements and getting your money back
How CIS deductions work for subcontractors: the 20% and 30% rates, payment statements, offsetting deductions against your tax bill, and fixing problems.
4 min read
Chasing late invoices without losing the client
A polite, firm escalation plan for chasing late invoices, your statutory interest rights under UK law, and how to get paid while keeping the client.
4 min read
Allowable expenses for the self-employed: the complete walkthrough
Every allowable expense category for UK self-employed people, with practical examples, the wholly-and-exclusively rule, and the mistakes to avoid.
4 min read