Guides by topic

Every guide in the archive, grouped by subject rather than by date. 13 topics covering the questions UK sole traders, landlords and small company directors ask most.

• Limited company and Corporation Tax22Director-specific decisions: dividend timing, spouse salaries, goodwill on acquisitions, intercompany loans, transfer pricing documentation, amending a CT600 and the interest that accrues when Corporation Tax is paid late.
• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax14MTD for Income Tax replaces the annual Self Assessment return with four quarterly updates and a final declaration.
• VAT for small UK businesses13Registration thresholds, the Flat Rate Scheme, partial exemption, the reverse charge and pre-registration recovery — plus what to do when a return is late.
• Tax-free allowances and reliefs11The £1,000 trading allowance, the property allowance, the personal allowance and marriage allowance are worth real money and are routinely left unclaimed.
• Home office and working from home expenses10Claiming for a home you also work in is the most common source of both under-claiming and HMRC scrutiny.
• Capital allowances and business assets10The Annual Investment Allowance, full expensing, first year allowances and the fixtures rules decide how quickly an asset turns into tax relief.
• Landlord and property tax10Mixed-use premises, apportioning costs between personal and business space, the property allowance, and interest relief on bridging and refinancing.
• HMRC penalties, appeals and correcting returns10What HMRC charges when a return or a payment is late, what counts as a reasonable excuse, how to appeal a penalty, and how to correct a return you have already filed — before HMRC opens an enquiry into it..
• Self Assessment basics and basis periods10Why your first tax bill covers a period you do not recognise, how the cash basis differs from accruals, what SA302 adjustment income means, and why HMRC's figures sometimes differ from your own.
• Travel, mileage and vehicle costs9Mileage rates against actual running costs, private use apportionment, overnight accommodation, subsistence and the line between a business meal and entertainment.
• Trading losses, reliefs and winding down8A loss is only worth what you can do with it.
• IR35, CIS and contractor status3Employment status is the most expensive thing to get wrong as a contractor.
• Pensions and National Insurance3Pension contributions are the largest remaining tax relief available to most self-employed people, and the Class 2 / Class 4 National Insurance split decides what you pay on top of income tax.

Guides often sit in more than one topic, so these counts add up to more than the size of the archive. Browse everything by date.