Latest Start Ups

Did you know that there is finance available for start ups?   Starting in business can be an expensive task and a lot of businesses are not always aware of the funding that is available from the government to help with this.   Where to start The most popular is the government backed start up…

‘Sole Trader V Limited Company – Which is better for me?’   Minimising the tax paid on profits is a key aim of most SME businesses. The tax benefits of trading through a limited company, as compared to operating as a sole trader or partnership, were attractive as profits grow.   However with the increase…

With the UK tax system as complicated as ever, there are certain rules which we come across that can very easily give a particularly unexpected (and unpleasant) consequence. Income Tax When either parent has taxable earnings over £50k (after personal pension contributions), entitlement to child benefit is reduced. As higher rate income tax starts at…

Wondering ‘Why should I write a business plan?’ Business plans are vital for the future of any small and large companies. They investigate the long-term goals and objectives that you would like to achieve and put these into short term goals to ensure you are reaching your end target.   A good business plan may…

With many businesses seeing a return to pre-pandemic trading levels, now is an ideal time to review your SME’s VAT status.   Businesses must compulsorily register for VAT where ‘VAT-able’ supplies (which is usually, but not always, your turnover), on a rolling 12 month basis, exceeds £85,000. Voluntary registration, however, can take place with turnover below this…

As we continually move from the analogue to the digital age, approving business documents by e-signature is becoming evermore common place. In response to this, The Law Society have just issued an updated practice note. This practice note sets the scene by recognising that e-signatures can be in various forms: name typed on a document…

HMRC will raise interest rates on tax debt from 11 October following the 0.5% increase in the base rate.   This means that the late payment interest rate will increase to 4.75% from 11 October 2022. The rate last increased to 4.25% on 23 August. This is the highest rate since the height of the financial crisis…

Cambridgeshire County Council has just relaunched its Business & IP Centre (BIPC) ‘Jumpstart’ grant scheme, to help startup businesses in Cambridgeshire. Main eligibility criteria: Your business must have been registered, in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough, on or after 1 November 2021, or be registered within two months of receiving the grant. You must be 18 or over.…

Are you thinking about setting up a business? If so, one of the first decisions you will need to make is that of business structure.   The main business structures are: sole trader, partnership, limited liability company and limited liability partnership (LLP).   Sole trader – This is the easiest set up, with very little…

If you operate a trade through a limited company, and your ‘numbers’ are big enough, then there are some scenarios where it is often best advice to insert a parent company above this trading company, to create a simple group structure: As a risk management measure, to enable valuable assets (eg business premises, investment property,…