News and Updates
Our latest updates and blog posts
Double Cab Pick-Ups – Big Changes Ahead!
Here's What You Need To Know: From 6 April 2025, new tax rules will affect how double cab pick-ups are treated for tax purposes. If you own or use one for business, here’s what you need to know—explained in simple terms (because tax talk doesn’t have to be...
Business Tax In The UK – 7 Steps That Will Make Your Tax Game Strong Enough
Business Is Booming - Now What? So, your business is growing, high five! You’re landing more clients, making more sales, and feeling like a total boss. But hold up! While you're out there smashing your business goals, have you checked in on your tax game? Trust...
A Comprehensive Guide to Payroll Setup for Limited Companies
Payroll setup for limited company - Setting up and managing your payroll is crucial if you own a limited company. There are multiple options in this case: you either delegate the task to someone within your business, do it yourself, or you go with payroll outsourcing....
Bookkeeping Mistakes Made by Landlords
Landlords must keep meticulous and precise records to qualify for and take advantage of the tax discounts available for rental properties. If you don't, you might miss out on thousands of pounds in deductions, which could be the difference between profit and loss on...
Making Tax Digital For Self Employed
Making Tax Digital for Self Employed: What's Changing? Self-employed professionals are facing a significant change in how they manage their taxes. Making Tax Digital (MTD) for...
Making Tax Digital – Everything You Need To Know About MTD
What even is Making Tax Digital? This article will break down Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD ITSA) in a way that won't make your head spin. Let's make this tax...
Year-End Accounts: A Step-by-Step Guide for Limited Companies
In my limited company McCarthy Browne Ltd, I know how to be completely on top of the company's books at the end of the year. As a part of my business, I had thick skin for the beginning of the year when I embarked on an accuracy and promptness route of year-end...
VAT Compliance for Limited Companies: What You Need to Know
I own a limited company, and I've gone through the maze of Value Added Tax (VAT) compliance. From my own account, it was the one that taught me that this subject matter had to be mastered for business to turn heads and make money. In this article, I will contribute to...
Salary Vs Dividends – Making Smart Choices for Your Director’s Pay in 2025
Managing directors’ pay in the UK can be complex, especially when deciding between salary and dividends. For limited company directors, balancing these two forms of compensation is essential for minimising tax liabilities and ensuring compliance with HMRC regulations....
Understanding Director’s Responsibilities in a Limited Company
As a limited company director, you are entrusted with significant responsibilities. Whether you are a seasoned business owner or recently appointed, understanding your legal and financial obligations is crucial for ensuring your company’s success and avoiding...
Tax-Efficient Strategies for Limited Companies: How to Maximize Your Savings
Running a limited company comes with numerous responsibilities, and one of the key priorities for any business owner is minimising tax liabilities. By using intelligent, tax-efficient strategies, limited company directors can legally reduce the amount they pay in...
How to Stay Compliant with PAYE & National Insurance for Ltd Companies
As a business owner in the UK, one of the most important financial responsibilities is staying compliant with Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and National Insurance Contributions (NICs). These obligations are not just necessary for legal compliance; they also ensure that...
Critical Payroll Deadlines & Penalties for UK Limited Companies
In the UK, payroll compliance is a matter of correctness. It is a fundamental and legal requirement that ensures the business remains transparent, the employees are paid accurately and promptly, and HMRC is satisfied with their tax dues. This discussion guide has been...
How To Make The Most Out Of Your Relationship With Your Accountant
I’ve hesitated to post this article because I’ve struggled to describe this experience that both Kimberley and I were truly upset about. Something happened for the first time in our business recently, and we both needed time to digest and reflect so that we could...
Comprehensive Guide to Corporation Tax for UK Companies
Tax preparation for companies is an area where the majority of business owners stand on the offensive. So, as the head of a business, I admit that dealing with the company's tax payments is a very complicated and intense process....
Benefits of Outsourcing Payroll for Your Limited Company
Managing payroll is a critical task for any limited company, yet it can often become a complex and time-consuming process. Whether you’re a small business just starting out or an established enterprise, ensuring payroll compliance with UK regulations, handling taxes,...
How to Manage Employee Benefits & Complete P11D Reporting
For limited companies, offering a robust employee benefits package is not just about staying competitive in the market—it's also about compliance. Benefits such as company cars, private healthcare, and interest-free loans are considered taxable by HMRC, meaning that...
The Autumn 2024 Budget: Details You Need To Know
On October 30th, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivered the much-anticipated Autumn Budget for 2024. Due to rising living costs, taxes have been a major source of discussion, so the majority of the budget introduced new changes while...
Xero vs Quickbooks vs Sage One
As a business owner, managing your finances can be a challenging task. Thankfully, with the advancement of technology, there are several accounting software solutions available to simplify the process. In this blog, we'll compare three popular accounting software...
Planning for your retirement: Here are the top five tips
Retirement planning is a multi-step, time-consuming process. You'll need to develop a financial buffer to support a comfortable, secure—and enjoyable—retirement. The enjoyable aspect is why it's important to focus on the serious—and sometimes tedious—half of...
Tax Tips for Limited Company Directors
Because you're probably already aware of the advantages of contracting through a limited company, we'll concentrate on tax savings in this post. We've compiled a list of five useful hints that will apply to you; however, some of them should be reviewed with...
Top Credit Control Tips – Essential Processes for Credit Control
Every year, start-ups and small enterprises in the United Kingdom fail due to a lack of funds. Cash flow issues created by slow-paying consumers and bad debt are one of the key reasons behind this. Your company's potential to develop will be jeopardised unless...
Why should you get your self assessment done early?
Do you intend to postpone submitting your tax return? Is that anything you'd rather be concerned about in the coming year? January 31 is a long way off! Getting your tax return filed on time might have several advantages. We look at five reasons why we think...
Directors charging rent for home usage
If your business is operated out of your house, you might want to explore formalising an agreement with your firm to rent a portion of your home to utilise for business purposes. The benefit is that the firm's corporation tax burden will be decreased due to...
Gift Aid donations reduce your tax bill – but don’t get caught out
The pandemic had a significant impact on the philanthropic sector. Many nonprofits saw a significant decline in income and donations. Many businesses struggled to keep up with the demand for their services. Some were even compelled to shut their doors. Given...
Self Assessment Your Guide to Tax Returns
As an accountant service based in Dorset, we spend a lot of time working with people filling out self-assessment tax returns. With a growing number of people choosing to become self-employed, the need to understand the tax return has been more prevalent. To make sure...
The 2022 Budget – Recapping the Important Details
So, Wednesday 23rd March 2022 was an important day because it was the official Budget speech given by Rishi Sunak. Suffice it to say, this was a pivotal moment, as it outlined what the government was doing to help people everywhere tackle the rising costs of...
What finances to consider when you work from home
In March 2020, the nation heard the announcement “We need people to start working from home where they possibly can”. Since the number of people working from home has drastically increased. Business owners are recognising the advantages of allowing their employees to...
How to Create a Business and Personal Budget for The Year Ahead
With a new year comes a new start. What better way to start the year than to talk about the topic of budgeting for both personal and business use. Perhaps you want to save money for a holiday or avoid getting into debt. On the other hand, you may just simply want a...
Why Breast Cancer Now UK is Our Chosen Charity
McCarthy Browne is incredibly proud to present Breast Cancer Now UK as our chosen charity. For every new female client that signs up for our monthly packages, 10% of their first month’s fees will be donated to Breast Cancer Now UK. For those who follow our social...
Should You Get an Electrical Vehicle for Your Business?
Over the years electrical vehicles have been growing in popularity. Not only for their environmental benefits but also for their lower running costs. But is it the right step for you and your business? Should you get an electrical vehicle for your business? ...
4 Tips And Tricks to Boost Your Business
Running a business can mean juggling a lot of different balls in one go. You want to be on track, organised, and running a strong and successful business, right? As a proactive accountant, I take pride in offering my clients a service that doesn’t just revolve around...
What is the difference between a shareholder and a director?
A shareholder and a director can be either be the same person or there can be multiple shareholders and directors. It is quite normal for one person to be both the shareholder and the director. However, the roles of each vary greatly. In brief, the director manages...
What Expenses Can I Claim?
Running a business can be stressful and complicated at times. Are you starting a new business? Or perhaps you have recently launched as self-employed. It’s important to inform yourself with as much knowledge of running a business as possible. Firstly, an important...
HMRC And the New Late Submission Points System
Are you a VAT customer or a Self-Assessment taxpayer? You need to be informed of the changes being made to the HMRC new late submission points system. Below we explore how it could apply to you. Changes are being made. This is to become more lenient regarding...
How Do I Manage My Books?
Running a business isn’t easy, especially when you must keep on top of your finances. It can be stressful and time-consuming, leaving you little room to focus on driving your business to success. So how can you manage your books efficiently whilst staying on top of...
How to set up PAYE or Payroll
Are you embarking on the journey of becoming a new business? Although this is the beginning of an exciting journey there are many things you need to know to become successful. There is plenty of things you need to understand, such as how to set up PAYE or...
Do I Need to Register My Business For VAT?
‘Do I need to register my business for VAT?’
How to Set Up as A Limited Company
Are you embarking on the journey of setting up a limited company? Firstly, you may want to read my blog about the difference between being a limited company or a sole trader. If you’ve decided that this is the path for your business, congratulations! This is an...
What Kind of Business Do I Need to Set Up? Sole Trader or Limited Company?
What legalities are involved in setting up a business? No matter what the size of the business, every business must have a legal structure. Most businesses choose either sole trader, or limited company. However, there is also the option of a partnership or a...
Your Essential Guide to Key Financial Dates for 2021
It’s a new year, which means it’s time to plan the year ahead for your business. One of the biggest pillars of business success belongs to finances. It’s important to keep an eye on your monthly ingoings’ and outgoings, as well as know what the important dates are...
Want to start a business? Here’s your first 10 steps.
Have you been thinking about embarking on the exciting journey of launching your own business? Being a business owner can be an exciting opportunity, although there is a lot to consider before you jump in feet first. Here are the first 10 steps you should take if you...
How to Review Your Finances and Start Saving Money Today in 10 Easy Steps!
Review those utility bills, where can you go which is cheaper? Or can some be cut out for now, such as Sky TV? Do you want to instantly start saving money? Is money and the fear of debt becoming a stressor for you? Then it’s time for a finance review! I love to do...
What Makes a Great Business Invoice?
As a business, you will be no doubt sending out lots of invoices to your clients. Maximise their impact and look more professional by making sure that it’s a good invoice, rather than something just knocked up on a piece of paper and scanned in. So, what makes a...
The 3 Most Annoying Things About Accountants!
As a business owner, you will face many big decisions when it comes to the running of your business. One of these many big decisions, is when and what to outsource. When it comes to outsourcing, you want to make sure you are appointing and delegating to a business, or...
The 3 Benefits Of Using A Bookkeeper For Your Business
Running a business can be extremely stressful at times, especially when you are juggling too much in one go. When it comes to certain aspects of the business, do you struggle through even when it’s not in your area of expertise, or do you delegate the tasks and use an...
What Are the Perks and Downfalls of Setting Up as a Limited Company?
This is part 2 of our Soletrader vs Limited Company blogs. We just wanted to share a few of the pros and cons of setting up as a limited company. Picking the right business structure can affect your take-home wage, the tax you pay as well as how visible your earnings...
What Are the Perks and Downfalls of Registering as a Sole Trader?
When embarking on the exciting journey of running your own business, you will come across a series of choices and questions along the way. One of these will be whether to register as self-employed/ sole trader or a limited company. It doesn’t matter if you’re running...
6 Bookkeeping Myths Busted For You
When it comes to finances, many individuals and businesses can find it a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of information out there, and often Chinese whispers can occur. At times information can get mixed up or misunderstood. Here at McCarthy Browne Bookkeeping, we...
8 Reasons Why You Should File Your Tax Return Early
Here are eight reasons to file your tax return early and save yourself some hassle instead of being a deadline dancer. April marks the end of the financial year and the start of a new one. It is the starting point for new yearly budgets and a time to reflect on our...