News and Updates
Our latest updates and blog posts
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 ltd 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 tips for helping credit control / 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? #2
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...
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 living. ...
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?
Are you new to beingself-employed? Or perhaps you are having a regular reflection on where you’re at in your business. You will no doubt have a lot of questions on your mind. One of the BIGGEST ones will be: What kind of business do I need to set up? Sole trader or...
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 Registering 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. What Are the Perks and Downfalls of Registering as a Limited Company? Picking the right business structure can affect your...
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
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 financial profiles. If you missed last month’s blog post on Bookkeeping Myth’s Busted, then perhaps you didn’t realise...