The Winchester Bookkeeping Company

Bookkeeping, accounts and tax support for sole traders in Hampshire

Autumn Budget 2017: A summary for small business owners

By

This week, Phillip Hammond, the Chancellor presented his Autumn Budget for 2017 and for small business owners, nothing that was announced really “rocked the boat”. It was a budget of lots of small measures rather than any big announcement. There were however a few pointers to some bigger changes that may come about in the […]

But my friend claims that as a tax expense……..

By

Being able to chat to a friend about the ups-and-downs of running your small businesses can sometimes make all the difference to getting through the week with your sanity intact. You’re out there on our own so sharing the success, moaning about the difficulties and working out the parts you don’t have first-hand knowledge in, can […]

Self-employed? 6 tips to boost your chances of getting a mortgage

By

Self-employment is an increasingly popular lifestyle and career choice for many. But while the benefits of being your own boss and the flexibility afforded are something to celebrate, the path can be littered with challenges. Obtaining a mortgage is one of them. It’s not easy. But, in my two-part blog series I help show you how […]

I’m self-employed. How can I prove my income for a mortgage?

By

Many people dream of becoming their own boss and enjoying the flexibility that self-employment affords. But when it comes to securing a mortgage, being classed as self-employed, rather than employed can seem like pushing water uphill. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that hard – it is possible to get a […]

Making Tax Digital – what you need to know

By

Digitalising the tax system has been a hot topic on the government’s agenda for several years now. My earlier blog “I’m a sole trader – will I need to submit 4 tax returns a year?” outlined the government’s initial proposals on Making Tax Digital (MTD). The last year has seen a huge response from the […]

Are you guilty of sabotaging self-employment?

By

It’s taken commitment, guts and talent to create something out of nothing. And that’s something to celebrate! But the self-employment path is littered with challenges. Things like market conditions, competition, and supply and demand remain outside our control. But often it’s the things we can actually control that we’re guilty of unintentionally sabotaging. Maybe it’s […]

Employed and self-employed – What tax will I pay?

By

You’re currently employed but want to start up a business as a sideline either because you are transitioning from a hobby or you’re keen to supplement your income. Either way, you’re ready to take the leap but haven’t quite got your head around the tax side of things. Am I right? The first thing to […]

6 things you should do before the end of the tax year

By

The end of the tax year is fast approaching and some of you, whose accounting year end follows the tax year, will soon become embroiled in finalising your small business accounts. But, before you leap into self-assessment mode, it’s worth taking a quick review of your taxes and personal finances. Here are 6 simple things […]

Budget 2017: Key points for small business owners

By

It would appear that small businesses and the self-employed have once again come into the firing line through measures introduced in the Chancellor’s Spring Budget. For the full 68 page report on the Budget 2017 you can click here. In the meantime, here are the key points affecting small business owners: Compliance with Making Tax […]

Why is everyone talking about Xero?

By

  As an accountant, I regularly receive calls from software companies, inviting me to trial their product. So when I was first approached by Xero I have to admit that my initial reaction to the “salesy“ (although admittedly slick) marketing pitch was to run a mile. But actually, Xero proved to be anything but an […]

Changes to the flat rate VAT scheme

By

  If you’re a freelancer, contractor or small business owner currently reaping the rewards of the flat rate VAT scheme, regrettably your luck may be about to change. Draft changes to the flat rate VAT scheme to take effect from April 2017, propose the introduction of a new category of trader known as a “limited cost […]

What happens if I don’t file my self-assessment tax return on time?

By

    If you’re new to self-assessment or haven’t quite got your act together on the paperwork front, you may worrying about whether you’re going to “make it” before the deadline and anxious about the repercussions of a late tax return submission to HMRC. Here are the facts: Your tax return for 2015-16 is due […]

Can I still claim tax relief if I lose a receipt?

By

You sit down to tackle the mound of paperwork in your weekly, monthly or dare I mention annual bookkeeping ritual (click here for why this isn’t a good idea) only to discover you’re missing receipts for expenses you know you’ve incurred. You understand that “allowable” expenses are a good thing when it comes to working out […]

10 Reasons why it pays to submit your tax return early

By

Who has sat down at the last minute to do their tax return only to discover that there is something they don’t understand, paperwork that can’t be located or that their tax position is more complicated than first envisaged? And, then the problem you discover is that there’s not enough time to figure it out […]

I’m a sole trader – will I need to submit 4 tax returns a year?

By

You’re a sole trader running a small business. You’re feeling comfortable with the whole annual self-assessment tax process and you’ve mastered Excel spread-sheets. But, brace yourself. The government has planned a big digital overhaul of the tax system with a raft of new tax changes coming your way. The rationale behind the “Making Tax Digital” plan is HMRC’s […]

National Insurance Contributions – it’s all change for the self-employed

By

Many sole traders look at their tax position only in terms of the Income Tax payable and sometimes forget to take into account the tax they have to pay as National Insurance (NI). It’s easy to understand why NI is often regarded as the “forgotten tax” as the thresholds at which you pay NI and Income Tax differ. You […]

7 tips to help improve your small business finances

By

Now that your small business accounts and tax (for the previous tax year) are done and dusted, consider taking some time to reflect on your business’s performance over the year.  What went well?  What didn’t work out? What could you do to improve over the next twelve months? Here are my 7 tips to help improve […]

The 5 biggest myths about claiming expenses

By

You’re a sole trader. You’ve made it this far with your small business accounts preparation and you can feel the end in sight. But, come to working out what you can and cannot claim as an expense (for tax purposes) and that sense of achievement starts to diminish. You’re baffled by the rules and you’re not quite sure […]

A Tax Return Checklist (part 2)

By

If the thought of completing a tax return feels scary and overwhelming right now. If, just hearing the word “tax” sends your heart racing. Let me start by saying that you’re not alone. It’s entirely normal to feel like you should be coping with everything that running a small business entails. I know I do! […]

A Tax Return Checklist (part 1)

By

It’s that time of year again. Goodness only knows where you’ve put that receipt, what you could or should be claiming for, how you’ll get through your tax return with your sanity intact. Sound familiar? To ease you into that zone of inner calm, I have put together a 2 part guide (part 2 will be […]

7 things you can do using online accounting software that you can’t do with Excel

By

You’re a small business owner managing your own bookkeeping using Excel. But recently, the complexity of the business has changed. You’re trying to muddle through with the same old processes and procedures but inside you’re crying out for some order, some structure (and a bit of a breather). Can you relate? When it’s OK to […]

Can I claim for my food and drink expenses?

By

Running your own small business is tough at the best of times but trying to fathom what you can and cannot claim for your business costs and expenses can seem like an impossible task. Food and drink costs are no exception and the rules around claiming these costs as a sole trader can seem complicated […]

Making your charitable donations go further

By

There has been a spate of charitable giving in my household recently. My girls have just come back from a 10km run, supporting a charity close to our hearts. There have been trips to Naomi House with clothes that no longer fit and toys they’ve outgrown. On the global scale, we’ve seen disaster appeals for the earthquake […]

You’re a sole trader – do you really need an Accountant?

By

You’re a sole trader with a small business – do you really need an Accountant? You may be surprised to learn that there is no mandatory requirement for sole traders to use an Accountant and, there will be many occasions when you can confidently forge ahead on your own steam. But, can you dispense entirely of […]

What the 2015 Summer Budget means for Sole Traders

By

Have you been left wondering why we’ve just had yet another Budget this year and what it all means for sole trader businesses and you personally? We did have a Budget back in March this year but after a new government has been elected the Chancellor traditionally has to announce a new one.  The difference was […]

Pricing your product or service – 3 common pitfalls to avoid

By

Pricing your product or service can be so tricky.  There’s your goal – to build a profitable, sustainable business. At the same time you’re working at making yourself both affordable and accessible to customers who value your product or service. But, at times, do you wonder whether you’ve got it right? If your price is too […]

5 sole trader bookkeeping mistakes to avoid

By

It’s taken commitment, guts and talent to create something out of nothing. I know from personal experience that’s no mean feat. It’s seriously hard work. You’re juggling more things than sometimes seems possible. You’re trying to do it all. And I’ll bet there have been times that you’ve wanted to throw in the towel. Am I […]

Is there an easier way to prepare sole trader accounts?

By

As sole traders we dream of spending each working day immersed in the things that made us set up our business in the first place – making a product or selling a service. We didn’t dream about the tedious, demoralising and sometimes overly complex chores that come part and parcel of the self-employment package. Frequently, the easier option is just […]

7 tips to getting customers to pay (quickly)

By

The idea for my blog “tips to getting customers to pay” came to me after reading narrative on a software site. The article stated “that asking customers for money and invoicing them accordingly was the best part of a small business owner’s job” Really? I was cast back to the early months of starting up […]

Hobby business or self-employed? Why it’s important to understand the difference

By

You’ve been employed or you’re working part-time. Either way you’ve had that niggling inclination to re-invent yourself, to indulge your passion in doing something creative or have a go at doing something completely new. You start selling on Etsy, take a few portrait photographs for friends, design some jewellery – you ‘re loving being able […]

Starting a business: the sole trader’s introduction to getting it right first time

By

You’ve had the idea to start a business and are full of excitement. It’s taken courage to decide to reinvent yourself, to become your own boss. But right now your to-do list is getting you down. There’s your “big idea” but then there’s all these other annoying parts of the jigsaw puzzle that need to […]

Spring clean your small business accounting systems in 5 easy steps

By

With spring round the corner, this time of year often brings with it, a sense of renewed energy and intentions of improvement. There’s really no better time to devote to a spot of spring cleaning – not the ’empty out the garage’ type but the de-cluttering and re-organising of your small business bookkeeping systems. Here are my […]

Will sole traders still need to complete a tax return?

By

If you’ve seen the headlines this week you will have noted the numerous press articles on “death of the tax return”.  You might have started celebrating or you might been left wondering what it all means for you as a sole trader running a small business. I have to say that I was a little […]

3 New Year’s Resolutions for your Micro Business

By

Often the Christmas and New Year period is when many small business owners have more time on their hands to reflect on the year gone by and to start thinking about the year ahead. For those of you who are mulling over financial goals for the forthcoming year, I have come up with three key areas […]

Who needs to complete a tax return?

By

The  deadline for online self-assessment is round the corner and with all the talk about tax returns I have found it interesting, listening to people’s views regarding the completion of them. Just to clarify some of the misunderstanding surrounding who needs to complete one I have summarised below the most common reasons for needing to complete […]

What is a bank reconciliation and why you should be doing one?

By

  Either through a lack of time or dislike of bookkeeping chores many small business owners take cursory glances at their bank statements each week or month to confirm that the “mental tally” looks about right and fail to spend the time performing detailed bank reconciliations. This blog briefly explains why you should all be doing one. […]

A boost for kitchen table start-ups

By

Great news for all those “kitchen table start-ups” as the government announced initiatives this week aimed at making it easier for home based entrepreneurs to do business. For too long home based businesses have been regarded as being of no economic significance. This perception is now changing. According to the Department of Business there are […]