Special tips to news and bookkeeping and tax planning to certain industries
How to Borrow Safely in the UK 1 July – written by Steffen Kemmerzehl – Friendly Assist Accountancy – Blog When most people hear the words loan shark, they imagine organised crime, large sums of cash and scenes from television dramas. The reality is often very different. Many illegal lenders look just like ordinary people. …
by Steffen Kemmerzehl – The Accounting Hub A lot of business owners stick with the same accountant for years without really thinking about it. Others manage everything themselves because that’s what they’ve always done. Neither is automatically wrong. But things change over time, and it’s worth occasionally asking a simple question: Is this still working …
Read more “Is It Time to Review Your Accounting Arrangements?”
by Steffen Kemmerzehl – The Accounting Hub The government has now confirmed that significant Companies House accounts filing reforms will take effect from 1 April 2028, following the implementation of measures contained within the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act 2023. While many business owners were expecting these changes to arrive in 2027, the …
Read more “Small Companies Must File Profit & Loss Accounts: What You Need to Know”
by Steffen Kemmerzehl, MAAT, AATQB – The Accounting Hub Many UK contractors and subcontractors working in construction are already within the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), but still aren’t fully clear on how it actually works in day-to-day practice. A small building company paying subcontracted electricians. A self-employed plasterer working across multiple sites. A scaffolder moving …
by Steffen Kemmerzehl, MAAT, AATQB – see The Accounting Hub Many UK businesses now have international connections without thinking of themselves as “international businesses”. A freelancer in Newcastle working remotely for a company in Germany. A self employed designer invoicing clients in Dubai. An Amazon seller shipping products across Europe. A landlord living abroad while …
Read more “International Tax Rules Are Changing. What UK Businesses Need to Know”
by Steffen Kemmerzehl, MAAT, AATQB – see The Accounting Hub If your business manufactures, imports, stores, or distributes vaping products, an important change is coming. HM Revenue & Customs has opened applications for the new Vaping Products Duty (VPD), which comes into force later this year. This introduces a new duty on vaping liquids and …
Read more “Vaping Duty 2026: What UK businesses need to know”
by Steffen Kemmerzehl, MAAT, AATQB – see The Accounting Hub Simple, practical ways to make sure you are not paying more tax than you need to. Running a business is demanding, and tax rules are not always easy to navigate. It is easy to miss allowable expenses, overlook simple savings, or feel unsure about what …
Read more “Newcastle Small Business Tax Saving Checklist (2026)”
AI-powered bookkeeping tools are advancing quickly. Platforms such as Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent now automate bank feeds, VAT coding and transaction explanations at scale. Used well, they save time. Used badly, they accelerate errors. The issue is not the technology. It is the quality of the bookkeeping underneath it. Automation does not fix weak …
Read more “AI bookkeeping is only as strong as the habits behind it”
by Steffen Kemmerzehl, MAAT, AATQB – Friendly Assist Accountancy If you are new to investing in small businesses or trying to understand how SMEs raise and use capital the rules in 2026 are very different from even a few years ago. SMEs are now operating in a tighter funding environment while investors are becoming far …
Read more “Investing for SMEs in 2026 A Simple Guide for Business Owners and Investors”
As charities prepare for the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 2026, one of the most significant accounting changes is the new treatment of leases. This update impacts all charities with lease agreements—whether for premises, vehicles, or equipment—and especially those with income under £250,000. What is Changing? From 1 January 2026, the Charities SORP requires …
Read more “Unlock Affordable Lease Accounting Support for Small Charities Before SORP 2026 Hits”