What can your business claim and what happens to the VAT A garden office can be a brilliant way to create a proper workspace at home. Unfortunately, the tax rules do not simply allow you to deduct the whole cost from your business profits. The building itself, the equipment inside it and the VAT on
Author Archives: Gillian French
Changes to Tax Rates & Thresholds, Tax Planning & Saving Tips
Is Your Estate Worth More Than £2 Million? The Inheritance Tax Trap You May Not Know About
Many people know that Inheritance Tax is normally charged at 40%. Far fewer realise that once an estate exceeds £2 million, another valuable Inheritance Tax allowance starts to disappear. This can mean that, for some estates, reducing the value by £1 can potentially save 60p in Inheritance Tax. What is the Residence Nil Rate Band?
Corporation Tax, Tax Planning & Saving Tips
Why Does My Company Look Like It Made a Loss at Companies House?
If you’ve looked at your company’s accounts on Companies House and noticed that the figure for capital and reserves has gone down, you may be wondering whether it makes the business look as though it made a loss. Sometimes it does. But very often, particularly with micro-companies, that is not what has happened at all.
Allowable Limited Company Expenses, Important News from HMRC, Self-Assessment/ Personal Tax
HMRC Increases Mileage Rates from 1 April 2026
With the cost of running a vehicle continuing to rise, many business owners and employees will welcome HMRC’s increase to the approved mileage rates from 1 April 2026. If you use your own car for business journeys, this change means you may now be able to claim a little more towards the cost of fuel,
Changes to Tax Rates & Thresholds, Self-Assessment/ Personal Tax
How to Check Your State Pension Forecast and Why It Matters
When it comes to retirement, many people assume their State Pension will simply fall into place. In reality, the amount you receive can vary quite a bit. It is not something we can check for you as your accountant, either. The good news is that it is quick and easy to check your State Pension
Client Success Stories, HMRC Updates & Changes
When “Simple” Isn’t Simple: What the Companies House Verification Process Taught Us
Over the past year, we’ve been working through the Companies House director verification process here at DNA Accountants. Like many accountancy practices, we knew it was coming. We read the guidance, understood the requirements, and made what felt like a sensible decision at the time: We would let clients complete the verification themselves, and we
January is here and with that the same question we get asked every year from business owners: “Can I put my gym membership through the company?” A quick Google search will give you completely different answers — some saying it’s not allowed at all, others claiming it can be a tax-deductible job perk. Let’s have
At DNA Accountants, we know payroll changes can come as a surprise — especially when something new suddenly appears on your payslip. So here’s a guide to what’s happening and why. What’s Changed in 2025/26 for Employer’s National Insurance on Director Payroll From April 2025, the government increased the Employer’s National Insurance Contribution (NIC) rate
start-ups, Tax Planning & Saving Tips, Year-End Preparation Tips
Why Every Business Owner Should Keep Their Will Up to Date
Running a business keeps most of us busy enough without thinking too far ahead. But one of the most practical – and caring – things you can do for your family and your business is to make sure you have a Will in place, and that it’s kept up to date. It’s not the cheeriest
Changes to Tax Rates & Thresholds, Tax Planning & Saving Tips
Understanding Top Slicing Relief: Why It Doesn’t Always Save You Tax
When you cash in a life insurance bond or certain investment policies, you might face something called a “chargeable event gain.” This is the profit built up inside the policy, which HMRC treats as income in the year you cash it in. The problem? The whole gain is added to your income for that year,