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We've scoured the web to get you the most up-to-date advice which includes the most useful tools on offer from the officials themselves.

Effective tax planning is essential if you are to minimise your tax bills. Simple tax planning can significantly reduce your tax liabilities.

The self-assessment tax return is an unavoidable burden if you are liable for self-employed tax or have complicated income tax affairs.

Corporation tax is charged on a company's profits. If you trade as a limited company, ensure that paying this tax is as painless as possible.

National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are payable whether you are self-employed or employed by your own company, although different rates apply.

As well as your legal obligations, you’ll want to ensure that payroll is painless and that you use any opportunities to improve your tax-efficiency.

VAT

Effective VAT planning aims to ensure that VAT is relatively painless, and that you are reclaiming as much as possible of the VAT you pay.

Capital gains are made when you sell something for more money than you paid for it. As a result, you can be subject to tax. Take professional advice.

Business property taxes apply to businesses with commercial premises.There are two commercial property taxes: business rates and stamp duty land tax.

If you have tax problems or face a tax investigation, it pays to seek professional advice and you must act rather than just hoping for the best.

Deadline looms for registering as self-employed

2 October 2023

Anyone who has earned income as a self-employed worker in the 2022/23 tax year must register for Self Assessment by 5 October if they haven't done so already.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding anyone who is new to Self Assessment for the 2022/23 tax year that they must register online by 5 October 2023.

How to register as self-employed

You can register for Self Assessment on the GOV.UK website. Taxpayers that need to do this include anyone who has:

  • Worked on a freelance basis in the past tax year;
  • Set up a side hustle to earn money in addition to their PAYE job;
  • Starting renting out a property as a landlord.

In fact, if a taxpayer has any income that they have not already paid UK tax on, they need to register for Self Assessment on GOV.UK. They will then receive a Unique Taxpayer Reference, which they will need when completing their tax return. The deadline for taxpayers to file their tax return online and pay any tax owed for the 2022/23 tax year is 31 January 2024.

How to stop Self Assessment

If a worker thinks they no longer need to complete a Self Assessment tax return for the 2022/23 tax year, they should tell HMRC before the deadline on 31 January 2024 to avoid any penalties.

HMRC has a wide range of resources to help customers file a tax return, including a series of video tutorials on YouTube.

Written by Rachel Miller.

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