Guides

Short, plain-English answers to the questions small business owners ask us most. Each guide gives the answer first, then the detail, with figures checked against GOV.UK.

• Companies House Identity Verification for Directors: When You Must Do It and How

  Your deadline, how to verify free on GOV.UK, and what the first three directors fined in September 2026 did wrong.

• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: Who It Applies To, the Deadlines, and What to Do If Your Software Cannot File

  The £50,000 threshold and when it drops, the quarterly update dates, the 31 January 2028 return, first-year penalties, and the software check to do before 7 November.

• My Making Tax Digital Software Cannot File My Tax Return: What Are My Options?

  How to check your product on HMRC's list in two minutes, how common the problem is, and the three ways to get your return filed by 31 January 2028.

• Director's Loan Account Explained: What Happens If It Is Overdrawn

  What counts as a director's loan, the 35.75% s455 charge, the 9-month window, the £10,000 rule and four ways to clear an overdrawn account.

• How Much Does an Accountant Cost for a Small Limited Company?

  Typical monthly and one-off prices in 2026, what should be included, and the extras to watch for.

• What Happens If You File Company Accounts or a CT600 Late?

  The Companies House and HMRC penalty tables, and how to limit the cost if you are already late.

• New Limited Company Deadlines: A First-Year Checklist

  Corporation Tax registration, the first confirmation statement, first accounts and why the first year often needs two tax returns.

• IR35 Explained for Contractors: What Inside or Outside IR35 Means

  What IR35 is, who decides your status, what each outcome means for tax, and the records to keep.

• Do I Need an Accountant to File a CT600?

  What the law requires, what changed when HMRC's free service closed, and when doing it yourself makes sense.

• When Does a Small Business Have to Register for VAT?

  The £90,000 threshold, the two tests, the 30-day deadline and when voluntary registration makes sense.

• Is FreeAgent Good for a Small Limited Company?

  What FreeAgent does well, where it is less suited, what it costs and how to get it included or free.

• Who Needs to File a Self Assessment Tax Return?

  The people who must file, the common cases people miss, the key dates and the penalties for being late.