Practical UK tax, written for real businesses.
Tax planning, sector deep-dives, and HMRC playbooks from Sutton Roff Accountants & Advisors. Real worked examples. Specific 2025/26 numbers. No fluff.
Can I appeal an HMRC penalty?
30-day window from penalty notice. Two-stage process: internal review then First-tier Tribunal. The reasonable excuse defence is real but narrow — bereavement, hospitalisation, HMRC system failure. 'Too busy' doesn't qualify.
Read →How long do I have to keep my tax records?
SA: 5 years from 31 January after tax year end. Limited company: 6 years. VAT: 6 years. Capital cost records (for CGT): until asset is sold + 4-6 years after — easily 20-30 years for long-term holdings.
Read →What happens if I can’t pay my tax bill?
File the return on time even if you can't pay — late-filing penalties stack independently. Then call HMRC's Time-to-Pay line. Most under-£30k SA debts get a 12-month plan agreed in one phone call.
Read →Can HMRC see my bank account?
Yes — but not in real-time. HMRC's four data routes: CRS (overseas auto-share), Financial Institution Notices (UK targeted), enquiry notices, and the Connect database for pattern matching across 30+ data sources.
Read →How far back can HMRC investigate me?
Honest mistake: 4 years. Careless behaviour: 6 years. Deliberate or offshore: 20 years. HMRC categorises the behaviour, not you. Plus how unprompted voluntary disclosure can drop penalties to 0% on careless errors.
Read →Do I pay CGT if I gift shares to my spouse?
No — inter-spouse transfers are no-gain-no-loss. The receiving spouse takes the original cost basis. Used pre-sale, the structure unlocks two annual exemptions and two basic-rate bands — saving thousands on substantial gains.
Read →How does the residence nil-rate band actually work?
The £175k extra IHT-free allowance per person, available where main home passes to direct descendants and estate is below £2m. The taper above £2m and how a £2.5m estate pays £540,000 more than a £1.5m estate.
Read →Can I leave my business to my children tax-free?
Until April 2026, 100% Business Property Relief on qualifying trading-company shares. From 6 April 2026, combined £1m BPR+APR cap with 50% relief above. £400,000 of new IHT on a £3m family business.
Read →Will my pension be hit by inheritance tax from April 2027?
From 6 April 2027, most pension funds become part of the estate for IHT. Same wealth household — £80,000 of new IHT on a typical landlord-and-pension estate. Pre-2027 planning levers that still work.
Read →Do construction subcontractors pay tax differently?
CIS deducts 20% from labour invoices at source. Most subbies overpay by £1,000-£2,500/year, refunded via SA at year-end. Plus the gross-status route to 0% deduction, and the Domestic Reverse Charge for VAT-registered subbies.
Read →Do I need to declare my crypto profits?
Yes — crypto disposals are CGT events at 18%/24% post-October 2024 rates. The £3,000 annual exemption, Section 104 pooling, mining-vs-staking income tax distinction, and the 30-day rule.
Read →Do Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon Flex drivers pay tax?
Yes — gig drivers are self-employed for tax. The 45p/mile mileage rate vs actual-cost method, commercial insurance requirements, and when high-mileage drivers should switch off the simplified rate.
Read →Do OnlyFans creators pay tax in the UK?
UK creators on any platform pay income tax + Class 4 NIC as self-employed. Sole trader vs Ltd company crossover at £50k profit, plus the platform-reporting rules from January 2024.
Read →Why is my tax code wrong this year?
The five common reasons (new job, multiple jobs, BIK, prior-year underpayment, pension changes), what each tax code letter means, and how to fix wrong codes via the Personal Tax Account.
Read →How do I close down my limited company tax-efficiently?
Strike off (free, £25k capital cap) vs MVL (£2-5k cost, full BADR at 14% rising to 18%). On £150k retained earnings, MVL saves £21k tax — if TAAR doesn't catch you trading again.
Read →Can I lend myself money from my own company?
The 9-month-after-year-end clock, the 33.75% Section 455 charge, the bed-and-breakfast anti-avoidance rule, and three legitimate ways to clear an overdrawn DLA.
Read →Can I pay my spouse from my limited company?
Spouse as employee, co-director or shareholder — the structure that saves £7,500/year on £100,000 of extraction. Settlements legislation, the Arctic Systems case, and the wholly-and-exclusively salary test.
Read →Can I reclaim VAT on a company van or car?
Van with no private use: 100% VAT reclaim. Car with any private use: 0% reclaim. Lease cars: 50% reclaim on rentals. Plus the April 2025 reclassification of double-cab pickups as cars.
Read →Do I charge VAT to overseas clients?
Place-of-supply rules for B2B vs B2C, the reverse charge mechanism, zero-rated goods exports, and the OSS scheme for digital services to EU consumers.
Read →Is the Flat Rate VAT Scheme worth it for me?
The 2017 Limited Cost Trader rate of 16.5% killed FRS for most service businesses — standard VAT now wins by ~£800-£1,500/year. Where FRS still pays back: builders, retail, hospitality.
Read →Should I voluntarily register for VAT?
B2B saves £6k/year in input VAT reclaim. B2C costs £6k/year in absorbed margin. Mixed businesses break even around 50:50 customer mix — depending on input VAT proportion.
Read →Do I have to register for VAT in 2025/26?
The £90,000 rolling-12-month threshold (raised from £85k in April 2024), the 30-day registration window, the forward-looking expectation test, and how the deregistration threshold prevents yo-yo registration.
Read →How much child benefit do I lose if I earn over £60k?
HICBC tapers from £60k of adjusted net income, full clawback at £80k. Pension contributions reduce ANI and restore the benefit — combined with income tax relief, contributions can carry 70%+ effective relief.
Read →How much capital gains tax will I pay on my shares in 2025/26?
The post-October 2024 18%/24% rates, £3,000 annual exemption, and the Bed-and-ISA mechanic that drops a £80,000 gain bill from £18,480 to £11,760 across four tax years.
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