James Dawson shows how tax and cashflow are closely inter-related and points out some opportunities you just might have missed. With a downturn in the economy and some uncertainty surrounding the UK’s position after Brexit, many companies are turning their attention to tax planning – especially if cashflow is...

Chris Harland sees his relationship with clients changing over time. Here, he outlines the way in which technology and face-to-face discussion can make a difference beyond the numbers. In recent years, new software has made it very easy for clients to do more of their own accounting and compliance....

Cyber fraud is sadly on the increase and it’s an issue charitable trustees simply can’t afford to ignore. In fact, the government estimates that 70% of all fraud is now committed online.  These scams can be complex and difficult to detect.  They normally involve hacking into your system or...

Fraud is a serious problem and isn’t just an issue for commercial organisations.  In fact, evidence suggests that charities are being targeted more than ever, because they are perceived by fraudsters to be more vulnerable. They are often cash-rich and have a high number of transactions with low staffing...

HMRC have recently won a tax tribunal case where they were seeking to challenge the deduction for a wife’s wages in arriving at the profits of her husband’s business. The judge agreed with HMRC that the amount allowed as a deduction should be limited based on the hours spent...

It’s a nightmare scenario. You’ve invested in a company and then discover that it has collapsed and that its shares have become worthless. Imagine, for example, owning a slice of Carillion – which went from being one of the UK’s largest construction businesses to a company revealed to have...

Your accountant can help you in a number of different ways, argues Paul Burton. Here, he lists five of the most important contributions they can make. What exactly is your accountant there for? Providing a sounding board for your business plans? Offering you peace of mind? I think it’s...

You’re running a small business and ‘strategy’ is just for the big players, right? Well, maybe it’s time to think again argues Chris Harland. It really doesn’t matter what size your business is. We all have short-term objectives and longer-term goals, which means that every company can benefit from...

One of the trickiest issues for any business is to make sure that you’re getting value for money when buying in a service.   Of course, you hope that your tendering and negotiation process is up to scratch and that you’ve defined your requirements very carefully at the outset....

There are probably relatively few of us brave enough to construct a home from scratch. After all, it takes a real sense of vision, commitment and dedication. Perhaps a slightly larger group of us might consider converting an existing building. In either scenario, however, costs are always an issue...