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10 Reasons Your Business Growth Has Hit a Wall (And How Advisory Can Fix It)
Every business owner knows that feeling. You started with a bang, saw some great early…
Cop-9 Secrets Revealed: What to Do If HMRC Suspects Serious Tax Fraud
Let’s be honest: nobody likes getting mail from HMRC. Usually, it’s just a boring reminder…
HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service: When COP9 Comes Calling
Let’s be honest: nobody jumps for joy when a brown envelope from HMRC lands on…
The £41m Bolton Cigarette Sting: HMRC’s FIS is Watching
When you think of "surveillance," you probably think of a high-budget spy movie: long-range cameras,…
VAT Hijacking: Don’t Let Fraudsters Steal Your Repayments
Imagine this: You’ve done the hard work, filed your VAT return, and you’re expecting a…
The Pandora Papers: HMRC’s April 2026 Crackdown
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the headlines this week, you’ll know that April…
Till Fraud: HMRC’s Unannounced Raids on ESS
Hi there, I’m Tim Hammond, the owner here at Makes Sense Accountants. It’s Friday, 24th…
HMRC Letter Decoder: Part 3 – Partner vs. Call Centre: Why Your Choice of Accountant…
Welcome back to the third installment of our HMRC Letter Decoder series. If you’ve been…
CIS Fraud: Why Your GPS Is Now On a Shorter Leash
If you’re working in construction, you know that cash flow isn’t just a metric on…
Closing Your Sole Trade? Do You Still Need to Join MTD? Here’s the Truth
So, you’ve decided to move on. Maybe you’re retiring, taking a PAYE job for a…
Why Everyone Is Talking About Company Secretarial Services (And Why You Need More Than Just…
If you’ve recently set up a Limited Company, or if you’ve been running one for…
HMRC Tax Investigation Secrets Revealed: How to Handle a Cop-9 Letter Without Panicking
There are a few things in life that are guaranteed to make your heart skip…
MTD First Quarterly Update: Your Quick-Start Guide to the August 7th Deadline
Well, here we are. It’s mid-April 2026, and the "Big Shift" has finally happened. If…
7 MTD Mistakes Sole Traders are Making (and How to Avoid the New Penalty Points)
Let’s be honest: nobody starts a business because they’re excited about tax returns. You started…
HMRC Letter Decoder: Part 2 – The First 24 Hours: Your Step-By-Step Response
Hey there, it’s Tim Hammond here from Makes Sense Accountants. If you’re reading this, there’s…
The ‘Fraud’ Letter Nobody Expects: Surviving a COP-9 Investigation Without Losing Your Sanity
Imagine a typical Tuesday morning. You’ve got your coffee, you’re checking your emails, and the…
Do You Really Need a Personal Tax Accountant for MTD? Here’s the Truth About the…
Well, here we are. It’s April 2026, and the landscape for sole traders and landlords…
The New 35.75% Director’s Loan Charge Explained in Under 3 Minutes
If you’re running a limited company, you’ve likely used a Director’s Loan Account (DLA) at…
Borrowing from Your Company? It Just Got More Expensive (and HMRC is Watching)
If you’re a company director, you probably know that your Director’s Loan Account (DLA) is…
The IHT Valuation Trap: Why HMRC is Looking Closer at Your Home’s Value
Dealing with the loss of a loved one is one of the hardest things any…
HMRC’s Stealth Attack: Why the ‘Death’ of Self-Assessment is a Nightmare for CIS Workers
Let’s not beat around the bush: HMRC isn’t your friend. They might wrap their latest…
Selling Your Business in 2026? Why New CGT Rates Will Change the Way You Exit
If you’re reading this, it’s Wednesday, 15th April 2026. We’ve officially entered the new tax…
HMRC Letter Decoder: Part 1 – What a ‘Compliance Check’ Actually Means
Hi there! Tim Hammond here, owner of Makes Sense Accountants. If you’ve just opened a…
The £50,000 Rental Trap: Is Your Property Secretly Forcing You into MTD?
If you’re a landlord in the UK right now, you’ve probably heard the whispers. You’ve…
7 CIS Mistakes That Could Kill Your Gross Payment Status (And How to Fix Them)
If you’re working in the UK construction industry, you already know that cash flow is…
Making Sense of MTD: Part 3 – Myth-Busting the Software Scare
Welcome back to our series on Making Tax Digital (MTD). If you’ve been following along,…
HMRC Investigation Secrets Revealed: What Experts Don’t Want You to Know About “Nudge” Letters
We’ve all been there. You come home after a long day, sift through a pile…
The ‘Hidden’ Tax Hike: Why Frozen Thresholds Mean You Need a Personal Tax Accountant This…
It’s a funny thing about taxes. Usually, when the government wants more of your hard-earned…
Making Sense of MTD: Part 2 – The Secret Time-Saver: How Digital Tax Helps Your…
Welcome back! If you’ve been following our little series, you’ll know that we’ve already started…
Looking For Better Business Growth? 10 Things You Should Know About Advisory Services
Let’s be honest for a second. Most people view their accountant as the person they…
MTD is Officially Live: 7 Mistakes Sole Traders Are Already Making (And How to Fix…
Well, here we are. It’s April 2026, and the Making Tax Digital (MTD) era for…
Making Sense of MTD: Part 1 – What the £50k Rule Actually Means for You
Hi everyone, Tim here from Makes Sense Accountants. If you’ve been keeping an eye on…
Salary Vs. Dividends: Which Is Better for Your Limited Company in 2026?
Hey there! If you’re reading this, it’s April 2026, and we are officially into a…
Is Your Limited Company a ‘Tax Trap’? 10 Ways to Stop Overpaying Corporation Tax
Let’s be honest: nobody starts a business because they’re excited about filling out tax returns.…
Your Quick-Start Guide to MTD Quarterly Updates: Do This First
If you’re a sole trader or a CIS subbie clearing more than £50,000 a year,…
The Stealth Tax: How Fiscal Drag is Quietly Shrinking Your Pay Packet
Have you ever looked at your payslip after a hard-earned pay rise and thought, “Wait,…
How to Choose the Best Personal Tax Accountant for the MTD Era (Compared)
It’s April 2026, and if you’re a sole trader, a landlord, or a CIS sub-contractor,…
Tax Investigation Roulette: Is Your Business Next on HMRC’s List?
Ever had that sinking feeling when an envelope with the HMRC logo drops onto your…
The Ticking Tax Bomb: Why Bookkeeping Procrastination is a Financial Disaster
Let’s be honest for a second. Nobody starts a business because they’re excited about receipts.…
Take That & The Tax Relief Trap: Why Gary Barlow ended up with a massive…
We’ve all been there, humming along to "Back for Good" or "Rule the World," thinking…
Lorraine Kelly’s “Persona” Victory: How she proved she’s a character to win her tax battle
Grab your morning coffee and settle in, because we’ve got some Grade-A celebrity tax gossip…
HMRC Interest Rates: Why the Taxman is Charging You More than a Loan Shark
Let’s stop pretending for a second. Let’s stop using the polite, sanitized language of "fiscal…
Why New Dividend Tax Rates Will Change the Way You Pay Yourself in 2026
If you are running a Limited Company in 2026, you already know that the goalpost…
Are You Making These Common MTD Record-Keeping Mistakes?
Hey there! Tim here from Makes Sense Accountants. It’s Friday, 17th of April 2026, and…
The Child Benefit Trap: Why ‘Fairness’ in the Tax System is a Myth for Families
Let’s be honest: raising a family in the UK isn’t exactly getting cheaper. Between the…
10 Reasons Your Current Accountant Isn’t Ready for MTD (And How to Fix It)
It’s Monday, the 30th of March, 2026. In exactly seven days, the way thousands of…
Do You Really Need a Personal Tax Accountant for the New MTD Rules? Here’s the…
If you’re a sole trader, a landlord, or a small business owner, the letters "MTD"…
Jimmy Carr & the “Moral” Tax Dilemma: What happens when your legal tax plan becomes…
We’ve all heard that distinctive, seal-like laugh. It’s the sound of Jimmy Carr, a man…
Don’t Let Your Business Bleed Cash: The Hidden Costs of Poor Bookkeeping
You’re working sixteen-hour days. You’re chasing leads, managing a team, and trying to keep your…
The £700k VAT Nightmare: When ‘Creative’ Accounting Leads to a 3-Year Sentence
Most business owners lose a little sleep over a letter from HMRC. It’s a natural…
The £100k Trap: Why earning more money might actually make you poorer in the UK…
You’ve worked your tail off. You’ve climbed the ladder, survived the late nights, and finally,…
The Silent Profit Killer: Are You Overpaying Your Corporation Tax?
You’ve had a killer month. Sales are up, the team is buzzing, and you’ve finally…
The Gary Lineker IR35 Saga: Why HMRC thinks being a “freelancer” is a crime
He’s the man who never got a yellow card in his professional football career. But…
Tax Investigation Terror: How to Survive a Surprise HMRC Letter
It’s a Tuesday morning. You’ve just sat down with a fresh coffee, ready to tackle…
The Tax Crunch: Why Waiting Until January Is a Recipe for Disaster
Picture this. It’s January 30th. Your eyes are bloodshot, your third cup of coffee is…
The Simple Trick to Improve Your Bookkeeping for Small Businesses Right Now
Let’s be honest for a second: nobody starts a business because they’re excited about spreadsheets…
Do You Really Need a Personal Tax Accountant for Your Crypto?
So, you’ve taken the plunge into the world of Bitcoin, Ethereum, or perhaps some obscure…
5 Steps to Handle Your Crypto Tax and Stay HMRC-Compliant
It wasn’t that long ago that the world of cryptocurrency felt a bit like the…
Why Everyone Is Talking About the 2026 Crypto Tax Crackdown (And You Should Too)
If you’ve been keeping an eye on your crypto wallet lately, you’ve probably noticed that…
Sole Trader vs Limited Company: Which is Better for Your Tax Bill in 2026?
If you’re reading this in March 2026, chances are your business is either growing fast…
MTD Quarterly Updates Explained in Under 3 Minutes: No Jargon Allowed
If you’ve spent any time lately scrolling through business news or chatting with other business…
Do You Really Need to Join MTD This April? Here’s the Truth for Sole Traders
It’s Monday, the 30th of March, 2026. If you’re a sole trader or a landlord,…
MTD Penalty Points Explained: 5 Steps to Avoid the £200 Fine
Let’s be honest: nobody likes getting a letter from HMRC. Usually, it’s a brown envelope…
7 MTD Mistakes Sole Traders Make (and How to Avoid Penalty Points Before April 6th)
If you’re a sole trader, you’ve probably heard the whispers (or maybe the shouts) about…
Why a Proactive Accountant Will Change the Way You Run Your Limited Company in 2026
If you’re running a limited company in 2026, you already know that the landscape has…
MTD for Landlords: Why Your Rental Income Now Requires Quarterly Reporting
If you’re a landlord, you’ve likely spent years following the same rhythm: collect rent, save…
The Final Countdown: Last-Minute Tax Hacks Every Small Business Owner Needs
The clock isn’t just ticking; it’s practically screaming. It is Monday, the 30th of March,…
Does a Personal Tax Accountant Really Matter in 2026? Here’s the Truth
It is officially March 2026. Your fridge can tell you when your milk is expiring,…
The Small Business Guide to a Stress-Free April
It’s Friday, March 27th. If you’re a small business owner in the UK, you probably…
HMRC Tax Investigation Support: What Experts Don’t Want You to Know
It usually happens on a Tuesday. You’re sorting through the post, looking for a bill…
Preparing Your 2026/27 Records: Start the New Tax Year Right
It happens every year. The clock strikes midnight on April 5th, the old tax year…
Corporation Tax Explained in Under 3 Minutes: No Jargon Allowed
Look, I get it. The words "Corporation Tax" usually rank somewhere between "Root Canal" and…
ISA and Pension Contributions: Beating the April 5th Deadline
If you’re reading this, you’ve got exactly ten days. Ten days before the 2025/26 tax…
Your Quick-Start Guide to MTD for Sole Traders: Do This First
Let’s be real for a second: the words "HMRC" and "Mandatory Change" usually result in…
Last-Minute Business Expenses: What You Can Still Claim
It’s that time of year again. The daffodils are starting to poke through, the days…
Tax Year-End: The ‘Don’t Panic’ Guide for 2026
It’s Monday, March 23rd, 2026. If you’re a small business owner, a freelancer, or just…
Why Everyone Is Talking About Companies House ID Verification (And You Should Too)
If you’ve been running a business for a while, you’re probably used to Companies House…
HMRC COP9 Tax Investigations: What You Need to Know (Without the Panic)
If you’ve just opened a letter from HMRC mentioning "Code of Practice 9" (COP9) or…
Are You Making These Common HMRC Tax Investigation Mistakes?
There’s a specific kind of "thud" that a brown envelope makes when it hits the…
How to Choose the Best Personal Tax Accountant (Without the Jargon)
Let’s be honest: for most people, "tax season" isn't exactly a highlight of the calendar.…
The Ultimate Guide to Company Secretarial Services: Everything You Need to Stay Compliant
Running a limited company comes with a bunch of “grown-up” responsibilities , and a lot…
HMRC Self-Assessment Tax Investigations: Your 5-Step Survival Guide
Look, we get it. Opening your mail and seeing a letter from HMRC is rarely…
MTD for Sole Traders 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Your Digital Tax Return
If you’re a sole trader, you’ve probably heard the whispers: or perhaps the loud, echoing…
Is an HMRC Tax Investigation Bad? How to Stay Calm and Get Through It
There it is. The dreaded brown envelope. Even if you know your books are in…
The Ultimate Guide to Corporation Tax: Everything Your Limited Company Needs to Succeed
Let’s be honest: very few people start a business because they’re excited about the prospect…
Received an HMRC Crypto Nudge Letter? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know
So, you’ve opened your mail and found a letter from HMRC regarding your cryptocurrency activities.…
Company Secretarial Services: Why Your Limited Company Needs More Than Just a Registered Address
If you run a limited company, you’ve probably heard the phrase “company secretarial” (or “CoSec”)…
The Future of Accounting: Trends to Watch Out For
Let’s be honest: when most people think about "accounting," they picture a dusty office, stacks…
CIS Sub-Contractors: Making Sense of Your Taxes and Returns
If you spend your days on a building site, in a workshop, or managing a…
Sole Trader Tax Return Help 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering MTD
If you’ve recently ditched the 9-to-5 to become your own boss, first of all: high…
Why Smart Corporation Tax Services Will Change the Way You Run Your Limited Company
Let’s be honest for a second: most business owners view Corporation Tax as a bit…
MTD for Landlords 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Your First Quarterly Self Assessment
Let’s be honest: when most landlords hear the words "Making Tax Digital" (MTD), their first…
CIS Sub-Contractors: Making Sense of Your Taxes and Returns
If you spend your days on a building site, in a workshop, or managing a…
Sole Trader Tax Return Help 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Mastering MTD
If you’ve recently ditched the 9-to-5 to become your own boss, first of all: high…
7 Mistakes You’re Making with Bookkeeping for Small Businesses (and How to Fix Them Before…
Hey there! I’m Tim Hammond, the Managing Partner here at Makes Sense Accountants. It’s Thursday,…
HMRC fails in pursuit over £182.40 HICBC penalty
After a taxpayer successfully appealed a £182.40 penalty, is the cost to HMRC of administering…
HMRC’s confusing evidence spares taxpayer from penalties
HMRC used text strings as evidence that late filing penalties had been electronically served but…
Playing the long game with inheritance tax
Despite affecting a comparative few, inheritance tax has become a topic of much debate as…
MPs warn that MTD has lost sight of taxpayer benefits
Hot on the heels of Making Tax Digital changes announced at the Autumn Statement, a…
Cash basis to replace accruals for self-employed
The Chancellor has announced that cash basis is to replace accruals for the self-employed as…