The Isaacs & Co blog

15 September 2026

Between £100,000 and £125,140 every extra pound costs 60p in tax. The planning that pulls your income back below the line, and what each option is worth.

8 September 2026

The personal allowance is not fixed. Above £100,000 it shrinks by £1 for every £2 you earn - here is the formula, and what you keep at each income level.

1 September 2026

Self-employment, dividends, rental income, a capital gain, Child Benefit. The full list of triggers, including the ones people routinely miss.

18 August 2026

Hiring your first employee or paying yourself as a director? Here is how to set up payroll, when to register for PAYE, and the most tax-efficient salary to take.

11 August 2026

VAT returns are routine, but small mistakes cost you. Here is how to submit a return under Making Tax Digital step by step, plus the common errors to avoid.

4 August 2026

R&D tax credits are one of the most generous and most overlooked reliefs available. Your business may qualify without realising it. Here is who can claim and how.

28 July 2026

VAT registration for UK small businesses: when you have to register, when it is worth doing voluntarily, and the five steps to getting it done with HMRC.

21 July 2026

Dreading your Self Assessment? It is more manageable than it looks. Here is who needs to file, the deadlines, the expenses you can claim, and how to do it step by step.

14 July 2026

Bookkeeping and accounting are not the same thing. Here is what each one actually does, whether your small business needs both, and what bookkeeping typically costs.

13 July 2026

MTD for Income Tax is live and the first quarterly update is due 7 August 2026. Who is in scope, the deadlines, and what to do if you have not started.

7 July 2026

Starting a limited company? From Companies House filings to Corporation Tax, the admin adds up fast. Here is what an accountant does for a startup, and when to hire one.

30 June 2026

Sole trader or limited company? The right structure affects your tax, your liability and your take-home pay. Here is how to choose the best fit for your business.

25 June 2026

Choosing the right accountant can save your small business time, money and stress. Here's what to look for, the questions to ask, and how to find a good one in Manchester.

26 May 2026

Dividends have to come out of profits, and the paperwork has to exist. What to check before you declare one, and what happens if you don’t.

19 May 2026

Company pension contributions cut taxable profits and build your retirement pot at the same time. How directors can make use of both effects.

5 May 2026

Statutory accounts tell you what happened last year. Management accounts tell you what is happening now — and that is what decisions need.

28 April 2026

Most compliance checks are routine, but they still need handling properly. Why HMRC picks a business, what they ask for, and how to respond.

21 April 2026

Tax planning is what you do during the year, not what you do when the bill lands. Practical moves for owner-managed businesses.

14 April 2026

As a business grows, spending gets harder to see. How to keep expenses recorded, categorised and claimable without drowning in receipts.

10 March 2026

Earn just over £100,000 and your Personal Allowance starts disappearing, £1 for every £2. Why the effective rate spikes, and what can be done about it.

3 March 2026

The bill nobody expects: HMRC asking for next year’s tax in advance. Why it happens, how it’s calculated, and when you can ask for it to be reduced.

24 February 2026

Buy equipment for the business and you may be able to deduct the whole cost from taxable profits in the same year. What qualifies, and how to claim it.

17 February 2026

Profitable businesses still run out of money. A forecast is how you see it coming — what to put in one, and how often to revisit it.

10 February 2026

The “wholly and exclusively” rule decides what you can claim. What qualifies, what doesn’t, and where directors most often get it wrong.

3 February 2026

Rates, marginal relief, and the associated companies rule that quietly divides your thresholds. What every director should know before year end.

27 January 2026

Two ways to pay yourself, taxed very differently. How the split works, and why most directors end up taking some of each.

11 January 2026

Take more out of the company than you put in and a clock starts running. What an overdrawn loan account costs, and the deadline that triggers the charge.