Taking on your first employee is a big step for any business. It can bring exciting opportunities for growth, but it also comes with important legal and administrative responsibilities. Getting things right at the start will save time, reduce risk and help you build a strong foundation as an employer.

Registering as an employer

Before you pay your first member of staff, you need to register with HM Revenue and Customs as an employer. This ensures that you can operate PAYE, which is the system used to collect Income Tax and National Insurance from your employees’ pay. Registration is usually completed online, and it is best to allow time for HMRC to set up your details before your first payday.

Checking the right to work

You must confirm that your new employee has the legal right to work in the UK. This usually means checking original documents such as a passport or using the government’s online service. Failing to carry out the proper checks can lead to penalties, so make sure this step is completed before employment begins.

Setting up payroll

Once registered, you need to put in place a system to calculate pay, deduct tax and National Insurance, and report these details to HMRC. Many small businesses use payroll software, and some prefer to outsource the process to their accountant. Whichever route you choose, make sure your system is accurate and compliant.

Employment contracts and policies

An employee must be given a written statement of employment terms, covering pay, working hours, holidays and other rights. You may also want to establish policies for absence, health and safety, and grievance procedures. Clear documentation reduces misunderstandings and protects both employer and employee.

Pension responsibilities

Most employers must set up a workplace pension and automatically enrol eligible staff. Even if your first employee does not qualify, you still have reporting duties with The Pensions Regulator. Ignoring pension rules can lead to significant fines, so it is important to understand your obligations from the outset.

Keeping records

Employers are required to keep records of pay, tax, National Insurance and pension contributions. These records must be accurate and retained for several years. Good record keeping will also help you manage your business finances more effectively.

Health and safety duties

You have a duty of care to provide a safe working environment. Depending on the nature of your business, this may involve risk assessments, provide training, or supply protective equipment. Even in a low-risk office environment, you must still ensure staff safety and wellbeing.

Summary

Employing staff for the first time can feel like a steep learning curve, but the process is manageable when broken down into clear steps. Register as an employer, check the right to work, set up payroll, issue contracts, comply with pension rules, keep proper records and look after health and safety. By taking each stage seriously, you will build a reputation as a responsible and fair employer.

If this process seems a little forbidding, please call, we can help.

As a business owner, you might already know that your property’s rateable value underpins how much you’ll pay in business rates, a recurring cost no one loves. But here’s a timely heads-up from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA): the next revaluation is coming, and now’s the best time to get plugged in. The VOA importantly reminds us: “It’s important to remember though that a property’s rateable value is not the same as its business rates bill.” 

What’s Changing – and When?

The VOA update rateable values every three years to reflect what similar properties are fetching in the current market. Here’s the timeline to bookmark:

• Valuation Date: 1 April 2024 (that’s the snapshot used for setting rateable values).
• Revaluation Takes Effect: 1 April 2026.
• Deadline to Challenge: If something’s off in your valuation, you’ve got until 31 March 2026 to flag it up with the VOA. 

Why Sign Up for a Valuation Account?

By registering for a business rates valuation account, you can:

1. Check the details the VOA already holds about your property.
2. Confirm how the valuation was calculated so there are no surprises.
3. Let the VOA know if there’s anything inaccurate, but don’t wait, the cut-off is fast approaching. 

As Alan Colston, the VOA’s Chief Valuer, puts it:

“We publish future valuations a few months before they come into effect – businesses can check that the facts we hold about their property are correct. They can also estimate their future bill and plan their future business rates liability.”

With a clearer view of your future liability, you can budget better and avoid nasty surprises come April 2026.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t already, set up your business rates valuation account today and “claim” your property. Take a quick peek now, and you’ll thank yourself later when your future rates bills are clearer, and you’ve got that deadline firmly marked in the diary.

A strong business is built on habits, not hope. The following ten goals work as a practical checklist you can revisit each quarter. Keep them simple, measure progress, and improve a little each month.

Protect cash flow

Run a 13 week rolling cash flow forecast and update it weekly. Watch debtor days and supplier terms and match payment timings to incoming cash. Cash timing matters more than profit timing.

Build a cash buffer

Aim to hold three to six months of fixed costs in accessible reserves. Keep tax money in a separate account so Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE and Self-Assessment bills never threaten liquidity.

Keep pricing and margin discipline

Know your gross margin by product or service. Review prices regularly, track costs, and protect margin with clear pricing rules. If costs rise, reprice, respecify, or remove low margin lines.

Diversify revenue

Reduce reliance on any single customer, sector, or channel. Set a sensible cap so no single client accounts for more than twenty percent of revenue and build alternative routes to market.

Tighten working capital

Set targets for stock turns, debtor days, and creditor days, then monitor them monthly. Use deposits, staged billing, and early payment incentives to shorten the cash cycle and free up cash.

Strengthen the balance sheet

Pursue profitable growth and sensible gearing. Match loan terms to asset life and replace expensive short term borrowing with longer term facilities where appropriate. Never use overdrafts to fund losses.

Plan for tax efficiently

Forecast tax early and keep digital records accurate and complete. Use reliefs that fit your facts, and time capital expenditure and pension contributions with care to avoid penalties and interest.

Produce timely management information

Close the month quickly and consistently. Review a simple dashboard that covers sales run rate, gross margin, overheads, cash runway, debtor days, pipeline value, and order book strength.

Manage risk and insure wisely

List your key financial and operational risks and decide how to mitigate them. Consider key person cover, cyber insurance, robust contracts, practical disaster recovery, and secure offsite backups.

Stay funding ready

Keep accounts clean, file on time, and maintain a short narrative for lenders and investors. Build relationships with your bank and alternative funders before you need them and monitor your credit score.

Adopt these goals as part of routine management, not a once a year tidy up. When you measure, review, and act on them regularly, small improvements compound into resilience. That is how you future safe a business in uncertain times.

Properties needing repairs still count as homes and false claims to recover Stamp Duty Land Tax could mean big tax bills and penalties.

HMRC has issued a warning to homebuyers about rogue tax agents promoting false Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) repayment claims, especially those based on the condition of properties. Following a recent Court of Appeal decision, it has been confirmed that properties requiring repairs remain liable for residential rates of SDLT if they retain the fundamental characteristics of a dwelling. This applies even if the properties are temporarily uninhabitable.

Some agents exploit this by misleading buyers into believing they can reclaim SDLT by arguing the property is “non-residential.” These agents often charge hefty fees and leave homeowners liable for repayment of the tax, penalties, and interest.

HMRC’s press release on the matter provides an illustrative example of a person who bought a house in London for £1,100,000 with his solicitor filing the SDLT return and SDLT being calculated at the residential rates (£53,750). The home required some modernisation and repair.

The homebuyer was then targeted by a repayment agent who claimed he could recover £9,250 in SDLT due to property repairs. The agent took a 30% fee, and the homebuyer received £6,475. Later, HMRC carried out a compliance check and found the property was residential all along. This meant that the homebuyer was left owing the full £9,250, plus interest and penalties, with the agent refusing to assist.

The case reinforces that a property’s poor condition does not alter its classification as a dwelling if it is structurally sound and previously used as a home. SDLT claims that are invalid can result in serious financial consequences for the buyer, who is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of any SDLT repayment submission.

We would be happy to help you consider where you are eligible to make a claim without incurring unnecessary fees or risks.

Banks must now give 90 days’ notice before closing accounts, giving customers more time to respond.

Since April 2026, new government rules strengthen protections for individuals and small businesses at risk of unfair bank account closures. Under the legislation, banks and payment service providers are required to give at least 90 days’ written notice before closing an account or terminating a payment service, commonly known as debanking. A significant increase from the previous 2-month limit.

Banks are also required to provide a clear explanation for the closure, allowing customers to challenge the decision including through the Financial Ombudsman Service. These changes are designed to protect customers, particularly small businesses, who have often found their accounts shut down without notice or reason, leaving them unable to operate or seek alternatives.

The new rules form part of the government’s wider Plan for Change, aimed at delivering economic security and supporting growth. The rules came into force for relevant new contracts agreed from 28 April 2026 onwards and also apply to the termination of basic personal bank accounts.

There are exceptions in cases where closure is necessary to comply with financial crime laws. Existing protections which prohibit a bank from discriminating against a UK consumer based on political opinions or beliefs remain in place.

If you cannot pay your tax bill, it’s crucial to contact HMRC as soon as possible. They may offer support through a Time to Pay arrangement, allowing you to repay your debt in instalments based on your financial situation. Ignoring the debt can lead to enforcement action, including visits to your home or business by HMRC or the use of debt collection agencies. The debt collection agencies are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and will only contact you by letter, phone, or SMS. They will not visit you in person at your home or place of work.

If these measures to do not work, HMRC can recover the debt using more serious measures. These include taking control of your possessions, recovering money directly from your bank account, adjusting your tax code or using court action. HMRC may also pursue debt through charging orders, deductions from wages or pensions or third-party debt orders.

If all else fails, insolvency proceedings may be started, including bankruptcy or winding-up orders. HMRC also has international recovery agreements that allow foreign tax authorities to collect UK tax debts if you live or have assets abroad.

If you are affected by any of these issues, please let us know so we can help you.

From April 2026, the self-employed and landlords must use MTD for IT, but exemptions may apply in limited cases.

If you are self-employed or a landlord with income over £50,000, you will need to prepare for digital record keeping, quarterly updates and a new penalty system. While most affected taxpayers will be required to comply, there are limited exemptions available.

You can apply for an exemption if you believe you are digitally excluded. HMRC will consider applications on a case-by-case basis once the process opens.

You may be eligible if:

• it is not practical for you to use software to keep or submit digital records – this could be due to age, disability, location, or another reason; or
• you are a practising member of a religious society or order whose beliefs are incompatible with electronic communication and digital record keeping.

In addition, if HMRC has already confirmed that you are exempt from Making Tax Digital for VAT, you will need to contact them again once the MTD for IT application process opens. HMRC will then review your exemption. If your circumstances remain the same then HMRC will confirm you are also exempt from MTD for IT. If not, you will need to reapply.

Some taxpayers are automatically exempt from MTD for IT and do not need to apply.

These include:

• trustees, including charitable trustees and trustees of non-registered pension schemes
• individuals without a National Insurance number, applicable only if one is not held by 31 January before the start of the tax year
• personal representatives of someone who has died
• Lloyd’s member, in relation to your underwriting business
• non-resident companies

If you are automatically exempt, you do not need to apply for an exemption. If you do not use MTD for IT, you must continue to report your income and gains by submitting a self-assessment tax return if required.

1 September 2025 – Due date for corporation tax due for the year ended 30 November 2024.

19 September 2025 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 September 2025. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 September 2025)

19 September 2025 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 September 2025. 

19 September 2025 – CIS tax deducted for the month ended 5 September 2025 is payable by today.

1 October 2025 – Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ended 31 December 2024.

19 October 2025 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 October 2025. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 October 2025)

19 October 2025 – Filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ended 5 October 2025. 

19 October 2025 – CIS tax deducted for the month ended 5 October 2025 is payable by today.

31 October 2025 – Latest date you can file a paper version of your 2024-25 self-assessment tax return.

There is no confirmed date for the Autumn Budget, although most commentary points to late October or early November. The Treasury has not announced a day, which helps explain why rumours are circulating. Market conditions have tightened since early summer, and borrowing costs remain elevated. That combination reduces fiscal headroom and increases the likelihood that revenue-raising options, or tax base reforms, will feature more prominently than giveaways.

Property taxes are doing the heavy lifting in the rumour mill

A series of briefings has put property near the top of the potential reform list. One strand is a levy paid by sellers of higher-value homes, often framed around a price threshold, for example sales above a mid to upper six-figure level. The idea is presented as a way to smooth transactions, to rebalance the burden between buyers and sellers, and to support a wider overhaul of stamp duty and council tax.

Another property angle that has been assessed in the press is a potential narrowing of the exemption for gains on main residences. The suggested approach would keep principal private residence relief for the vast majority of homes, while tapering or removing relief above a high valuation band. This would be a significant change to a long-standing relief, so treat it as a high-salience, low-certainty option until official documents appear. If something in this area does emerge, transitional rules, valuation mechanics, and anti-forestalling provisions would need careful study on the day.

Pensions stories are circulating again

Commentary has revived last year’s debate about the 25 per cent pension commencement lump sum. Some reports suggest that lowering the effective cap could raise meaningful revenue without changing contribution reliefs or headline income tax rates. Professional bodies are already engaging in the discussion. Since similar trails did not land previously, it is sensible to remind ourselves that acting solely on rumours can create irreversible tax outcomes. Any change, if pursued, could come with anti-forestalling measures to prevent a rush of withdrawals ahead of the effective date.

Inheritance tax remains a live testing ground

There is renewed talk of tightening the treatment of lifetime gifts and the taper that applies when gifts are made within seven years of death. The thrust of these suggestions is to reduce the scope for reducing an eventual inheritance tax bill through long-range planning, while avoiding a full rate increase. Specifics are scarce at this stage. If reforms appear, expect a focus on definitions, documentation requirements, and the interface with existing exemptions such as normal expenditure out of income.

Dividends and investment income are in the frame

Briefings continue to highlight the dividend regime. Possibilities include removing the small dividend allowance, now at a modest level, and adjusting dividend tax rates at the margins. For many owner-managed companies the combination of reduced allowance and possible rate shifts would raise effective liabilities on extraction. It is worth considering year-end planning that can be adapted quickly, so directors can weigh salary, dividends, pension contributions, and benefits with up-to-date figures once the Chancellor has spoken.

Income tax thresholds and the freeze question

There is ongoing speculation about the future of the personal allowance and higher rate thresholds. An extension of the freeze would quietly raise revenue as nominal incomes rise. This would be consistent with the constraint of maintaining headline rates for income tax, national insurance, and VAT, while still meeting fiscal rules. The political messaging may emphasise stability and fairness, while the numbers do the heavy lifting in the background.

A final calibration

Until the Treasury releases the official documents, everything above remains unconfirmed. The most reliable guide to what finally appears is the fiscal arithmetic calculated in the run-up to the statement. If headroom is tight, expect a bias toward base-broadening, threshold freezes, and relief adjustments. If conditions improve, do not be surprised to see targeted growth measures paired with a smaller number of highly specific tax changes that deliver revenue without breaking stated pledges.