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Latest articles
Why the dividends in your company accounts might not be the right figure for your Self Assessment tax return. I was working on a director's Self Assessment tax return recently and needed to establish how much dividend income they'd received during the tax year. The company's accounts included a figure for dividends, so at first glance it looked as though the information was already there. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite that straightforward. Company accounts and personal tax years don't always match The problem is that a company's financial year and an individual's tax year aren't necessarily the same thing. A limited company might prepare its accounts to 31 December, 30 June or just about any other year-end date. An individual's tax year, meanwhile, always runs from 6 April to the following 5 April. That means the dividends shown in a company's accounts won't necessarily be the dividends that need to go on the director's personal tax return. For example, imagine a company with a 31 December year-end. Its accounts show £20,000 of dividends for the year ended 31 December 2025. It's tempting to take that figure and include it in the director's 2025/26 tax return. But what if £8,000 of those dividends were paid in February 2025, before the personal tax year had started? They wouldn't normally belong in the 2025/26 return. Equally, there could have been dividends paid in February 2026 that appeared in the following year's company accounts but still fall within the 2025/26 personal tax year. The company accounts could be entirely correct. The £20,000 could be entirely correct. It just wouldn't necessarily be the right figure for the tax return, which is why I need to know more than the total. Why dividend dates and records matter When I'm preparing a director's Self Assessment return, I want to establish which dividends were actually declared and when the shareholder became entitled to them. That usually means looking at dividend vouchers, the relevant company records and, where appropriate, the accounting entries. The dates matter, and so does the distinction between interim and final dividends. Simply looking at when money left the company's bank account doesn't always tell the full story. There's another complication that can make this less obvious than it sounds. Directors of small companies often take money out of the business throughout the year, sometimes in fairly regular amounts, with the transactions recorded through their director's loan account. Some of those withdrawals may subsequently be covered by dividends, but taking money out of a company doesn't automatically make it a dividend. There needs to be an actual dividend, supported by the appropriate records and sufficient distributable profits. Taking money out of the company isn't automatically a dividend This is where I sometimes see another problem. A director transfers money from the company to their personal account and labels the bank transaction “Dividends”, perhaps because that's what they've always called money taken out of the business. That description alone doesn't necessarily make it a dividend, but it can create confusion about what was intended and when. If a dividend really was declared, we can't simply move it to another tax year later because that would be more convenient. On the other hand, if the transfer was actually a withdrawal through the director's loan account, there may still be options when reviewing the company's position and planning dividends properly. The important thing is to establish what actually happened, rather than treating the wording on a bank transaction as the final answer. Good tax planning involves making decisions at the right time, not rewriting history afterwards. I can understand why these distinctions get overlooked. From the director's perspective, the money has come out of their company and into their personal bank account. Whether the company year ends in December or June probably isn't something they're thinking about when making the transfer. But the distinction can affect how much dividend income is reported in a particular tax year, the tax payable and, potentially, whether information in a previously prepared return needs revisiting. Getting the right figure for your tax return It also highlights something I come across quite regularly in accounting work: a figure can be accurate without being the right figure for the question we're trying to answer. The company's annual accounts are prepared for one purpose and cover one period. The director's personal tax return serves a different purpose and covers a different period. We can't always take a number from one and transfer it directly into the other. None of this means directors need to become experts in dividend taxation. It does mean that keeping proper records of dividend declarations, amounts and dates makes life considerably easier when the tax return comes around. And it can avoid the rather frustrating situation where the accounts have been completed, everything appears to be in order, but we still have to go back and ask when the dividends were actually declared. Sometimes the missing information isn't another calculation. It's simply a date.
Energy and fuel costs are once again becoming a major concern for UK businesses, with the latest figures showing worries have reached their highest level since records began. According to the latest Office for National Statistics Business Insights and Conditions Survey, published on 8 October 2026 , 72% of businesses reported some concern about energy prices during the two weeks to 4 October. That’s the highest proportion recorded since the question was first asked in March 2026. Unsurprisingly, some sectors are feeling the pressure more than others. In accommodation and food services, where energy use can be particularly significant, 91% of businesses said they were concerned about energy prices . Fuel costs are causing concern too It’s a similar story when it comes to fuel. Some 73% of businesses reported concerns about fuel costs , another survey high. Transportation and storage businesses were the most concerned, which is hardly surprising given how directly fuel prices affect their day-to-day costs. There were some more positive figures within the survey. 95% of businesses were trading fully or partially , although supply chains remain a concern for larger firms. Almost half, 48%, of larger businesses reported at least one supply chain worry, with international conflict and disruption to shipping among the main concerns. The survey also gives an interesting indication of how quickly businesses are adopting new technology. 30% of businesses reported using artificial intelligence in September , compared with just 9% three years earlier . What does this mean for businesses? Energy and fuel prices are costs that most businesses have limited control over, but that doesn’t mean you should simply absorb increases and hope they come back down. If your costs have changed significantly, it’s worth revisiting your pricing, budgets and cashflow forecasts. Are your margins still where you expect them to be? Do your forecasts reflect what you’re actually paying now, rather than what you were paying six or twelve months ago? For businesses with particularly high energy or fuel usage, even relatively small changes can have a sizeable impact over a year. Volatility may be something businesses have become accustomed to in recent years, but that doesn’t make it sensible to treat every increase as temporary. Keeping your figures up to date gives you a much better chance of responding early rather than discovering the impact several months down the line. It is worth noting that the ONS describes these figures as “official statistics in development” , and the survey response rate was under 26%. Even with that caveat, the level of concern being reported is a useful reminder that businesses need to keep a close eye on their costs – and understand what those costs are doing to profitability and cashflow. Talk to us about managing rising costs.
Autumn Budget 2026: What does it mean for you and your business? Chancellor John Healey delivered his first Budget on 28 October 2026, promising to give households and businesses some much-needed 'breathing space' from rising costs. While the headline rates of Income Tax on earnings, National Insurance and VAT remain unchanged, several announcements could have significant implications over the coming years. The Government expects its tax measures to raise around £7 billion a year by 2031/32, with many changes taking effect from April 2027. Here's what you need to know. Income Tax and allowances The Personal Allowance remains frozen at £12,570 for 2027/28, with most Income Tax and National Insurance thresholds unchanged until 2030/31. As earnings increase, more income may therefore become subject to tax. From 6 April 2027, Income Tax rates on savings and personal rental income will increase by four percentage points to 24%, 44% and 49%. Meanwhile, the Trading Allowance and Self Assessment trading income reporting threshold will increase from £1,000 to £3,000. Changes affecting businesses and employers The National Living Wage will rise by 3.9% to £13.21 per hour from 1 April 2027. Employers should also account for associated National Insurance and pension costs when reviewing their budgets. From 6 April 2027, Income Tax on company cars, vans, fuel and medical benefits will be collected through payroll, with most other taxable benefits following in April 2028. For businesses investing in equipment, the Annual Investment Allowance remains at £1 million. However, the main Writing Down Allowance will fall from 14% to 12% in April 2027, while the relevant First Year Allowance increases from 40% to 50% from January 2027. Corporation Tax rates remain unchanged at 19% for small profits and 25% at the main rate. Business mileage: motorcycles miss out again There is some welcome news for those using their own cars or vans for business. The 55p allowance for the first 10,000 business miles is being made permanent, while the rate for additional miles increases from 25p to 35p from April 2027. Unfortunately, the motorcycle mileage allowance remains at 24p per mile. Having previously supported the Motorcycle Action Group's campaign to increase this to 45p, I'm disappointed that motorcycles have once again been overlooked. As both a motorcyclist and an accountant, I believe there's a strong case for reviewing an allowance that hasn't changed since 2002. You can read more about my support for the campaign in my earlier article . Company directors and business owners From 6 April 2027, the lifetime limit for Business Asset Disposal Relief will fall from £1 million to £500,000, although the reduced Capital Gains Tax rate remains at 18%. Anyone considering selling their business should review the potential implications before committing to a transaction. The Government is also reviewing how profits are extracted from companies, with reforms expected from April 2028. Corporation Tax rates themselves remain unchanged. Qualifying retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England will also benefit from changes to Business Rates Relief from April 2027, including full Small Business Rates Relief for eligible properties with a rateable value of up to £18,000. Making Tax Digital and electronic invoicing From April 2027, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax will generally apply to sole traders and landlords whose combined qualifying gross trading and property income exceeded £30,000 in 2025/26. Those affected will need to maintain digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC. From April 2029, VAT-registered businesses will also be required to issue and receive structured electronic VAT invoices, unless exempt. Simply sending PDF invoices won't meet the new requirements, making suitable accounting software increasingly important. Savings, pensions and household costs The planned reduction to the cash ISA limit has been reversed, meaning adults can continue saving up to £20,000 annually in cash ISAs. From April 2027, most unused pension funds and pension death benefits will be included in estates for Inheritance Tax purposes, potentially affecting estate planning. On household costs, the temporary 0% VAT rate on domestic electricity will continue until 30 June 2027, while eligible households in England will receive a £100 Household Energy Payment from January 2027. What should you do now? This Budget contained plenty of smaller announcements rather than one or two headline-grabbing changes. Some provide welcome relief, while others could increase costs or create additional administrative responsibilities. Although several measures still require legislation or further guidance, there's already plenty worth considering, particularly for employers, landlords and business owners planning future investments or a sale. The important thing isn't reacting to every Budget headline, but understanding which changes affect your circumstances and planning accordingly. If you're unsure what the Budget means for you or your business, please get in touch . We can help you understand the changes and plan ahead.
