Pomfrey Accountants Clear numbers. Dependable advice. Local support.

Pomfrey Accountants

Clear numbers. Dependable advice. Local support.

Latest Articles

Receipts Worth Keeping: Ten Allowable Expenses That Quietly Slip Through the Net
Self Assessment

Receipts Worth Keeping: Ten Allowable Expenses That Quietly Slip Through the Net

Every year, small business owners pay more tax than they need to — not through carelessness, but through caution. Here are ten legitimate claims that regularly go unclaimed, and the simple habit that stops them slipping away.

Paying Yourself From Your Own Company: The Salary and Dividend Balancing Act for 2025
Business Structures

Paying Yourself From Your Own Company: The Salary and Dividend Balancing Act for 2025

For owner-managers of limited companies, how you extract profits matters as much as how you earn them. We walk through the 2025/26 figures, the case for a modest salary topped up with dividends, and worked examples at three profit levels.

The Brown Envelope: A Calm Guide to HMRC Compliance Checks
Self Assessment

The Brown Envelope: A Calm Guide to HMRC Compliance Checks

Receiving a letter from HMRC is enough to unsettle anyone, but a compliance check is rarely the disaster people imagine. Here is what the process actually involves, what your rights are, and how good records turn a stressful enquiry into a routine exercise.

Two Ways to Count: Choosing Between Cash Basis and Accruals for Your Business
Business Structures

Two Ways to Count: Choosing Between Cash Basis and Accruals for Your Business

The accounting method you choose shapes when income and expenses appear in your accounts — and when tax falls due. We walk through three worked examples to show which approach suits different types of small business.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: A Plain-English Timeline for Sole Traders
Self Assessment

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: A Plain-English Timeline for Sole Traders

From April 2026, many sole traders and landlords will be required to keep digital records and report to HMRC more frequently. Here is who is affected, when the changes bite, and what sensible preparation looks like now.

From Shoebox to Software: A Gentle Roadmap for Getting Your Books Digitally Sorted
Business Structures

From Shoebox to Software: A Gentle Roadmap for Getting Your Books Digitally Sorted

If your receipts live in a kitchen drawer and your invoices are scattered across three email accounts, this one is for you. A realistic, judgement-free plan for moving your bookkeeping online — one small step at a time.

After the Books Are Done, the Opportunities Are Gone: Questions Worth Asking Your Accountant Before Year-End
Payroll

After the Books Are Done, the Opportunities Are Gone: Questions Worth Asking Your Accountant Before Year-End

Too many business owners treat their accountant as a historian rather than an adviser, arriving once the books are closed and the tax is already fixed. This piece argues that the most valuable planning happens before the period ends — and lists the seven conversations to have in advance.

Ninety Thousand and Counting: Navigating the VAT Threshold Without Losing Your Footing
Business Structures

Ninety Thousand and Counting: Navigating the VAT Threshold Without Losing Your Footing

Crossing the £90,000 VAT registration threshold changes more than your paperwork — it can reshape your pricing, your margins and your client relationships. We walk through a worked example, the common traps, and when registering voluntarily might actually work in your favour.

The Year-End Advantage: Five Record-Keeping Habits That Pay Dividends (and Three That Don't)
Self Assessment

The Year-End Advantage: Five Record-Keeping Habits That Pay Dividends (and Three That Don't)

Good bookkeeping is less about hours spent and more about habits formed. We look at five everyday practices that make your Self Assessment cheaper and easier — and three popular habits that quietly cost you time and money.

First Time on Payroll? What New Employers Need to Know Before Your First Pay Day
Payroll

First Time on Payroll? What New Employers Need to Know Before Your First Pay Day

Becoming an employer brings a new set of obligations — registration deadlines, payslips, pensions and HMRC submissions. This guide walks first-time employers through the essentials, with a practical checklist to keep penalties at bay.

Eight Weeks to 31 January: A Steady Week-by-Week Plan for Your Self Assessment
Self Assessment

Eight Weeks to 31 January: A Steady Week-by-Week Plan for Your Self Assessment

The 31 January deadline need not be a source of sleepless nights. This calm, structured timeline sets out what to do each week, from gathering paperwork to settling your bill, so you arrive at the deadline composed and in control.

The Incorporation Question: When Going Limited Serves Your Business — and When It Doesn't
Business Structures

The Incorporation Question: When Going Limited Serves Your Business — and When It Doesn't

Incorporation is often presented as an automatic tax win, but the reality is more nuanced. We weigh the genuine advantages of trading as a limited company against the administrative burden, and set out the circumstances in which staying a sole trader remains the wiser course.