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What banks look at when a small business applies for a loan

When a small business applies for a bank loan, the bank is mainly trying to answer one question, “How likely is it that we will be repaid, on time and in full?” To reach that decision, they will review a mix of financial evidence, trading

What factors affect a person’s credit rating?

A person’s credit rating (often referred to as a credit score) is a measure used by lenders to assess how reliably someone manages borrowing and financial commitments. It can affect whether credit is offered at all, the interest rate charged and even

Tax Diary February/March 2026

1 February 2026 – Due date for Corporation Tax payable for the year ended 30 April 2025.19 February 2026 – PAYE and NIC deductions due for month ended 5 February 2026. (If you pay your tax electronically the due date is 22 February 2026)19 February

MTD for Income Tax – what’s required from April 2026

From April 2026, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (MTD for IT) will become mandatory for many self-employed persons and landlords, marking a significant change in how they manage their tax affairs. The new regime is designed to modernise the tax

Company information in the public domain

Did you know you can monitor any UK company for free and get email alerts when key details change, which can help protect your own business from unexpected or unauthorised filings?

A significant amount of information about companies is available in

Creative Industry Corporation Tax reliefs

If your business works in film, TV, games or the arts, Creative Industry Tax Reliefs could reduce your Corporation Tax bill and may even generate a payable tax credit.

Creative Industry Tax Reliefs (CITR) are a range of UK Corporation Tax reliefs

Expenses for the self-employed

If you are self-employed, knowing which everyday costs you can legitimately claim can make a real difference to how much tax you end up paying.

The question of which costs you can claim against your self-employed business is a common one. If you are

Pre-trading expenditure for companies

Starting a new business can be expensive, but many of your pre-trading costs may qualify for tax relief if they meet the right conditions.

There are special tax reliefs for pre-trading expenses that are incurred before a business starts trading.

What is the advance tax certainty service?

If your business is planning a major UK investment, HMRC’s new advance tax certainty service could give you binding clarity on the tax position before you commit.

HMRC has recently published draft guidance on the new advance tax certainty service as

Pre-tax year end planning

Pre-tax year end planning is one of the most practical and controllable ways for UK businesses and higher rate taxpayers to reduce unnecessary tax exposure. Unlike long term restructuring, it focuses on decisions that can still be influenced before 5

Company liquidations and insolvencies are still elevated

The Insolvency Service data for England and Wales shows monthly company insolvencies remain high by historical standards, even though they move up and down month to month. For example, November 2025 recorded 1,866 registered company insolvencies,

New First Year Allowance from 1 January 2026

The new 40% First Year Allowance (FYA) for qualifying main-rate plant and machinery expenditure first announced at Autumn Budget 2025 has now come into force.

Effective from 1 January 2026, the new FYA applies to qualifying main-rate plant and

Changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief reforms

The government recently announced significant changes to the planned reforms to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). The threshold for 100% relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million when the changes

Starting or changing jobs

Providing the right information when you start a new job helps ensure your tax code is correct from the first pay day and avoids the risk of paying too much tax.

When starting a new job or taking on additional employment, your new employer will

Did you file your tax return over the festive period?

HMRC’s figures show thousands of taxpayers are filing over the festive period, but leaving your return until late January risks penalties, stress and avoidable payment problems.

A new press release by HMRC has highlighted that 4,606 taxpayers took

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