With the school holidays just around the corner, there's a bit of welcome news for parents. Between now and 1 September 2026, VAT has been temporarily reduced from 20% to 5% on a range of family-friendly activities and children's meals. In the hope that businesses choose to pass the saving on, it would mean cheaper days out over the summer holidays. The temporary reduction covers many: 🍔 Children's meals eaten in cafés, pubs and restaurants 🎢 Theme parks, zoos, adventure pa

VAT can feel complicated, but at its core it comes down to two things Keeping the right records Understanding when VAT applies — and when it doesn’t This article gives a high-level overview of what I expect clients to do to stay compliant and avoid problems later on. It isn’t exhaustive — VAT is full of exceptions — but it covers the fundamentals most businesses need to understand. When should you charge VAT VAT is usually charged when you sell goods and services to customers

Rather refreshingly, particularly for people like me who’ve made a habit of summarising fiscal events, we no longer have budgets every few months. Today’s spring statement was an economic update essentially, accompanied by the usual OBR forecast, signing off on the tax changes announced in the autumn, and committing them to statute. Slight caveat, these forecasts won’t have taken into account the impact of the recent troubles in the Middle East. Well the headline grabbe

Attached is a schedule of UK tax rates, the thresholds at which they are applied, plus key benefits available to us as individuals and business owners for the 26-27 tax year and 2 previous tax years. Highlights and Changes from 25-26: Class 1 NIC Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) , the earnings point at which statutory benefits are accrued, up from £6,500 to £6,708 per year. Class 1 NIC Secondary Threshold (ST) , the earnings point at which employer’s NI is charged, unchanged at £5

The government’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative is expanding, and the next phase — Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) is set to be implemented in April 2026 , the beginning of the next tax year. This change will affect how millions of self-employed individuals and landlords manage their tax affairs. Who Will Be Affected From April 2026 , anyone with more than £50,000 in total annual income from self-employment and/or property will need to

It’s that time of year to have a think about optimum salaries for You as Company Directors, and potentially your family members who may be on the payroll, for the upcoming tax year. Below are salary recommendations and projected personal tax liabilities based on varying levels of aggregate withdrawals, including dividends. This demonstration is on the basis that you have no other qualifying earnings to report in the period. There is a chance that further measures

Self assessment Drop-In Clinic For individuals and family members who are not already a corporate client of this Practice, we facilitate the delivery of personal tax returns via live sessions at our Self Assessment Drop In Clinic. About the session Sessions are available on Fridays between 1st May and 30th Novembe r . You can book your session via our booking system here: https://calendly.com/kingstonandco/self-assessment-drop-in-session Please note: there is a minimum le

I would like to invite you, as a Company Director to a review meeting to coincide with the end of the current financial year and the start of another. Confronting and understanding one’s finances can be both daunting and liberating. Those that have booked and attended such a meeting in the past find they are a little better equipped to tackle the year ahead , whilst they also improve the quality of support I offer you. Sessions are available during the afternoons of Tues

Thank you and Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy a well-earned break with friends and family, with a chance to pause and reflect on the year gone by, and the successes and challenges along the way. Thank you as always for your support and your continuing trust in me as your advisor, it is most humbling and always appreciated. I hope 2026 is a year you can look forward to with optimism and purpose. My very best wishes to you and your family for a Merry Christmas an

The office will close for the Christmas period at the conclusion of business Fri 19th Dec . Normal office hours resume 9am Mon 5th Jan .

Getting ready for 2026 is a great way to spend quieter moments during Advent, and nothing says Christmas quite like strategic business planning. I’ve put together 24 small but meaningful ways to get ready — one for each day — to send you into the New Year with clarity, purpose and perhaps even some calm. 1 - Plan Your Personal Development As we progress through our careers, our studies start to feel like distant memories. But it’s never too late to learn new skills (beyond

Self assessment Drop-In Clinic For individuals and family members who are not already a corporate client of this Practice, we facilitate the delivery of personal tax returns via live sessions at our Self Assessment Drop In Clinic. An overflow day has been made available on Friday 23rd January About the session You can book your session via our booking system here: https://calendly.com/kingstonandco/24-25-self-assessment-drop-in-overflow Please note: there is a minimum lead

Thanks to the OBR , I had an extra hour to prepare this today. Thoughts are with the over-keen office junior who had prepped the press release and accidentally pressed ‘publish’. No doubt that person can be found in some Whitehall pub now after a tough day. A quick refresher of the fiscal rules which underpin tax and spend policy in the UK. Day-to-day spending should be funded by tax revenues, not borrowing, by 29-30 National debt should be falling by 29-30 Welfare sp

Mandatory ID verification is soon to be implemented by Companies House for Officers and some Shareholders of UK Companies. This is a major change to company law , the aim being to prevent fraud and improve the accuracy of company records. This means that before certain filings or appointments can be made, the identity of those listed will need to be confirmed. If you are a Company Director, Company Secretary or a Person with Significant Control (PSCs), you are in scope

The government’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative is expanding, and the next phase — Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self...

In this fast paced world where the way in which we deliver our products and services continue to evolve, it may be important for you to...

The office will be closed for the Easter weekend at the conclusion of business Thursday 17 Apr, reopening 9am Tuesday 22nd Apr. If you...

From a stability point of view at least, thankfully no changes to the tax system for the upcoming tax year, over and above what we...

Attached is a schedule of UK tax rates, the thresholds at which they are applied, plus key benefits available to us as individuals and...

It’s that time of year to have a think about optimum salaries for You as Company Directors, and potentially your family members who may...