Guides
Making Tax Digital, explained for sole traders
What's actually changing, whether it applies to you, the quarterly deadlines, the penalties, and five steps to get ready. The whole thing in plain English.
What expenses can you claim as a sole trader?
The everyday categories, the ones that catch people out, and what a claim is actually worth in saved tax.
How much tax will you pay as a sole trader?
Income Tax, Class 4 National Insurance, and a full worked example at £40,000 profit, including Scotland's bands.
Mileage: HMRC's flat rate, explained
55p a mile for the first 10,000 business miles, then 25p. What the rate replaces, and which journeys count.
Payments on account, explained
Why a first tax bill is often 150% of the tax owed, how the two instalments work, and when you can reduce them.
CIS deductions, explained for subcontractors
The 20% deduction, why materials are never touched, and how the money comes back at Self Assessment.
Cash basis: the sole trader's standard, explained
Why an unpaid invoice isn't taxable yet, and what cash basis means for the kit you buy.
What records to keep, and for how long
The 5-year rule, what HMRC expects to see, and what digital records mean under MTD.
Your first year self-employed: tax, step by step
When to register, what a UTR is, when the first return lands, and the one bill nobody warns you about.
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