Guides

Plain-English guides to VAT, Self Assessment and Making Tax Digital.

• Making Tax Digital for VAT: what you must do

  MTD for VAT means digital records and returns filed through compatible software. Who it covers, what digital links means, and how a return reaches HMRC.

• CIS monthly returns: what contractors and subcontractors need to do

  Under CIS, contractors deduct tax from subcontractors and file a monthly return by the 19th. Rates, verification, and how subcontractors reclaim.

• VAT registration threshold: when you must register

  You must register for VAT when rolling 12-month taxable turnover passes the threshold, or will in the next 30 days. How to track it and what happens next.

• Payments on account: how they work and when they are due

  Payments on account are advance payments towards next year's Self Assessment bill, due 31 January and 31 July. How they work and how to reduce them.

• MTD for Income Tax: quarterly update deadlines explained

  MTD for Income Tax means four quarterly updates a year. The standard quarter dates, the 7th-of-the-month deadlines and what each update contains.

• Sole trader vs limited company: how the tax and filing differ

  What changes when you incorporate: Self Assessment vs Corporation Tax, MTD obligations, Companies House filings, and how much admin each route means.

• UK tax codes explained: what the letters and numbers mean

  Your tax code tells your employer how much tax-free pay you get. What 1257L, BR, D0, K codes and emergency codes mean, and how to check yours is right.

• What is an EORI number and do you need one?

  EORI numbers identify businesses to customs. Who needs one, what GB and XI numbers look like, how to apply, and how to check a number is valid.

• How to check a UK VAT number is valid (and prove you did)

  How to check a UK VAT registration number with HMRC, what a valid number looks like, and why keeping the HMRC consultation number protects your input VAT claim.

• What is a UTR number? Unique Taxpayer Reference explained

  A UTR is the 10-digit number HMRC gives you for Self Assessment. Where to find it, what it looks like, and what to do if you have lost it.