Small Business Accounting

No matter the size of your business it is always important to make sure your business accounting is managed properly. You don’t have to be a financial guru, but making sure you understand the key elements of bookkeeping, accounting and tax is vitally important, even for small company accounts. 

Overall, accounting is the process of recording, summarising and analysing financial transactions of a business. It is important to do this to monitor performance, assess taxes and plan for the future. Getting such accounting basics right for a small business can make the real difference, as most of us just starting a business or growing a company don’t have deep pockets to cover an unexpected tax bill or supplier invoice. So, this is where small business accounting services really help but  where exactly do you start?

Looking at business compliance is probably the best starting point. For example, HMRC has recently introduced ‘Making Tax Digital’ which means most VAT registered businesses now have to ensure the accounting options they use include keeping digital records and sending digital tax returns. There is a vast range of accounting software which has been especially designed for small businesses and many of the products are pretty affordable, however with lots of accounting software options out there, the most important thing to do is to do your research and pick a service which really matches your business needs.

Many accountancy firms specialise in supporting smaller owner-managed businesses (as well as being small businesses themselves)! Accountants can offer support with a range of services, from business plans and forecasts, to year end accounts and tax returns, as well as advisory regarding business sales or purchases and tax planning such as capital gains tax on property or other assets. 

Whatever your business or size of business, your yearly financials must be recorded and returns filed to HMRC and for small businesses there a number of different tax requirements one should be aware of when filing. The key ones are;

• VAT – If you have a taxable turnover over £85,000 per annum then it is compulsory to register and prepare VAT returns to HMRC.
• Payroll – If you are employing staff (or directors) then there is a requirement to potentially deduct tax and national insurance for these employees. You must report these payments regularly to HMRC, which is dependant on the pay frequency.
• Corporation Tax – Most incorporated (for-profit) companies have to pay corporation tax on its taxable profits. The current rate is 19% for small businesses.
• Income Tax – For non-incorporated businesses such as sole traders / self-employed individuals then profits are subject to income tax and class 4 national insurance. Payments on account can often catch newer businesses out, as an advance payment is often required. 

The majority of businesses want to get their tax right, but the latest tax gap figures show that many small businesses find this hard, and so this is why HMRC has recently introduced new guidance on ‘Making Tax Digital’ (MTD). Many VAT-registered businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold are now required to use the Making Tax Digital service to keep records digitally and use software to submit their VAT Returns. Over 55,000 Businesses have now signed up with many more expected to follow suit. 

It is good to get on board with the idea of going digital, because with online software such as Xero, QuickBooks and Sage Cloud, financial information can now be easily sent directly to HMRC for filing. The benefits of such software include reduced annual software commitments as you can make monthly payments. Integrations are available with the majority of banks and this results in financial transactions automatically importing into the accounting system, saving small business owners valuable time and money.. For example, digital software and apps can easily snap, scan, and upload receipts, making it easy to collate for end-of-year returns. 

There are a number of free software solutions such as Wave out there on the market, however these are often very basic and may not include certain additional functionality for payroll or VAT. It is something worth remembering that digital records are there to help provide improved accuracy and reduce errors, so using these can reduce the amount of tax lost as a result of avoidable miscalculations.

Like any business, there is no legal requirement to have an accountant if you are self-employed. However, unless you have a good understanding of tax, profits and what expenses you can claim to reduce your tax bill, using an accountant can be a cost-effective way to help you understand how and what you should claim for. Some accountants do sometimes offer a reduced service to self-employed individuals for an annual review or meeting to provide support, rather than preparing the return on your behalf. This can work out cheaper, but you can still have access to the valuable knowledge and experience of an accountant.