Free UK tax calculators, guides and white papers for 2026/27

White paper 01

Setting up your business

10 tips that save time and money

Most costly first-year problems come from decisions made in the first few weeks. This paper walks through ten of them, from choosing between sole trader and limited company to share structure, registrations and VAT. It finishes with a table of key dates for a new limited company.

Inside you'll learn

• Why issuing 100 or 1,000 shares, and separate share classes, gives you room to grow
• The two letters not to lose, and the registrations to make on time
• How claiming pre-trading costs cuts your first tax bill, and why to keep digital records from day one

White paper 02

Tax savings everyone should be aware of

Ten reliefs we see missed most often

Most business owners don't overpay because they get something wrong. They overpay because nobody pointed out the reliefs they were already entitled to. This paper covers ten of them, each with a note on why it matters, plus a worked example for a sole director.

Inside you'll learn

• How trivial benefits and the £150-a-head annual staff event exemption work
• Why company pension contributions, mileage and working-from-home payments are so tax-efficient
• How to avoid losing your Personal Allowance between £100,000 and £125,140 of income

White paper 03

How do I pay my spouse or children?

Using your family's allowances, the right way

Everyone in your family has their own tax-free allowances. Used properly through your business, they can cut your household tax bill. Done badly, HMRC can undo it. This paper explains how to get it right for a spouse and for children.

Inside you'll learn

• When a salary for your spouse makes sense, and why the pay must match the work
• Why outright gifts of ordinary shares work, and which shortcuts the settlements rules catch
• The golden rules for employing your children: real work, fair pay and proper records

White paper 04

How do I pay myself?

Salary, dividends and pension for company directors

As a director you choose how you're paid, and the right mix can keep thousands more in your pocket each year. Dividend tax rose on 6 April 2026, so older plans are worth rechecking. The paper includes a worked example of £50,270 of income.

Inside you'll learn

• Why a £12,570 salary topped up with dividends is the usual starting point
• The 2026/27 dividend rates of 10.75%, 35.75% and 39.35%, and when a pension contribution beats a bigger dividend
• The paperwork that keeps every dividend valid, and why to avoid an overdrawn loan account

White paper 05

Making Tax Digital for sole traders and landlords

What changes, when it reaches you, and where the savings are

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax started in April 2026. It changes how you report, not how much you pay. This paper explains who is in and when, what the quarterly updates involve, and the reliefs sole traders and landlords most often under-claim.

Inside you'll learn

• Who has to join: qualifying income over £50,000 from April 2026, over £30,000 from April 2027 and over £20,000 from April 2028
• Why qualifying income means turnover and rents before expenses, and how the 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May updates work
• Where sole traders and landlords save tax, from use of home and mileage to replacing domestic items

Good to know: HMRC is not giving penalty points for late quarterly updates in 2026/27, the first year. You still need to send them all before you can submit your tax return, and a late return still earns a point. GOV.UK: MTD penalties

White paper 06

Sole trader or limited company?

The strengths and weaknesses of each, and what each leaves in your pocket

Most people start as a sole trader because it is quick and simple. As profits grow, a company can protect what you own and cut your tax bill, but only in the right circumstances. This paper gives the honest comparison, with take-home figures at £30,000, £60,000 and £100,000 of profit.

Inside you'll learn

• The strengths and weaknesses of each, from limited liability to admin and privacy
• Why the April 2026 dividend tax rise narrowed the gap, and why profit left in the company is where the advantage now lies
• When we usually suggest each structure, and how to switch later