Plain-English tax and accounting guides for UK business owners
Five free guides for the 2026/27 tax year, written and reviewed by George Nicholson BFP ACA, ICAEW Chartered Accountant. They cover setting up a limited company, paying yourself as a director, paying your spouse and children, the tax reliefs business owners often miss, and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Every figure is checked against GOV.UK, with the source linked.
Guides for company directors, sole traders and landlords
Each guide answers the questions we hear most often from clients, using the rules and rates for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027).
Setting up a limited company in 2026/27: 10 tips that save time and money
The ten decisions that matter most in a new company's first weeks, from shares and identity verification to registering for Corporation Tax and VAT. It finishes with a table of every first-year deadline.
Read the guide Guide 02 · DirectorsHow to pay yourself as a limited company director (2026/27)
Salary, dividends and company pension contributions compared with the 2026/27 rates, including a worked example of a £12,570 salary plus £37,700 of dividends. It also covers the £100,000 taper, overdrawn loan accounts and dividend paperwork.
Read the guide Guide 03 · FamilyHow to pay your spouse and children through your business (2026/27)
Your spouse and children have their own tax-free allowances, and your business can use them legitimately. Learn how to pay a fair salary for real work, give shares the right way and stay clear of HMRC's settlements rules.
Read the guide Guide 04 · Tax savings10 tax reliefs UK business owners often miss (2026/27)
The reliefs and allowances we most often see go unclaimed, from trivial benefits and the £150-a-head staff event exemption to mileage and pension contributions. Each one is small on its own, but together they add up every year.
Read the guide Guide 05 · Sole traders and landlordsMaking Tax Digital for Income Tax: a guide for sole traders and landlords (2026/27)
Sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 have had to use Making Tax Digital since 6 April 2026, and the threshold falls to £30,000 in April 2027. Find out what you need to do, when quarterly updates are due and how the 2026/27 penalty soft landing works.
Read the guide Free downloadPrefer a PDF? Get the six white papers
Each guide has a short white paper version for 2026/27 that you can download, keep and share. They are all free.
Get the white papersFigures on this page come from GOV.UK: Income Tax rates, tax on dividends, staff events and Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Which guide do I need?
Start with the guide that matches where you are now. Most company directors will want the first two, and the others build on them.
| Your situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| You are thinking about forming a company, or formed one recently | Setting up a limited company |
| You are a director deciding your salary and dividends for 2026/27 | How to pay yourself as a director |
| Your spouse, civil partner or children help in the business | Paying your spouse and children |
| You want to check you are claiming everything you are entitled to | Tax reliefs business owners often miss |
| You are a sole trader or landlord | Making Tax Digital for Income Tax |
Not sure where you fit? Book a free call and George will point you in the right direction, or see how our services could take the work off your hands.
Free white papers
Six short PDFs for 2026/27
Setting up your business, tax savings everyone should be aware of, paying your spouse or children, how to pay yourself, Making Tax Digital, and sole trader or limited company. Download as many as you like.
Written and reviewed by George Nicholson BFP ACA, ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Last reviewed 20 October 2026. This page is general information, not personal advice.
Got a question the guides don't answer?
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