{"id":8265,"date":"2023-07-18T10:00:06","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T09:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=8265"},"modified":"2026-07-09T15:32:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T14:32:26","slug":"tips-tax-isnt-taxing-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tips-tax-isnt-taxing-business\/","title":{"rendered":"6 tips to ensure tax isn&#8217;t taxing for your business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t6 tips to ensure tax isn&#8217;t taxing for your business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-8 col-lg-4 entry-header__image\">\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"entry-header__thumbnail js-hero-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"entry-header__thumbnail-image\" alt=\"Women on ipad in plant shop\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656-1440x810.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2023-07-18T10:00:06+01:00\">18 July, 2023<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"6 tips to ensure tax isn&#8217;t taxing for your business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tips-tax-isnt-taxing-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there&#8217;s one thing that induces real fear among those new to business, it&#8217;s getting their taxes right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you fall into that category, you&#8217;re not alone. Businesses of all sizes face anxiety about tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there are simple things you can do to make life easier. In this article, we highlight six examples that will help you to boss it when it comes to tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#know\">1. Know your tax deadlines<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#get\">2. Get help from a tax professional<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#simplify\">3. Simplify how you manage receipts<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#prepare\">4. Prepare for Making Tax Digital<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#set\">5. Set up a direct debit<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#up\">6. Set up a separate tax account<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#final\">Final thoughts on getting your taxes right<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-fe91841c-f7c0-479d-8cc3-da3403a183e7\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-fe91841c-f7c0-479d-8cc3-da3403a183e7\"\n\t>Download your free copy of Master your money and discover what you need to know about doing the accounting and bookkeeping for your small business<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"know\">1. Know your tax deadlines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first step to getting your taxes right is to know the deadlines by which you have to send your tax returns, and pay what you owe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get either of these wrong and HMRC might impose penalties, which get worse the longer you delay \u2013 even if that&#8217;s by mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s some key dates if you&#8217;re a sole trader and use the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/self-assessment-tax-return-file-tips\/\">Self Assessment<\/a> system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/file-a-tax-return-online\/\">Registering for Self Assessment<\/a>: <\/strong>By 5 October in your business&#8217; second tax year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>First advance payment (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-payment-on-account\/\">first payment on account<\/a>): <\/strong>31 January during the tax year (6 April \u2013 5 April the following year).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Second advance payment (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/what-is-payment-on-account\/\">second payment on account<\/a>):<\/strong> 31 July after the end of the tax year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The date that paper-based Self Assessment submissions must be received by HMRC:<\/strong> 31 October after the end of the tax year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filing Self Assessment if HMRC are to collect taxes due from wages and pensions via PAYE: <\/strong>30 December after the end of the tax year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filing a Self Assessment return online:<\/strong> 31 January after the end of the tax year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filing a paper tax return for registered pension scheme: <\/strong>31 January after the end of the tax year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Paying income tax and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-national-insurance\/\">National Insurance<\/a> due, including any balancing payment: <\/strong>31 January after the end of the tax year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"get\">2. Get help from a tax professional<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s an easy way to get your tax right, and that&#8217;s to use a professional \u2013 an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-choose-an-accountant-for-your-business\/\">accountant<\/a> or a tax adviser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These people work with taxes all the time. They literally know the word of the law. And they have a wealth of experience in businesses just like yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They&#8217;ll know exactly what you can and can&#8217;t claim as <a title=\"Allowable expenses to add to your Self Assessment tax return\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/allowable-expenses-self-assessment-tax-return\/\">expenses<\/a>. This can mean saving money on your tax bill compared to a do-it-yourself approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if you want to expand your business \u2013 perhaps getting a vehicle, for example, or taking on employees \u2013 they&#8217;ll know exactly what you must do to remain tax compliant and tax-efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Worried about the cost of hiring a professional?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most accountants or tax advisers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accountant-huge-difference-business\/\">pay for themselves in what you save<\/a>. But even if they don&#8217;t, the amount of work time they save for you \u2013 time you can spend on earning money instead \u2013 can make it worth the investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Let your business thrive with an expert on your side<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Explore the Sage Accountant and Bookkeeper directory to find an expert suited to your location, industry, and business needs. Connecting with a powerful partner is just a few clicks away.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accountants\/find-an-accountant\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-17114\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Find an expert<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1414263386-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Managing HR and payroll tasks\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1414263386-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"simplify\">3. Simplify how you manage receipts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A key part of getting your tax right is accounting for things you buy in the course of business, such as goods or services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don&#8217;t do this correctly, you might end up paying too much tax because you won&#8217;t be able to claim the right expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, you have to keep receipts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where do you keep yours? Stashed in your wallet, purse or bag? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accounting-software-saved-weekends\/\">In a shoebox<\/a> under your desk? If so, it&#8217;s not the most efficient system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, wouldn&#8217;t it be great if you could just buy something \u2013 and simplify how you manage your receipts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is possible with modern accounting apps such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/features\/autoentry\/\">AutoEntry<\/a>. Simply take a picture of the expense receipt using your mobile phone, as soon as it&#8217;s given to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The relevant details will be automatically recognised and entered into your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\">accounting software<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Job done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-fe91841c-f7c0-479d-8cc3-da3403a183e7\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-fe91841c-f7c0-479d-8cc3-da3403a183e7\"\n\t>Download your free copy of Master your money and discover what you need to know about doing the accounting and bookkeeping for your small business<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"prepare\">4. Prepare for Making Tax Digital<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The wide-ranging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-sole-traders\/\">Making Tax Digital<\/a> (MTD) initiative from the government will eventually require virtually all businesses and individuals in the UK to do their government taxes via software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This will assist with meeting tax deadlines or, in some cases, change them entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/making-tax-digital-for-vat\/\">MTD for VAT<\/a> was the first part of this programme to become law, back in April 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And income tax is next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/making-tax-digital\/\">Making Tax Digital<\/a>&nbsp;for Income Tax Self Assessment (also known as Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, or MTD for ITSA) is due to come into effect in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-postponed\/\">April 2026<\/a>&nbsp;for businesses, self-employed individuals, and landlords with income over \u00a350,000. And in April 2027, those earning over \u00a330,000 will be included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, if you&#8217;re not already using software, you&#8217;re going to need to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means there will no longer be a requirement for Self Assessment for these businesses or individuals when it comes to declaring income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"set\">5. Set up a direct debit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most of us simply pay our tax bill when it&#8217;s due, perhaps by bank transfer or paying at a Post Office. But you can also set up a direct debit to automate the payments to HMRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you only pay a single payment on 31 January each year then you&#8217;ll need just one direct debit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if you typically make a payment on account on 31 July, then you&#8217;ll need two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Setting up the direct debit is easy. Simply follow the <a title=\"Pay your Self Assessment tax bill\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/pay-self-assessment-tax-bill\/direct-debit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">instructions provided by HMRC<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But be aware that it can take around five days to set up \u2013 so make sure you sort it out well ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"up\">6. Set up a separate tax account<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s wise to create a separate bank account for the money you set aside for tax each month. This needn&#8217;t necessarily be a business bank account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Business accounts have monthly fees but, on the other hand, often they come with useful extras, such as free access to debt collection services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But using your own personal bank account, while tempting for the convenience, isn&#8217;t a great idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If HMRC ever decides to investigate your business then it may demand to see your bank statements. (Notably, it might ask to see these in any event \u2013 but only if they&#8217;re not satisfied after seeing your business account.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don&#8217;t forget that, until you&#8217;re required to pay it, the money you save to pay your tax can be used however you wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You could put it into a savings account, for example, and the interest you earn until you have to pay is yours to keep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you haven&#8217;t already got an ISA account, why not create one with your bank for your tax payments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just make sure that it&#8217;s an account that pays interest monthly, rather than yearly, because you&#8217;ll have to dip into that money every half year if you&#8217;re paying tax on account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"final\">Final thoughts on getting your taxes right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sleeping soundly at night is much easier if you know you&#8217;ve got your taxes right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The selection of tips here can be used together to get you closer to a good night&#8217;s sleep. All it requires is a little care and attention. Just spend maybe an hour between jobs or customers to ensure the tips are implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little time invested up front to get taxes right saves a lot of time, worry and effort later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in November 2020 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Master your money<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Discover what you need to know about doing the accounting and bookkeeping for your small business.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-fe91841c-f7c0-479d-8cc3-da3403a183e7\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1267191201_updated-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1267191201_updated-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/need-to-know\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNeed to know\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/tax\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTax\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-10689 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountant-accounting tag-bookkeeping tag-need-to-know tag-tax business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1141999796-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1141999796-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1141999796-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1141999796-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-16T12:18:31+01:00\">16 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/plastic-packaging-tax-need-to-know\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPlastic Packaging Tax: What businesses need to know, including 2027 updates\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tAre you affected by the Plastic Packaging Tax? Discover who&#8217;s affected, and how, plus what&#8217;s required to register and file tax returns. Changes are coming in 2027, and we detail those, too. \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-10040 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-bookkeeping tag-business-finances tag-mtd-business tag-need-to-know tag-tax tag-vat business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/voluntary-vat-register-making-tax-digital\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-497069597-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-497069597-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-497069597-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-497069597-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T16:40:53+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to get ready for Making Tax Digital for VAT\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-32456 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-technology-innovation tag-mtd-business tag-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax tag-making-tax-digital-for-vat tag-tax business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-postponed\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/mtd-delayed-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Is MTD delayed?\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/mtd-delayed-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/mtd-delayed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/10\/mtd-delayed-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T12:28:47+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tIs Making Tax Digital delayed?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-10708 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-bookkeeping tag-mtd-business tag-need-to-know tag-tax tag-vat business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/making-tax-digital-deadlines\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1289906599-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1289906599-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1289906599-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1289906599-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T12:05:56+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMaking Tax Digital for VAT deadlines\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-10711 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-tax tag-bookkeeping tag-mtd-accountants tag-mtd-business tag-need-to-know tag-tax tag-vat business_type-small-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/making-tax-digital-vat-groups\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-650855421-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-10-15T11:24:53+01:00\">15 October, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMaking Tax Digital for VAT groups: Returns and digital links\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getting your taxes right if you&#8217;re a small business owner needn&#8217;t be hard. Here&#8217;s some tips to ensure payments to HMRC are right each time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":11609,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"6","sage_membership_post_content_type":"article","sage_membership_post_featured_video_id":"","sage_membership_post_video_type":"trailer","sage_membership_post_featured_video_duration":"","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[206,27],"business_type":[4],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[73,74,75],"imagine_tag":[220,77,200],"coauthors":[369],"class_list":["post-8265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-need-to-know","tag-tax","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Keir Thomas-Bryant","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1011227656.jpg","imagine_tags":{"220":"Accountant accounting","77":"Accounting software","200":"Payroll"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=8265"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=8265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}