Hello.
My husband is self employed and now his company want to charge him £40.00 a week for usage of the van. He doesn’t bring it home, uses it solely for work purposes and has a fuel card.
Can his company start charging him?
Any advice is helpful

Hello there,
Just looking for some advice on completing my tax return.
I have always declared any dividends I get from my shares in my tax return along with savings interest from my bank accounts in the Income section of the return.

My shares are held with a company who charge quite a lot for admin of my account given the returns I make, if any at all in a year.
As an example, in a financial year, if I get £36.00 in dividends, I would also have account management/custody fee product costs of £4.99 + £12.50.

Are these fees something I should be deducting from the total before putting it on the return?
As an example, if I got £36.00 as income from my dividends, would I record that as 36.00-4.99-12.50= £18.51? This would be what I actuall take away after the fees.

Many thanks in advance.

Hello,
Looking for a bit of advice/clarification.
I have an online small florist business that I run in the UK only with no physical store. I do not trade in any other countries than the UK and never will. I’ve been trading for 4 years as a sole trader so not registered my business on companies house as a ltd company.
My business name that I trade under is a registered trademarked which I own. I also own the website domain of my trademarked business name but only the co.uk. No one else in the UK is trading using the same business name.

The business name example ‘Fiona floral flowers’ (apologies is this in someone’s actual business name I’ve used as an example!).

There is another company in the US who trades under the same name as me and in the same industry, however we are very different florists and obviously both only trade in our own countries so there isn’t any confusion. If there were to be any confusion it would realistically be on my end with my customers as the US company owns the .com domain whereas their customers wouldn’t be entering co.uk. The US company is also a small business who only trade in the state they are established in- they don’t trade throughout the US or any other country. They simply trade within their state eg. Texas and are more of a local florist/physical store. They have been trading longer than I have. They haven’t trademarked the name in the US.

Only I own the trademark to the business name but this is only registered in the UK. My business name isn’t trademarked elsewhere in the world either - only the UK and by me.

Am I right that this is no problem?

I’ve had no dealings or issues with the other company, I have no problem at all as we are totally different countries and florists so I’m not wanting to gain the .com domain or anything. Nor do I wish to register my trademark in any other country. I was always under the understanding that you can trade under the same name as others in other countries (provided they don’t own the trademark in the country I trade in). I didn’t choose my business name based on the US company. I simply want clarification that I’m not doing anything wrong! Thank you

What makes a good design portfolio and what doesn't?

Morning - I've set-up an LTD 6 months ago, and have been focusing mainly on admin and researching technology (e.g. Website etc) - so no clients, wages, income etc. I believe that means my LTD is not considered as "Trading".
My issue is that as part of registering a business Paypal account for the purpose of using it to pay the webhosting company, Paypal did a verification of my business bank account for £0.01.
I have 2 questions which might seem obvious, but just trying to make sure I have no surprises down the line.
1) Does this in anyway impact my "trading" status?
2) How do I classify this in my accounts? "Other income"?

Hi,
This is my first time of using this tool and it is my first time that I am in this situation.
Basically I was, up until a month ago, a 25% shareholder of a limited company.
The company went in voluntary liquidation because of "high debts".
So the 75% shareholders, opened another company, and running exactly the same business, with the same name, without me.
I have been working there since opening, 2011, in 2017 the company became limited, and I was been paid by Dividend, like I guess most of limited company`s directors.
What happened now, I didn`t get a penny, plus I have a Director loan account to pay back.
My question is, can people ruin your life as easy as that?
This is a family run restaurant with an average turnover of 500K, not 100K.
I would appreciate if I can have any advise or help.
Thanks in advance.
Ghigos.

Hi all, we're trying to gauge whether there would be interest for a firm we're considering setting up. Would business owners who purchase technical consulting, but are not particularly technical themselves, be interested in a service where we help vet if they are getting good value for money and potentially negotiate on their behalf to secure a better deal. As a fee we only take a percentage of the savings, so it should be a win win?

Hi everyone, this is my first post on here and I'm just looking for a little advice on whether it's a good idea to set up a ltd company now or wait till the end of the tax year.

I work as a music composer for media and also work as a session musician and have been operating as a sole trader since 2018. But I've been advised by many of my peers to set up and operate as a ltd company for numerous reasons but one is the protections it will offer in case of any legal disputes and copyright claims (which can happen a lot in the specific area I work in and has happened to my once before). But I'm concerned that setting a Ltd company up midway through the tax year would cause any complications for my tax returns or attract any unnecessary attention from the tax man. The idea of having to dig out all my paperwork and receipts for the past few years wouldn't be ideal. My income goes into my everyday current account but I'd Ideally like any future income for the rest of this tax year to go into a business account associated with a new ltd company then pay myself a salary.

So would it be straight forward to start my company now or wise to hold off until the new tax year in April?

Thanks for any advice!

Simon

Hello everyone!
For the past few years I have been in legal dispute with my daughter, where a property was in her name sole name legally, we did not make any declaration of trust where i was named benerfiary. She sold the property without telling me a few years ago and kept all the sales proceeds. I went to court and this year I was awarded a court order saying the net proceeds of the sale should come back to me and it also declares that the property was given to her on trust from me. I found out when she sold the property she didn't pay CGT at the time. am I liable to pay the capital gains tax for this sale? if anyone has any knowledge or guidance on this would be grateful please!

Hi All,
I am a self employed outdoor instructor who has gamely used Sage for 20 years to do my accounts and have managed to avoid making any major mistakes when posting the results to HMRC. My accounting period has always been 1st Aug to 31st July but when starting to submit this years accounts, which for me would be 1st Aug 2022 to 31st July 2023, I saw the notice from HMRC telling me that I now need to change my accounting date to fit in with their system and also include overlap relief? I have never even heard of overlap relief but have filled in the HMRC form to see what mine is (hopefully before 31st Jan!) I really want to know what do I submit in my 23-24 tax form? If I shorten my tax year then I will be putting in figures for 1st Aug 22 to 5 April 23 which will be a year out. If I submit 1st Aug 22 to 5th April 24 I will be submitting more than 18 months of information which the HMRC website says I cannot do. Please give me a hand if you can and also let me know what I should do with the overlap relief if or when I get it. I know that using an accountant would be the wisest move but I was badly stung a number of years back by a rouge one which resulted in 1 years tax inspection and a fair bit poorer. (Where are you now Mr Rogers!)
Thanks in advance.
MichaelDD

Good morning.

I have been asked by loomis to find out who the 'clearing bank' is with for loomis collections. (uk.loomis.com)
However, Halifax support, live chat and email has told me they do not know this.
I am stuck, does anybody else have Loomis collections/change delivery and if so with Halifax?
any ideas?
thanks
Mel

Hello,
I'm a manufacturer of roofing materials that go into roofs of large industrial structures such as warehouses and manufacturing plants. I'm selling my products successfully in Australia and North America and would like to start selling more in the UK. I'm looking for sales agents who work on commission and are focused on the construction market, specifically the industrial or agricultural market.
Any suggestions on how to contact and contract such agents?

Having made a few wooden toys for my daughter I’m looking at how to turn what has been a labour of love into something others can enjoy within a bit of a niche market (pint sized equestrian lovers).

Short of setting up on Etsy and hand making several more - I’ve not much of an idea on how to begin and wondered if anyone could point me in the right direction of a guide or past experiences etc.

They’re fairly bulky items, so ideally would be looking to post flat packed, with instructions for self build by the buyer - guessing some form of CAD drawing/plans I can hand over to a manufactured who can cut the pieces, packaging etc etc.

I’m looking to expand my cleaning company and collaborate with major players in the cleaning industry as a subcontractor. Our specialties include end-of-tenancy cleans, post-construction cleaning, office cleaning, and communal area maintenance. Do you have any advice on how to connect with these companies or generate leads for this type of work?

Hello all,
I would like some help ? The hotel has 2 director each have a 50/50 shares and 50/50 decision making even though 1 direction put around 83% in and the other only put around 17%
After about a year into the business one of the directors just gave up and couldn’t handle the business and walked away ,the other director has been funding and running the hotel on her own , with no help , she has asked several time for help in running the hotel and paper work but she gets nothing from the other director , but he still demand to know what is going on , he has not been back for over 18 months ,

Any thoughts many thanks Andy

Can anyone help me please? My husband is a sole trader and I do his accounts using Free Agent Software. We do not have an accountant.

How do I account for this situation in a sole trader accounts for the tax year 2022/2023?
Purchase of used van 02.08.2023 for £12,995 +VAT £2,599= Total £15,594
Part exchange given for traded-in van £800
How do I put this in our accounts which are done on traditional not cash basis.
We are VAT registered.
Thank you.

Context: I have set up LTD to buy and rent properties for residential use. I paid £218,277.93 and mortgages £264,000 over no more than 7 years term, I spent Initial upgrading and maintenance expenses of £50,000. I will pay any short falling from my pocket (being the director). Property is already purchased and rented out last month.

Q1- can I set a director loan now to address all expenses I endure for initial property purchase, refurbishment and future mortgage contributions (218,277.93 +50,000+264,000) given that the purchase process already done and property is not rented out last month.

Q2-If not possible what cost I can include in Director Loan Agreement

Do you ever struggle to purchase a pair of football boots because you aren't aware of what the model is?

Hello everyone,

I’d like to ask for your advice and opinions on starting a made-to-order bakery business from my home, with a focus on Filipino pastries.

Recently, I baked a Filipino pastry because I missed the taste of home. I shared it at work, and to my surprise, everyone loved it. Encouraged by this, I made more and sold them the following week. I wasn’t expecting any buyers, but to my surprise, I sold out the 24 pieces I had made! People even started asking if I was going to make more because they wanted to reorder. One customer even placed an order for 48 pieces for Christmas since the pastry I made is a popular holiday treat in the Philippines.

This got me thinking—what if I turned this into a side business? Instead of aiming to open a brick-and-mortar bakery, I plan to run a made-to-order business. For small orders, I’ll bake in my home kitchen, and for larger orders, I’ll rent a ghost kitchen.
Since I work full-time, my business schedule would look like this:

• Wednesday to Monday: I take orders, either through Messenger or in person.
• Tuesday: I bake the pastries.
• Wednesday: I deliver the pastries, either by meeting at a central point or delivering to customers' homes.

In the next month or two, I plan to register as a sole trader and reserve my business name with Companies House, in case I decide to transition to an LTD company in the future. I also plan to create a website and a Facebook page to reach more customers in my area and expand through online marketing. I’m also considering selling at local farmers' markets.

My goal is to introduce Filipino pastries, not only to fellow Filipinos who miss the flavors of home but also to the general public, to promote these unique treats.

What do you think? Do you have any advice or suggestions for improvement?

Hi.

I swear blind I did register as self employed and sent the form off to them (well, I have a copy of it that I saved so it definitely went to them) but they've just written to me telling me I can't sign up for NI D/debits as I'm 'not registered as SE'!

The letter goes on to say "if you are working as SE you pay your Class 2 NICs through SA and are unable to pay by D/D" - so which is it, I must be registered and pay by D/D or I shouldn't register my current working status and pay through SA??

If it's the latter, how exactly do I do that ie how do I "pay thru SA" - how do I now how much and do I just need to set the money aside each month ready for the bill at the end of a year??

Hi All,

I can see there are some very educated people on here and whilst we seek legal advice want to get an opinion on an issue we are having.

1) Customer paid us £20k for some goods
2) Supplier couldn't supply the goods to us which we were going to supply to customer
3) Supplier needed to time to get the goods but ultimately could only fill 30% of said order
4) Customer asked for money back ; of which only £7.5k could be returned
5) Customer is now chasing for the remaining £6.5k but their legal guy is demanding a further £5k (we did take some time to return the funds as we had used them pay the supplier and then had to wait for the funds to be returned).

We are refusing to pay the legal costs of £5k but happy to pay the remaining. But the legal rep is saying if the whole £11.5k is not paid then they will seek a CCJ or winding up petition.

Is there any way to object this or do we have to lawyer up to dispute the £5k? Surely common sense has to prevail...

I'm a vet student (4th year, 5 years total) but have been thinking about a food truck/mobile catering business selling pasta.

I love cooking but want this to be a viable business/side business alongside being a vet (maybe part-time) when I graduate. The eventual aim is to have a food van doing the festival rounds seasonally. I have a catchy name, great recipe and have made a business plan with cost breakdowns, cash flow forecasts, break-even analysis's and loan repayments (if I need a loan). I've calculated the cost per portion at £1.07 when buying in bulk for 10,000 portions (found suppliers for the ingredients). I have kept this simple to start with - one pasta type and my favourite sauce, the ingredients are all stored ingredients (e.g. dried pasta, sun-dried tomatoes jarred etc). I have done calculations for fuel costs, the pitch fees for each festival, costs of serveware etc just to see if it's viable, I know I'll probably run into unforeseen expenses but I still think it is a viable business.

However the issue I'm having is I would like to start small before investing large amounts of money by attending small local events with a gazebo type set-up, I was wondering if anyone with experience could help me with the most cost effective way to do this. With a food van, I would invest in the LPG bain marie, stoves, refrigerator etc. However with just starting on small events for feedback/experience I would like to keep costs as low as possible. The small events near me are gas only, does anyone have advice on what equipment I would need to start off whilst keep costs low? I need to boil the pasta, have a basic hand wash facility, blend the sauce and warm it. I think I could get away with just having 4 table top gas burners, but if anyone has any practical advice I would really appreciate it! Unsure with these small events what you do with waste water, would I need a LPG fridge etc?

I did message someone locally asking to volunteer on their mobile food events but didn't get a response but will keep trying this alongside my studies.

Hi all,

I am looking to start a consultancy business and have been advised to consider a day rate of £500, but I will only be looking to perform 3 hours work each week (as I have another job alongside).

This may sound rather silly although I appreciate any advice - with this in mind, do I just state my services as: £500 based on 3 hours per week? How is it worded / would the calculations actually be different?

Hello, I am a new member of the forum. I want to know how can I get my directory listing. What to do me?

Hello everyone,

I’m reaching out for advice as I find myself in a complex and emotionally draining situation. Despite being a business owner, my experience in this matter is limited, and many decisions I made were rooted in the trust I had for my business partner and friend. Here’s a summary of my situation:

In 2014, I started working at a limited company (a coffee shop) as an employee. A few years later, one of the founders (Founder A) decided to leave and sell her 30% share to me, while the remaining 20% was sold to the other founder (Founder B). This made me a 30% shareholder, and Founder B owned 70%. Both of us have been shareholders, directors, and employees since then. Over the years, we never established a shareholders' agreement or held formal board meetings.

About a year and a half ago, I decided to leave the company and informed my business partner (BP). We began with a business valuation, and to my shock, I realized that when I bought my shares, there had been no proper valuation—it felt more like I’d been cheated at the time of purchase.

Following the advice of our accountant, who insisted I couldn’t leave the company in any simple way (e.g., as a silent partner), we agreed to work hard for another year to boost the business value. During this time, I sought legal support due to my limited experience, but I’m now questioning the effectiveness of the lawyer I hired and have struggled to find a replacement.

A few key points to note:

1. When I initially bought my shares, it was 30% ownership of one unit. Later, we verbally agreed on a 50/50 split when we expanded to an adjoining unit.
2. Since the beginning of summer, I’ve been unable to work due to severe mental health challenges. Unfortunately, the bullying and mobbing I endured over the last 5–6 years have completely consumed me.
3. My relationship with my BP, which was challenging in the past, has now deteriorated to the point of being disastrous. I appointed my lawyer to act as a medium between us. However, since August, our communication has consisted solely of a continuous exchange of emails, with no real progress being made.

Here’s where things have taken a turn for the worse:

• My BP stopped paying my wages, which included a regular salary and dividends, and placed me on statutory sick pay.
• She then increased her own salary significantly, leaving no room for dividends, which has forced me to seek Universal Credit to support myself.

At this point, I just want to find a way to leave this business as quickly as possible. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I will never recover the money I initially invested.

I’m here today to ask for your advice:

• How should I approach exiting this partnership given the lack of formal agreements?
• Are there strategies I should consider to protect my interests, even if I won’t recoup my investment?
• If anyone has experience finding a competent business lawyer, I’d appreciate tips on securing effective legal representation.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any guidance or insights would mean the world to me.