Tarka Accounts

14/10/2026

Get your tax return off your mind before Christmas

Every January, thousands of people spend their evenings hunting for receipts and wrestling with HMRC’s website, all while the 31st creeps closer. It doesn’t have to be that way.

If you’re self-employed, a landlord or have income outside a regular payslip, Tarka Accounts can take your self assessment off your hands now, while there’s plenty of time to get it right. You’ll know exactly what you owe well before the deadline, so there are no nasty surprises and you can plan for the bill rather than scramble for it.

We work with sole traders, freelancers and landlords across North Devon and beyond, and everything is explained in plain English from start to finish.

Send a message or visit www.tarkaaccounts.co.uk to get started.

Tarka Accounts - Friendly. Local. Trusted.

13/10/2026

If you're a sole trader or landlord with income over £50,000, your second Making Tax Digital quarterly update is due by 7 November. It covers the period from 6 July to 5 October, so the figures are already there waiting to be sent.

For a lot of people this is only their second time doing it, and the first one in August didn't always go smoothly. Records scattered across spreadsheets, receipts still in the glovebox, software that wasn't quite set up right. If that sounds familiar, now is a good time to get it sorted before the deadline rather than the night before.

I help clients across North Devon and beyond keep their records in order and submit their quarterly updates through whichever software suits them, so it becomes a routine job rather than a worry. You deal with me directly from start to finish, and I'll get to know how your business actually works.

If you'd like a hand with this quarter or the ones still to come, drop me a message or give me a call on 07961 741107.

www.tarkaaccounts.co.uk

Friendly. Local. Trusted.

16/09/2026

Got a full-time job but something on the side too? You're not alone - and it's not "just" a hobby once the income starts coming in.

Whether you're a teacher doing private tutoring in the evenings, an NHS professional offering private services alongside their day job, or a tradesperson picking up extra jobs outside their main role, the moment that side income starts coming in, you've got tax obligations to think about alongside your day job.

It's easy to put it off when you're juggling two things already, but getting it sorted properly from the start saves a lot of stress later. We help people in exactly this position figure out what they need to register for, what they can claim, and how to stay on top of it all without it taking over their evenings.

If you've got a profession and a side hustle, let's have a chat about what that means for you.

[email protected]
07961 741107
www.tarkaaccounts.co.uk

10/09/2026

There's a particular kind of dread that comes with a January email marked "URGENT" and a self assessment deadline you've been quietly ignoring since April. If that sounds familiar, now's the moment to do something about it - not because 31 January is close, but because it isn't. That's exactly why it's worth acting now.

Getting your figures together in September or October means no scrambling for receipts over Christmas, no late nights hunting through old bank statements, and no last-minute panic if something doesn't add up. It also means if HMRC comes back with questions, there's actually time to answer them properly.

If you're a sole trader, freelancer, or landlord and your books have been sitting in a drawer (or a spreadsheet you haven't opened since spring), get in touch. We'll get everything sorted well before the rush, so January can just be January.

📞 07961 741107
✉️ [email protected]

www.tarkaaccounts.co.uk

08/09/2026

Sole trader or in a partnership? You're already juggling enough without bookkeeping and tax deadlines piling up too.

Tarka Accounts handles your bookkeeping, VAT, Self Assessment and year-end accounts - properly, on time, no stress. Sole traders: Making Tax Digital is here, so now's the time to get your records ready.

Best part? You deal with one person, not a rotating cast of people.

Friendly. Local. Trusted.

[email protected]
07961741107

If you're looking for trusted Barnstaple accountants, Tarka Accounts offers friendly, expert accountancy services for sole traders and small businesses in North Devon. We will assist with your tax return and more.

19/08/2026

Not signed up for MTD yet? HMRC will soon do it for you, but why wait? From September 2026, sole traders will be automatically enrolled. Get ahead of the game and talk to Tarka Accounts. We're friendly, local, and trusted. Let's make tax digital together!

19/08/2026

Why some clients choose a smaller practice on purpose

There's a version of "bigger is better" that gets repeated a lot in this industry - more staff, more departments, more hands on your file. For some businesses, that's genuinely what they need. But it's worth saying plainly: working with a smaller practice isn't a compromise; it's a choice, and plenty of people make it deliberately.

When you get in touch with Tarka Accounts, you won't be routed through a rotation of people picking up your file based on who's available that week. You speak to someone who already knows your business, remembers the conversation you had last month, and isn't reading your history off a screen for the first time. That continuity matters more than most people realise until they've lost it.

None of this is a knock on bigger firms - they suit some businesses well. But if you've ever felt like a number in a system, or spent longer explaining your situation than actually getting help with it, you might be looking for something else. That's exactly the gap we built Tarka Accounts to fill.

Friendly. Local. Trusted.

07961 741107
[email protected]
www.tarkaaccounts.co.uk

13/08/2026

Tarka Accounts is now taking on new clients across North Devon and beyond.

Whether you're a sole trader juggling receipts, a freelancer trying to make sense of Making Tax Digital, or a landlord wondering what your next self assessment is going to look like, we'd love to have a chat.

We handle bookkeeping, VAT returns, year-end accounts and also corporation tax for small businesses of every shape, and we do it with the kind of personal attention that gets lost at the bigger firms.

Based right here in Barnstaple, working with clients locally and online across the country, we keep things straightforward and human - no confusing paperwork, no chasing us for answers, just clear numbers and a plan you understand.

If you're looking for an accountant who'll actually pick up the phone, get in touch. We'd be glad to help.

📞 07961 741107
✉️ [email protected]

10/08/2026

With the Making Tax Digital deadline behind us, what's next?

If you registered for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax before the 7th of August, well done for getting ahead of it - that's no small thing. And if you didn't get to it in time, take a breath. You're not the only one, and there's still time to get set up properly before it becomes unavoidable.

Making Tax Digital is changing how sole traders and landlords keep records and report income, moving everything towards digital bookkeeping through the year rather than one big scramble each January. It sounds like more work up front, but most people find it actually takes the pressure off once it's running - smaller, regular updates instead of a mountain of receipts in a shoebox come deadline season.

If you're not sure where you stand, or want a straight answer on whether this affects you yet, get in touch. We're based right here in Barnstaple and happy to talk it through, no pressure and no confusion.

Friendly. Local. Trusted.

[email protected]
07961 741107

If you're looking for trusted Barnstaple accountants, Tarka Accounts offers friendly, expert accountancy services for sole traders and small businesses in North Devon. We will assist with your tax return and more.

06/08/2026

If you're a sole trader or landlord who crossed the £50,000 threshold and you're now in Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, tomorrow is the date to have circled - 7 August is the deadline for your very first quarterly update.

This one covers everything from 6 April to 5 July, and it's simpler than it sounds - just a summary of your income and expenses for that period, sent through your MTD software rather than a full tax return. HMRC has said there won't be penalty points for late submissions in this first year while everyone gets used to the new rhythm, but it's still worth getting into good habits from the start rather than leaving things to chance.

If you're not sure whether this applies to you, or you've got the records ready but aren't sure how to get them submitted, get in touch, and we'll sort it for you.

Tarka Accounts - friendly, local, trusted.

[email protected]
07961 741107
www.tarkaaccounts.co.uk