The Sinclair Partnership

15/07/2026

How much is waiting costing your business?

Plenty of business owners hold off on investing because they're waiting for the "right time." But waiting has a cost too; it's just easier to ignore because nothing shows up on an invoice for it.

Older equipment breaks down more. Repairs pile up. Output slows. And while you're weighing up whether now's the moment, a competitor with newer kit picks up the job you didn't have the capacity for.

Recent industry data shows businesses are investing again. Not recklessly, but because standing still turned out to have its own price tag.

That's not an argument for buying everything in sight. It's a case for actually comparing the cost of waiting against the cost of acting, rather than defaulting to "not yet."

Whether it's vehicles, machinery, equipment, or technology, the right finance solution lets you invest now without taking a hit to your cash flow.

Read our latest blog on why businesses are investing again, and why waiting could cost more than you think. Link below:

https://alliedbf.co.uk/why-businesses-are-investing-again/

06/11/2025

📊 Did you know?

In 2024, Hire Purchase accounted for £20bn in funding -more than half of all UK business asset finance agreements (54.19%).

That’s nearly double the amount funded through leasing.

The reason? Businesses love the certainty of fixed payments, the security of eventual ownership, and the flexibility to structure deals that fit their cash flow.

If your business is planning its next stage of growth, Hire Purchase could be the smartest way forward.

🔗 Full breakdown here: https://alliedbf.co.uk/hire-purchase-a-simple-flexible-way-to-fund-growth/

31/10/2025

📘 What is Hire Purchase, and why do so many businesses use it?

Hire Purchase (HP) lets you:

✅ Spread the cost of assets over time

✅ Gain predictable, fixed monthly payments

✅ Own the asset outright at the end of the agreement

Unlike leasing, you don’t just “rent” — you’re investing in an asset that ends up on your balance sheet.

It’s straightforward, regulated, and one of the most accessible ways for SMEs and start-ups to fund growth.

🔗 Learn more about how it works here: https://alliedbf.co.uk/hire-purchase-a-simple-flexible-way-to-fund-growth/

31/07/2025

Today is the deadline for customers to make their payment on account.

Pay online or via the HMRC app. ⬇️

https://www.gov.uk/log-in-file-self-assessment-tax-return?&utm_source=f.co_hmrcgovuk&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=self_assessment&utm_content=early

15/06/2025

The Sinclair Partnership are pleased to be supporting Blackford Gala Week this year, we sponsored the midweek Walking Treasure Hunt and today the Float Competion.

Gala Day has arrived and folk are already along at the park getting set up. We have two new sponsors and a new Gala Queen to crown. Come on! There's still time to get a costume together with prizes from pre-school to adults and that's before we even start the races. We've got tea, coffee and water available during the afternoon plus raffle tickets so bring along some cash. We've not done burgers since 2021 and don't currently see ourselves returning to doing that, so bring along your own picnic or snacks. Cars can come into the field and get a view of all that's happening.

21/05/2025

Are you considering hosting a big fundraising event later this year or early 2026? Are you sure it's the right thing for your small charity? Check out our blog which will help you figure out the best event strategy for your charity. 👇
https://ochilfundraising.co.uk/small-charities-events/

31/10/2024

A good summary of yesterday's budget

19/02/2024

The Government has performed a spectacular U-turn over its decision to treat double cab pick-ups as cars for taxation purposes by dropping the policy just seven days after announcing it.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/government-u-turn-over-double-cab-pick-up-tax-treatment

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-on-hmrc-double-cab-pick-up-guidance

The Government has performed a spectacular U-turn over its decision to treat double cab pick-ups as cars for taxation purposes by dropping the policy just seven days after announcing it.

16/02/2024

End of the Road for the Double Cab Pick Up

Drivers who use pick-up trucks for work and personal use are set to pay more in car tax under changes being brought in by the government.
From July double-cab pickup trucks will be classed as cars rather than vans, bringing an end to a tax loophole that saved drivers money.
Double-cab pick-ups, such as the Ford Ranger and Nissan Navara, have grown in popularity in recent years because their dual-purpose attributes mean they are suitable for being a working vehicle as well as for personal use.

Any double-cab pick-up that had a payload of more than a tonne was considered a van and therefore attracted far cheaper company car tax.

However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) quietly announced in a note earlier this week that from 1 July, it will “no longer interpret the legislation that defines car and van for tax purposes in line with the definitions used for VAT purposes”.

HMRC says it will now assess the classification of each vehicle of this type on an individual level, but that from July 2024 “most if not all double cab pick-ups will be classified as cars when calculating the benefit change”. HMRC says this is because these vehicles are “equally suited” to both transporting goods and also passengers.

Company vehicle tax is based on benefit in kind (BIK), which on cars is a percentage based on their CO2 emissions that takes into account a vehicle’s list price. It favours electric and hybrid cars, which emit lower CO2.

However, currently, pick-up trucks are charged at a flat rate which is £3,960 for the 2023/2024 tax year. For a 20 per cent taxpayer, van BIK is £792 per year, or £66 a month. For 40 per cent taxpayers, it’s £1,584 per year, or £132 a month.

But under these changes, pick-ups will become significantly more expensive for company car tax, because it will now be calculated based on their typically-high CO2 emissions.

A Ford Ranger – the UK’s most popular pick-up, and the fourth best-selling ‘van’ in the UK last year – has CO2 emissions of more than 200g/km, putting it in the highest BIK tax bracket of 37 per cent.

According to the Professional Pickup website, from July 2024 a driver using a Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2.0 as a company car will face a tax bill of £290 a month, or £580 a month for a higher rate taxpayer.

Any new double cab pick-ups ordered or leased until 30 June, 2024, will still qualify for the current lower tax rates, even if they aren’t registered by July. Single-cab pick-ups are unaffected by these changes.

For capital allowance claims, transitional arrangements will apply when a taxpayer enters into a contract before 1 July 2024 to purchase a double cab pick-up and the expenditure is incurred on or after that date but before 1 January 2025. In these circumstances a double cab pick-up with a payload of one tonne or more will continue to be treated as a van.

https://lnkd.in/ednmA2J6