KJ Bookkeeping and Payroll Services

16/10/2026

A customer pays you £1,200. How much is actually available to spend?

If that payment includes VAT at 20%, it’s £1,000 in sales and £200 in VAT. And the £1,000 still needs to cover your costs and any tax on the profit.

The trouble is, your bank balance shows one number.

£1,200 lands, the balance looks healthy, and spending decisions get made. When the VAT bill arrives, the cash may already be gone.

A simple habit can help: keep a separate tax savings account and regularly move money across.

Your actual VAT bill depends on your VAT scheme and any VAT you can reclaim, so the amount to set aside should reflect your business.

We can review your recent figures and help you build a realistic savings plan for VAT and tax, checking it as your business changes.

Less guesswork. Fewer surprises. A clearer view of what you can afford to spend.

Message us to arrange a chat.

14/10/2026

The second Making Tax Digital update is due by 7 November. Is your bookkeeping ready? 📅

For sole traders and landlords required to join MTD for Income Tax from April 2026, this applies where combined gross self-employment and property income exceeded £50,000 in 2024/25, unless exempt.

Your second update covers income and expenses from 6 April to 5 October, or 1 April to 30 September if you use calendar update periods.

Keeping bank transactions reconciled and receipts recorded as you go makes preparing your update much easier. Leaving everything until the deadline means the catching up becomes the biggest job.

With just under four weeks to go, now is a good time to:

✅ Reconcile your bank to the relevant period end.
✅ Resolve missing receipts and unexplained transactions.
✅ Check personal spending hasn’t been included as a business expense.
✅ Review your records before submitting through MTD-compatible software.

Combined gross self-employment and property income over £30,000 in 2025/26? Unless exempt, you’ll need to join from 6 April 2027. Building the habits now can make that transition smoother.

Need help with your digital bookkeeping and quarterly updates? Message us to arrange a chat.

12/10/2026

Two invoices. Same customer. Same amount.

One says “Payment terms: 30 days”.
The other says “Due Friday 13 November”, with the bank details directly underneath.

Which is easier to act on?

A clear due date won’t guarantee payment, but it removes one more reason for an invoice to sit in the pile.

Small changes can make getting paid easier:

✅ Send the invoice as soon as the job finishes. Waiting until month end adds to your wait.

✅ Agree payment terms in writing before starting, so the invoice isn’t the first conversation about money.

✅ Set aside half an hour each week to review overdue invoices and follow up consistently.

✅ Use automated reminders to keep payment dates on your customer’s radar.

✅ Check whether your customer needs a purchase order number or a specific invoice email address. Getting these right can prevent avoidable delays.

If chasing payments is the job that always slips down your list, we can help you put a consistent process in place.

Message us to arrange a chat about your bookkeeping and credit control.

09/10/2026

A Friday job that could make the weeks ahead feel more manageable. One spreadsheet, 13 weeks. 📊

Start with what’s in the bank today, then map out the money you expect to receive each week.

Be honest about when customers will pay. If they usually take 45 days, putting 30 days on the invoice won’t bring the cash in sooner.

Next, add the money going out: wages, rent, suppliers and loan repayments.

Then include the payments that are easy to overlook—the VAT bill, PAYE, insurance renewals and that Christmas bonus you promised back in June.

Work out each week’s closing balance and carry it forward as the next week’s opening balance.

Now look along the figures. Is there a week where cash gets tight? Perhaps payroll and VAT fall close together, or a large customer payment arrives just after your suppliers need paying.

Spotting that gap early gives you time to chase invoices, agree payment dates or arrange support before the pressure hits.

It doesn’t need to be complicated to be useful. Start simple, then update it weekly as payments and plans change.

Would you like help building a cash flow forecast for your business? Get in touch with K J Bookkeeping and Payroll Services. 💬

08/10/2026

Payday comes around quickly. Does your payroll take longer than you’d like? 🧠💷

There’s plenty happening behind every payslip: pay calculations, tax codes, National Insurance, pension deductions, statutory pay and changes for starters and leavers.

Then there’s reporting. Employers normally need to send a Full Payment Submission to HMRC on or before employees’ payday—not simply at the end of the month.

Outsourcing your payroll can reduce the administration on your desk and give you someone to turn to when questions arise.

At K J Bookkeeping and Payroll Services, we can help with:

✅ Payroll calculations and payslips
✅ PAYE and National Insurance calculations
✅ HMRC payroll submissions
✅ Pension contribution processing
✅ Starters, leavers and statutory pay

You remain legally responsible for your PAYE obligations as the employer, even when you outsource. That’s why clear communication, accurate information and an agreed timetable matter.

We work with you to keep payroll organised, so you can spend more time running your business.

What takes up the most time in your payroll each month? 💬

Message us to discuss the support your business needs.

07/10/2026

A busy business can still have an empty bank account. 💷

Take a joiner who finishes a £12,000 kitchen on 30 September and sends the invoice that afternoon.

On an accruals-based profit report, the sale appears in September. But the cash hasn’t arrived yet.

The timber was paid for in August. Wages went out in September. And with the customer on 30-day payment terms, the money won’t arrive until the end of October—later if they’re slow to pay.

In the meantime, the joiner still needs to fund the next job.

Put four kitchens on the go at once and it’s easy to see how a profitable business can find itself dipping into its overdraft.

Profit and cash flow tell different parts of the story. You need to keep an eye on both.

For trades businesses, materials and labour often need paying before the customer settles the bill. More work can mean more pressure on cash before it means more money in the bank.

Does this sound familiar? Get in touch with K J Bookkeeping and Payroll Services. We can help you understand the gap and plan for the payments ahead.

06/10/2026

05/10/2026

📅 Today, 5 October, is a deadline that’s easy to overlook.

If you need to complete a Self Assessment tax return for 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026 for the first time, today is the deadline to tell HMRC.

Started working for yourself or earning from a side hustle? If your total trading income was more than £1,000 before expenses, you’ll usually need to register.

New rental income or other untaxed income may also mean you need to complete a return, depending on your circumstances.

It can catch people who never planned to start a business—the employee whose weekend cake orders took off, the couple who moved in together and rented out their spare flat, or the contractor who went freelance and thought the paperwork could wait.

Today is the registration deadline. The usual deadline for filing your online return and paying your 2025/26 tax is 31 January 2027.

Not sure whether you need to register? Get in touch with us, we’re here to help you understand what’s needed. 💬

01/10/2026

💻 Do you have accounting software but feel like you’re only using a fraction of what it can do?

Perhaps you’re unsure whether things are being entered correctly, struggling to produce reports or simply clicking around and hoping for the best—we’ve all been there!

We offer friendly, personalised one-to-one software training, tailored to you and the way your business works.

We can support you with:

✅ QuickBooks
✅ Xero
✅ Sage
✅ FreeAgent
✅ KashFlow

Whether you’re completely new to bookkeeping software, need a refresher or want to feel more confident managing your own accounts, we’ll explain everything clearly and at your pace.

No jargon. No one-size-fits-all training. Just practical guidance that you can use in your business straight away.

Ready to feel more confident with your accounts?

📞 0121 720 0502
📧 [email protected]

Get in touch to discuss your training needs.

30/09/2026

📅 September is nearly over—but are your accounts ready to close the month?

Month-end is where financial control can be won or lost.

Leaving small jobs unfinished might not feel urgent today, but those loose ends quickly become missing information, unreliable reports and extra work later.

Before September closes, check that:

✅ Every invoice has been raised and matched to the work delivered
✅ The bank is fully reconciled
✅ Your debtor list is accurate and overdue invoices are being chased
✅ Any unusual transactions have been investigated and explained—not simply parked for later

A good month-end process doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to be clear, consistent and completed on time.

Because your future self doesn’t need more detail—it needs fewer loose ends.

Could your team complete month-end confidently without everything relying on you?

If you’d like a straightforward close process your team can follow every month, book a free call using the link in the comments.