Sleigh & Story

05/10/2026

Question of the month October 2026:

Q: I'm converting a non-residential property into my new home. I've heard that I may be able to use the DIY Housebuilder Scheme but am unsure what it is. Can you explain?

A: This is a scheme provided by HMRC that allows people converting an existing building into a new home to reclaim some of the VAT they've paid - mainly on materials used in the project.

It applies to specific types of buildings being converted into residential homes: barns, old churches, schools, warehouses and business premises.

VAT on building materials can be a substantial cost, so knowing how to apply correctly - and what qualifies - can significantly reduce the overall budget of a conversion project. Claims need to be made within six months of project completion

01/10/2026

October Tax Tips & News 2026
For your monthly round up of financial advice, click on the following link to view our latest Tax Tips :

Welcome… To October’s Tax Tips & News, our newsletter designed to bring you tax tips and news to keep you one step ahead of the taxman. If you need further assistance just let us know or you can send us a question for our Question and Answer Section. We are committed to ensuring our clients […...

09/09/2026

Question of the month for September:

Q: I am close to reaching the age where I can take my private pension but have no plans to retire yet. Are there tax benefits if I defer my pension until I do?

A: Yes. Judging by what you have said, you have not started to take any of your pension, whether it be the tax-free lump sum available at age 55 or a regular drawdown of income. If that is the case, you can continue to contribute up to £60k per tax year to your pension. This attracts tax relief.

If you had taken any of your pension as income, you would have triggered the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA), which is the limit on the amount you can contribute to your defined contribution pension. The limit drops from £60k to £10k, greatly reducing the maximum potential tax relief available. Also, unlike the Standard Annual Allowance of £60k, you cannot carry forward any unused MPAA from previous years.

01/09/2026

For the latest financial news, head over to our Tax Tips and News for September 2026 by clicking on the following link:

Welcome… To September’s Tax Tips & News, our newsletter designed to bring you tax tips and news to keep you one step ahead of the taxman. If you need further assistance just let us know or you can send us a question for our Question and Answer Section. We are committed to ensuring our clients [....

30/07/2026

Question of the Month:

Q: As a self-employed owner of an SME, what is the most tax efficient way for me to pay myself?

A: Whether to pay yourself through salary or dividends remains one of the most important tax-planning decisions for SME owners. It can have a big impact on your tax bill and overall financial resilience.

Without knowing the details of your business set up, we can look at both options to help you decide which is best for you.

Salary is subject to income tax and national insurance; the amount taken determines whether you fall into the 20%, 40%, or 45% tax bands. Employer NICs have become more expensive: from April 2025, employers pay NICs at 15%, increasing the cost of higher PAYE salaries. Salary costs reduce your profit and thus corporation tax payable.

Dividends are paid after corporation tax on company profits, are not subject to national insurance and have lower tax rates than salary: 10.75% (basic rate), 35.75% (higher rate), 39.35% (additional rate). The dividend allowance has been reduced over recent years to just £500, making dividends less attractive than before.

A common approach is to use a hybrid of both options: Take a salary around the personal allowance (£12,570) and supplement the rest of your income with dividends. This aims to balance tax efficiency with access to state benefits and pension contributions.

30/06/2026

For the latest financial updates, head to our website for July's Tax Tips News:

Welcome… To July’s Tax Tips & News, our newsletter designed to bring you tax tips and news to keep you one step ahead of the taxman. If you need further assistance just let us know or you can send us a question for our Question and Answer Section. We are committed to ensuring our clients […]

26/05/2026

Sleigh and Story had the great honour of sponsoring the Young Community Champion Award of the Community Spirit Awards 2026 (Community Foundation for Calderdale). Congratulations to Hollie Shaw - the remarkable and very well deserved winner in this category. At just 21, Hollie has made a brilliant contribution as a volunteer with Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, using her own experience of living with Epidermolysis Bullosa to raise awareness and speak up for children and young people with complex needs.

01/05/2026

The Sleigh and Story team getting ready to embark on their Shuffleboard Challenge, during the team building event in April.

24/04/2026

Sleigh & Story Ltd is once again a proud sponsor of the Huddersfield Literature Festival, with this year being especially significant, as the festival is celebrating it's 20th anniversary and 2026 is The National Year of Reading.

The festival will be running from 6th -17th May, and features events presented by many famous faces such as Val McDermid, Simon Armitage and Joanne Harris. For further information on all the varied and inspiring events, please go to www.huddlitfest.org.uk/events

If you haven't seen any of the events run by The Huddersfield Literature Festival then why not give one of these a go?

17/04/2026

*Early Office Closure Tuesday 21st April*
Please note that our office will be closing at 12.00 midday on Tuesday 21st April for a Company team building event.
We will re-open on Wednesday 22nd April at 9.00 am as normal.