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Hancock & Hastings Accountants Dunstable

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Hancock & Hastings Accountants Dunstable

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Chartered Certified Accountants and Auditors in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, working across the UK. Helping you feel confident with your numbers.

Friendly, practical accountants and tax advisors for small businesses. Our friendly chartered certified accountancy practice, based in Dunstable, thrives on helping businesses understand their finances, along with saving money and reducing personal and business tax bills. Say goodbye to the frustration of trying to decipher complex financial terminology – we communicate in plain English, ensuring that you understand every aspect of your accounts and tax obligations. From business accounts and external audits to specialist expertise in sectors such as construction, consultancy, and property, we offer a comprehensive range of services to meet your accounting and tax needs. Let us streamline your accounting processes, save you time and money, and empower you to make informed financial decisions with confidence.

18/10/2026

💰 VAT registered? Here’s what you can (and can’t) claim back!

Bought a laptop? Taken a client out for lunch? Paid for the staff Christmas party?

They’re all business expenses, but when it comes to reclaiming VAT, they’re not all treated the same!

Let’s look at some everyday examples. 👇

✅ WHAT CAN YOU USUALLY RECLAIM VAT ON?

💻 Laptops, printers and office equipment used for your business.

🖥️ Business software, subscriptions and stationery.

🏨 Hotels when you’re away on a business trip.

🎄 Staff Christmas parties and team events. Yes, really! There are rules, but VAT on genuine staff entertainment can normally be reclaimed.

❌ WHAT CAN’T YOU USUALLY RECLAIM VAT ON?

🍽️ Taking a client out for lunch. Even if you spend the whole meal talking about work!

🛍️ Personal purchases. Paying through your business account doesn’t automatically make something a business expense.

🚗 Buying a car that’s available for personal use. VAT recovery is generally restricted, although there are exceptions.

💷 Insurance premiums. These are normally VAT exempt, so there’s no VAT to reclaim.

🤔 WHAT ABOUT THE GREY AREAS?

📱 Use your mobile for work and personal calls? You can generally reclaim the business proportion of the VAT.

⛽ Fuel for both business and personal journeys? Specific rules apply to what you can reclaim and the records you need.

And here’s something else worth remembering…

Just because you’ve bought something for your business doesn’t mean VAT was charged. You’ll also need appropriate VAT evidence to support your claim.

There are additional restrictions if you use the VAT Flat Rate Scheme or make VAT-exempt supplies.

The important thing is knowing the difference between a business expense and an expense you can reclaim VAT on. They’re not always the same thing!

Not sure whether you can reclaim VAT on something? Ask us! We’d much rather help you get it right than see you claim something you shouldn’t, or miss out on something you could.

17/10/2026

💰 "I've registered for VAT. Does that mean I can claim it back on everything?"

Wouldn't that be nice! 😂

You've registered for VAT, you're buying things for your business, so surely you can just claim the VAT back on everything?

Well... not quite!

Being VAT registered doesn't automatically mean every purchase qualifies for a VAT reclaim.

There are a few things you need to consider first.

🧾 Was VAT actually charged? Not everything you buy includes VAT, so there's nothing to reclaim if you haven't paid any in the first place.

💻 Is it for your business? Generally, you can only reclaim VAT relating to your business activities. If something is used personally too, you may need to make an adjustment.

📄 Have you got the right paperwork? You'll normally need valid VAT evidence, such as a VAT invoice, to support your claim. A bank statement on its own usually won't do.

🚗 Are there any special rules? Certain purchases, such as cars and business entertainment, have restrictions on VAT recovery.

There's also the question of what your business does. If you make VAT-exempt supplies, that can affect how much VAT you're able to reclaim.

The important bit?

Just because something counts as a business expense doesn't automatically mean you can reclaim the VAT.

It's one of those things that's always worth checking rather than guessing and hoping for the best!

Not sure what you can and can't reclaim? Have a chat with the team at Hancock & Hastings. We'd much rather help you get it right the first time!

16/10/2026

First things first, don’t panic. A missing receipt doesn't automatically mean a legitimate business expense can't be claimed.

You'll need to be able to evidence what you spent, when you spent it and how it relates to your business.

So, before you write it off, have a look for:

📱 A transaction on your bank statement
📧 An email or order confirmation
🛍️ A record in your online purchase history
📄 A copy of the invoice from the supplier

Just remember, VAT is a little different. The rules around supporting evidence are stricter, so a bank statement alone might not be enough.

Our advice? Get into the habit of saving your receipts as you go. Five seconds now could save you a lot of digging around later!

And if you're unsure whether an expense can be claimed, just ask us. We'd much rather you checked than missed out on something you're entitled to.

13/10/2026

Reviews like this really do make our day! 🥰

We know how important it is to have an accountant you can pick up the phone to, ask a question and feel confident you’re getting the support you need.

It’s something we work hard to get right, so hearing that our clients feel looked after means a lot to us.

A huge thank you to Jodie for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review. We really appreciate it! 💙

10/10/2026

Running a business means things are always changing. New directors, new addresses, new shareholders... it's all part of the journey.

But there's one thing that's surprisingly easy to forget: the paperwork!

Many company changes need to be recorded in your statutory registers and reported to Companies House, often within specific deadlines.

For example:

🏢 Moved your registered office address?

👥 Appointed or removed a director?

🔍 Added, removed or changed a Person with Significant Control (PSC)?

📈 Issued or transferred shares?

These are all changes that could mean there's some admin to take care of.

Whilst it might seem like a small job to put off until next week, keeping your company records up to date can save unnecessary headaches later.

Not sure what needs reporting?

Have a chat with Carly.

She can help you understand what needs updating, when it needs doing and how to keep everything in order.

One less thing on your to-do list! 🙌

05/10/2026

Can you put your nails through the business?

Possibly.

Which is exactly the kind of answer nobody wants from their accountant 😂

HMRC’s rule is that an expense has to be “wholly and exclusively” for business purposes.

In normal English: was it genuinely for the business, or is it something you would have paid for personally anyway?

For most people, nails will sit firmly in the personal expense camp.

Looking polished for meetings, feeling more confident or wanting to look nice for work usually won’t be enough on its own.

There can be situations where things get a little less straightforward, particularly if appearance, styling or presentation forms a very specific part of the work you’re being paid to do. That doesn’t automatically make the cost allowable though, and this is definitely one of those areas where we’d want to look at the individual circumstances before saying yes.

A good little test is:

Would you still have had them done if the business didn’t exist?

If the answer is yes, HMRC is probably going to see it as personal.

If the answer is genuinely no, and there was a specific business reason for the expense, tell us more.

If you’re ever staring at a receipt wondering, “Can I actually claim this?”, ask us before you guess.

We’d much rather have the slightly random conversation now than deal with an awkward HMRC one later.

And while we’re talking nails...

If this post has made you look down at yours and decide they need some attention, our lovely friend Alex at Alex Bates Nail Artist is your woman.

Her work is unreal, although sadly we cannot promise HMRC will allow them 😂

01/10/2026

What a lovely evening celebrating some brilliant work happening right here in Dunstable 🌸

We are proud to sponsor the Junior Wheelbarrow Award at theDunstable in Bloom. Awards, and yesterday .hancock.fcca and Carly joined the celebrations.

It was lovely to see the creativity that had gone into the entries and to hear more about the fantastic work Dunstable in Bloom does alongside for our local community.

A huge well done to everyone involved, especially all of this year’s winners and young entrants 💐

We’re really pleased to support something so positive for Dunstable.

30/09/2026

We’re officially in the “-ber” months… which means one thing around here.

Tax return season is well and truly underway 👀

September might feel early to start thinking about a deadline in January, but you don't have to wait until January to submit it!

Getting your Self Assessment sorted now means you know exactly what you owe, you have time to plan for the payment, and you avoid that horrible January rush where everyone suddenly remembers HMRC exists at the same time.

We do have space to help a handful of new Self Assessment clients this year, but once those spaces are filled. They’re filled.

28/09/2026

Starting a limited company comes with a few deadlines that are very easy to miss when you’re busy trying to actually run the business.

The big ones are:

📊 Annual accounts
These are usually due 9 months after the end of your company’s financial year.

💷 Corporation Tax payment
This is usually due 9 months and 1 day after the end of your accounting period.

🧾 Corporation Tax return
This is usually due 12 months after the end of your accounting period.

📋 Confirmation statement
This needs to be filed at least once every 12 months with Companies House.

The slightly annoying bit is that they’re not all due at the same time.

So if you’ve only just set up your company, it’s worth getting these dates in the diary now rather than waiting for a reminder.

We speak to plenty of new directors who assume HMRC or Companies House will tell them exactly what to do and when.

Sometimes you’ll get reminders. Sometimes you won’t.

Either way, the responsibility sits with you.

Recently incorporated and not totally sure what your deadlines are? Send us a message and we’ll help you get everything set up properly from the start.

25/09/2026

HMRC are currently writing to contractors where they believe the wrong CIS deduction rate may have been applied to subcontractor payments during the 2025/26 tax year.

So, if one of these letters lands on your doorstep, please don’t chuck it in the “deal with later” pile.

HMRC has introduced a new online form specifically for responding to these letters, and they’re asking contractors to respond even if you believe the deductions and returns you submitted were correct.

The letter should explain what HMRC thinks has gone wrong and what you need to do next.

If you receive one and you’re not sure what it means, or whether HMRC has got it right, send it over to us before you start trying to unravel it yourself.

We can take a look and help you work out what, if anything, needs correcting.

Address

Suite 2, Ashton Square Business Centre, 22 Ashton Square
Dunstable
LU63SN

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 5pm
Thursday	8:30am - 5pm
Friday	8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441582758844

Website

https://hancockandhastings.co.uk/

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