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Monday 9am - 3pm Tuesday 9am - 3pm Wednesday 9am - 3pm Thursday 9am - 3pm Friday 9am - 3pm

BWBCA Limited, Office 44, A30 Business Centre, Okehampton (2026)

22/04/2026

Are You Ready for E-Invoicing?

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) recently released a research paper on how small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) view electronic invoicing, also called e-invoicing.

In the Autumn Budget 2025, plans were announced to make e-invoicing mandatory for VAT invoices from 2029. The research paper was designed to help deliver an e-invoicing policy that will suit the competitive needs of SME businesses.

An e-invoice is an invoice that is sent and received in a structured digital format and is suitable for automatic electronic processing. E-invoicing systems can integrate with accounting systems, which can make it easier to manage a business’s bookkeeping.

The government believes that e-invoicing will assist businesses in submitting more accurate tax returns.

The research indicates that 59% of businesses are familiar with what e-invoicing is. However, only 29% of businesses appear to be currently using e-invoicing, and only 10% of SMEs report both sending and receiving e-invoices.

The most common method used by SMEs both for sending and receiving invoices was reported to be PDF or email. Many businesses are also still using paper and physical mail for invoicing.

With a change to e-invoicing not becoming mandatory until 2029, there is still plenty of time to prepare.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electronic-invoicing-sme-usage-and-attitudes/electronic-invoicing-quantitative-research-into-small-and-medium-sized-enterprises-usage-and-attitudes

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

22/04/2026

Have You Received a Letter from HMRC About MTD?

With Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax coming into force from 6 April 2026, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) have been writing to taxpayers over recent weeks to tell them that they are being mandated into the regime.

MTD became mandatory from 6 April 2026 for sole traders and landlords with a total turnover exceeding £50,000 in the 2025/25 tax year, unless an exemption applies. It involves keeping digital records and submitting quarterly updates to HMRC.

Some taxpayers may have only received their ‘mandation’ letter a few days before the tax year started.

If you have received a letter, and that was the first you knew about MTD requirements affecting your business, there is no need to panic.

The first MTD filing deadline will not be until 7 August 2026. So, you have time to sign up, decide which software to use and then begin to keep your accounting records digitally. If your digital records are up-to-date for the three months starting in April 2026 by the time you need to file the update, then there will be no problem meeting the deadline.

HMRC will not charge you a penalty for not signing up by 6 April 2026, but the longer it is left, the more difficult the task of record-keeping becomes.

See: https://www.litrg.org.uk/news/hmrcs-latest-letter-drop-about-making-tax-digital-lands-just-easter-start-date

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

22/04/2026

New “Right to Try” Legislation Removes a Key Barrier to Work for Disabled People

At the end of April 2026, new legislation will come into force designed to address the fear of losing benefits support if a new job does not work out.

For many disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, the risk of triggering a benefits reassessment can be enough to stop them from even trying employment or volunteering. This leaves people stranded on benefits, despite wanting to work.

New legislation aims to address this problem. From the end of April, starting work will no longer automatically trigger a benefits reassessment for people who receive:

• New-style Employment and Support Allowance.
• Personal Independence Payment.
• The health element of Universal Credit.

The new rules also guarantee that volunteering, which is often a first step back into work, will not trigger a benefits reassessment either.

If you are an employer, the rules may remove a barrier that has previously been filtering out suitable candidates before you have had a chance to meet them.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/barriers-to-work-removed-for-disabled-benefit-claimants-as-landmark-legislation-introduced

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

18/04/2026

Below is the link to the 2025/26 Tax Return Checklist for the tax year ending 5th April 2026 to assist with providing the information required to prepare the tax return.

https://www.bwbca.com/post/2026checklist

Early filing gives a clearer picture of upcoming tax liabilities, aiding in better planning. Plus, meeting tax filing responsibilities ahead of deadline offers peace of mind and avoids the risk of late filing penalties.

🌎https://www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

02/04/2026

Our office will be closed for the Easter holidays on Friday, April 3rd and Monday, April 6th .

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

27/02/2026

New FCA Rules for Buy Now Pay Later

Unregulated Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) agreements will fall under full FCA regulation from 15 July 2026. For the first time, BNPL lenders will need to meet the same expectations as other consumer-credit providers. With almost 11 million UK adults using BNPL in 2024, according to an FCA survey, this is a significant change.

The changes aim to provide clearer protections to individuals who rely on BNPL regularly and may be at risk of taking on commitments they cannot repay.

Once the rules take effect, BNPL businesses will have to comply with the FCA’s Consumer Duty. This includes the following changes:

• Clearer information – Customers must be given clear, upfront details of what they are signing up to, including repayment dates, amounts, and what happens if a payment is missed.

• Affordability checks – Lenders will need to check that a customer can afford the borrowing before they offer BNPL.

• Support when needed – Lenders will need to offer support to customers who are in financial difficulty and direct them to free debt-advice services, where that is appropriate.

• Complaints and compensation – Customers will be able to take complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

BNPL has grown rapidly in recent years, from £0.06bn in 2017 to more than £13bn in 2024.

For many, BNPL provides short-term flexibility and can help with managing cash-flow. However, without affordability checks, there has been a concern that some may be taking on more debt than they realise.
Timescales

BNPL providers will need to have full FCA authorisation. A temporary permissions regime will open from 15 May to 1 July 2026 so that providers can register while they prepare their full application. Once the new regime begins, six months will be allowed for providers to obtain full authorisation.

If you use a third party BNPL provider, you may see some adjustments to the way you interact with customers as new affordability checks are introduced.
Your BNPL provider will likely let you know about the needed changes in good time.

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

27/02/2026

Small Business Britain Provides Beginner-friendly Resources on AI

Small Business Britain has created an online hub dedicated to providing businesses with practical, beginner-friendly resources that can help with getting started in using artificial intelligence (AI).

The hub contains jargon-free guides and video walkthroughs on subjects such as:

• What even is generative AI?
• Can AI save me time?
• How to write a prompt
• How to keep a personal voice

An online course, the AI for Small Business Programme, is also available on the site. This six-week online course is designed to help small business owners unlock AI’s potential in their own business.

There are also webinars and a session from AI experts that can help demystify AI and give you some practical advice on where to start.

The hub is available here: https://smallbusinessbritain.uk/ai

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

15/01/2026

Auto-Enrolment Pension Thresholds to Stay the Same in 2026/27

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that all key auto-enrolment pension thresholds will remain unchanged for 2026/27.

This means:

• The auto-enrolment earnings trigger stays at £10,000 - the annual pay above which employees must be automatically enrolled.

• The lower earnings limit remains at £6,240.

• The upper earnings limit remains at £50,270.

These thresholds determine which employees are eligible for automatic enrolment and the portion of earnings in respect of which contributions need to be made.

Employees who earn less than the earnings trigger can still opt in to their employer’s workplace pension. It’s important to remember that if they earn between the lower earnings limit and enrol, the earnings trigger a mandatory employer contribution.

With thresholds unchanged, this should mean there is no need to adjust your payroll systems or processes in the coming year.

If you would like support with your payroll system and auto-enrolment, please give us a call. We would be happy to help you!

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-automatic-enrolment-earnings-trigger-and-qualifying-earnings-band-for-202627/review-of-the-automatic-enrolment-earnings-trigger-and-qualifying-earnings-band-for-202627

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

14/01/2026

Self Assessment: January Deadline Fast Approaching

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) reports that more than 6.36 million people have already submitted their Self Assessment tax return for the 2024/25 tax year. However, they say around 5.65 million taxpayers still need to file, with the statutory deadline of 31 January 2026 now close.

While filing remains possible right up to the deadline, leaving matters late can limit your options if you suddenly find information is missing or if the amount of tax you need to pay is more than you expected.

It is worth being aware that submitting your tax return does not mean that you must immediately pay any tax due.

Tax due for 2024/25 must be paid by 31 January; however your return can be filed at any time before that date. This allows you to confirm the amount you owe and gives you time to arrange payment.

There are automatic penalties that HMRC will charge if the return is not filed by the 31 January deadline.

⚠ An initial £100 late filing penalty is charged even if you do not owe any tax.

⚠ If the return has still not been filed after another three months, daily penalties of £10 per day (up to £900) can be charged.

⚠ After six months, a further penalty of £300 or 5% of the tax due is charged.

⚠ After 12 months, another £300 or 5% is charged.

Penalties are also charged for late payment of tax. Five per cent of the unpaid tax is charged at 30 days, six months and 12 months after the deadline, alongside interest on the overdue amount.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/565-million-still-to-file-as-the-self-assessment-deadline-looms

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

14/01/2026

Starting 2026 with a Clear Plan for Your Business and Yourself

The start of a new year is a natural moment to take stock of your business. You probably have ambitions for your business, but you also want it to help you reach your personal goals.

Many business owners take out to periodically set priorities for their business to support their wider life objectives. This kind of strategic planning involves stepping back from day-to-day work so you can consider the bigger picture. It is about deciding where you want your business to be and how to get there.

A practical approach to strategic planning often involves:

✅Reviewing your aspirations: What do you want to achieve both in the business and in your personal life? Where would you like to be in 12 months, five years, ten years? What will it take to get you there?

✅ Reviewing the previous year: What went well and what didn’t? Which of your products or services performed best? Which customers were the most profitable, or perhaps nicest to work with? Which staff showed potential to take on more responsibility? Questions like these can help you identify what might be possible in the year ahead.

✅ Setting objectives: This involves setting some clear and measurable goals for the next 12-24 months. These might relate to sales and revenue, reducing certain costs, new product launches, training, or investment.

✅ Identifying key actions: Each goal needs to be broken down into concrete steps. You can then assign responsibilities and set timelines for those steps.

✅ Monitoring progress: Over the year, you can then review how the business is doing against those actions and adjust as you need to.

As you work through these steps, it can be helpful to keep your personal goals clearly in mind. Otherwise, you may work hard to achieve a business objective but find it has negatively impacted your life outside of work.

🌎www.bwbca.com
☎01837 512512
📧[email protected]

BWBCA Limited

22/04/2026

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