Bradshaw Johnson Chartered Accountants St Neots

Bradshaw Johnson Chartered Accountants St Neots Bradshaw Johnsons is a long-established Accountancy Practice of progressive Chartered Accountants, w

In a move announced as part of the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plans to tackle the cost of living, VAT on electric...
23/07/2026

In a move announced as part of the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plans to tackle the cost of living, VAT on electricity bills 💡will be removed temporarily from 5% to zero between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027.

⚡The cut will ONLY apply to electricity bills.
⚡Fixed rates will get the benefit as all energy suppliers are expected to pass the VAT reduction on.
⚡The cut will apply to electricity bills in England, Scotland and Wales – but it will work differently in Northern Ireland.

Are you spending too much time worrying about your finances and not enough time growing your business?We're a long-estab...
22/07/2026

Are you spending too much time worrying about your finances and not enough time growing your business?

We're a long-established chartered accountancy practice helping businesses of all sizes across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

✅ What we offer:

- Complete accounting and bookkeeping services
- Expert tax planning and compliance (70+ years combined experience)
- Support from sole trader to limited company
- Personal, professional, and cost-effective service

Whether you're an established business or an entrepreneur just starting out, we'll ensure your financial affairs are in good hands - on time and fully compliant.

📍 Conveniently located in Hitchin and St Neots

Ready to focus on what you do best? Get in touch today.

Visit: https://bjca.co.uk/ 📧 [email protected] ☎️ 01462 454545

Thinking of selling shares or other investments? Here's what you need to know about Capital Gains Tax (CGT)! 📊When you s...
21/07/2026

Thinking of selling shares or other investments? Here's what you need to know about Capital Gains Tax (CGT)! 📊

When you sell shares at a profit, you may owe CGT on the gain. But don't worry — you have a tax-free allowance of £3,000 per year, so you only pay tax on gains above that amount.

The rate you pay depends on your income:

💰 Basic rate taxpayers — 18% on gains within the basic rate band, 24% above it
💰 Higher and additional rate taxpayers — 24% on all gains

Your gain is usually the difference between what you paid for the shares and what you sold them for. The good news is you can deduct certain costs to reduce it, including stockbrokers' fees and Stamp Duty Reserve Tax (SDRT). ✅

Some shares are exempt from CGT altogether:

🚫 Shares held within an ISA
🚫 Shares in employer Share Incentive Plans (SIPs)
🚫 UK government gilts
🚫 Gifts to your spouse, civil partner or a charity

There are also several tax reliefs that could reduce or delay your CGT bill, including Business Asset Disposal Relief, Gift Hold-Over Relief, Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and Rollover Relief. It's well worth checking whether any of these apply to your situation!

If your total gains exceed £3,000, you'll need to report and pay CGT — usually through Self Assessment. Deadlines vary depending on the type of asset, so it's important not to leave it too late.

Not sure where you stand or want help calculating your gain and any reliefs available? We're here to help!

Have you invested in a commercial building or carried out major renovation work since October 2018? You could be missing...
20/07/2026

Have you invested in a commercial building or carried out major renovation work since October 2018? You could be missing out on a valuable tax relief! 🏗️

The Structures and Buildings Allowance (SBA) gives tax relief on qualifying capital expenditure on new or renovated non-residential structures and buildings — and it's one that many business owners overlook.

Here's what can qualify:

✅ Design fees
✅ Site preparation costs
✅ Construction works
✅ Renovation and conversion costs
✅ Fitting-out costs

The allowance is currently set at 3% per year on a straight-line basis, giving relief over 33⅓ years. It applies to qualifying expenditure on structures and buildings used for a trade, profession, property business (excluding residential property), or certain other commercial activities.

To make a claim, you'll need an allowance statement to support it, and the relief is claimed through your tax return. As long as the qualifying conditions continue to be met, the relief can continue for the full allowance period.

If you've constructed, purchased or renovated a commercial property since October 2018 and haven't reviewed your capital allowances position, now is a great time to do so — you could be sitting on unclaimed relief! 💰

Get in touch and we'll take a look for you.

Are you self-employed? Are you claiming all the business expenses you're entitled to? 🧾 It could make a big difference t...
17/07/2026

Are you self-employed? Are you claiming all the business expenses you're entitled to? 🧾 It could make a big difference to your tax bill!

Allowable expenses reduce your taxable profit — which means less Income Tax to pay. The golden rule is that an expense must be "wholly and exclusively" for business purposes to qualify.

Here's a taste of what you could be claiming:

✅ Office costs — stationery, telephone bills, postage
✅ Travel expenses — business mileage, train tickets, parking
✅ Business insurance
✅ Advertising and marketing
✅ Staff costs
✅ Stock and raw materials
✅ Business premises running costs
✅ Training courses that maintain or improve your business skills

Using your phone or car for both work and personal use? No problem — you can still claim the business proportion. 📱🚗

Working from home? You may be able to claim a share of household costs like heating, electricity and internet. Alternatively, there are simplified flat rate allowances for home working and business mileage if you'd rather avoid working out the exact figures.

And don't forget — if you buy equipment, machinery or a business vehicle, you may be able to claim tax relief through capital allowances too! 🖥️

One thing to watch out for ⚠️ — if you claim the £1,000 trading allowance, you can't also claim allowable business expenses, so it's worth checking which option is better for your situation.

Not sure if you're claiming everything you should be? We can help you make sure you're not paying more tax than necessary! Get in touch today.

Already signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax? Your first quarterly update deadline is coming up — here'...
16/07/2026

Already signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax? Your first quarterly update deadline is coming up — here's what you need to know! 📲

MTD works very differently to a traditional Self Assessment return. Instead of one annual filing, you'll be submitting regular quarterly updates to HMRC throughout the year using your MTD software. Don't worry though — these updates aren't full tax returns! They simply summarise your income and expenses for the period, with no tax or accounting adjustments needed before you submit. ✅

📅 When is the first deadline?

If you use standard update periods (aligned to the tax year):
Period: 6 April 2026 – 5 July 2026 | Deadline: 7 August 2026

If you use calendar update periods:
Period: 1 April 2026 – 30 June 2026 | Deadline: 7 August 2026

A few other things worth knowing:

📊 You need to submit an update for every self-employment or property business you run — even if you had no income or expenses during the period
🧭 HMRC won't receive individual invoices or receipts, just the totals from each income and expense category
📊 After submitting, your software or HMRC online account may show an estimated tax calculation — but bear in mind it might not include all your income sources yet
🚨 Good news — HMRC won't apply penalty points for late quarterly updates during 2026-27. But getting your system set up properly now will make everything much smoother going forward!

Feeling unsure about MTD or want help getting set up? We're here to make the whole process as painless as possible.

Did you know you could be earning interest on your savings completely tax-free? 💰 Here's how it works!There are actually...
15/07/2026

Did you know you could be earning interest on your savings completely tax-free? 💰 Here's how it works!

There are actually several allowances that can help reduce or even eliminate tax on your savings interest — and many people don't realise how much they're entitled to.

✅ Personal Allowance — if your wages, pension or other income don't use up your full Personal Allowance of £12,570, the remainder can cover savings interest tax-free

✅ Starting Rate for Savings — you could get up to £5,000 of savings interest tax-free on top of that, as long as your other income isn't more than £17,570

✅ Personal Savings Allowance — on top of everything else, basic rate taxpayers can receive up to £1,000 of interest tax-free, and higher rate taxpayers up to £500. Additional rate taxpayers don't get this one, unfortunately!

If your savings interest goes over these allowances, the excess is taxed at your usual Income Tax rate. For most employees and pensioners, HMRC will adjust your tax code automatically. If you're self-employed, you'll need to declare it on your Self Assessment return — and if your income from savings and investments exceeds £10,000, you'll need to register for Self Assessment if you haven't already.

And here's one more thing worth knowing — if you've overpaid tax on savings interest in the past, you can reclaim it! You have up to 4 years from the end of the relevant tax year to make a claim. 📝

Not sure whether you're making the most of your savings allowances, or think you might have overpaid tax? Get in touch — we'd love to help!

Did you know there are specific tax rules around providing mobile phones to your employees? 📱 Here's what employers need...
14/07/2026

Did you know there are specific tax rules around providing mobile phones to your employees? 📱 Here's what employers need to know!

The good news is that HMRC offers a handy exemption — if your business provides one mobile phone per employee and the contract is directly between you (the employer) and the phone provider, the phone is generally exempt from Income Tax and National Insurance. This applies even if the employee uses it for personal calls, and covers the handset, line rental, calls, texts and data. ✅

However, the rules change if the arrangement is set up differently:

🚨 If your employee arranges the phone contract themselves but you pay the supplier directly, it's treated differently — you'll need to report the cost on a P11D form and pay Class 1 National Insurance through payroll
💰 If telephone expenses don't fall within the exemption, they must be reported to HMRC and tax and National Insurance may be due
🔄 Expenses covered under a salary sacrifice arrangement are treated differently again and don't need to be reported separately

It's also worth remembering that the exemption only covers one phone per employee — so if you provide a second device, that will need to be reported as a benefit in kind.



Getting the setup right from the start can save a lot of admin — and avoid any unexpected tax bills down the line! If you're not sure whether your current arrangements are set up correctly, we're happy to take a look.

Are you spending too much time worrying about your finances and not enough time growing your business?We're a long-estab...
13/07/2026

Are you spending too much time worrying about your finances and not enough time growing your business?

We're a long-established chartered accountancy practice helping businesses of all sizes across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

✅ What we offer:
- Complete accounting and bookkeeping services
- Expert tax planning and compliance (70+ years combined experience)
- Support from sole trader to limited company
- Personal, professional, and cost-effective service

Whether you're an established business or an entrepreneur just starting out, we'll ensure your financial affairs are in good hands - on time and fully compliant.

📍 Conveniently located in Hitchin and St Neots

Ready to focus on what you do best? Get in touch today.

Visit: https://bjca.co.uk/ 📧 [email protected] ☎️ 01462 454545

Company directors — when did you last check your Companies House filing deadlines? 📅Missing the deadline for your annual...
13/07/2026

Company directors — when did you last check your Companies House filing deadlines? 📅

Missing the deadline for your annual accounts or confirmation statement isn't just an admin headache — it can lead to some serious (and entirely avoidable!) financial penalties.

Here's what late filing of annual accounts can cost a private company:

⏰ Up to 1 month late — £150
⏰ 1–3 months late — £375
⏰ 3–6 months late — £750
⏰ More than 6 months late — £1,500

And here's the sting in the tail — if you file late two years in a row, all of these penalties are automatically doubled! 😨

Failing to file your confirmation statement is a separate issue altogether. As well as potential financial penalties, Companies House can take enforcement action, prosecute company officers and even begin the process of striking your company off the register. Directors can face fines of up to £5,000 for failing to meet their legal obligations.

The good news? All of this is completely avoidable with a little forward planning. ✅

And even better — if you instruct us to look after your Companies House filings, you can sit back and relax knowing we'll keep on top of all your deadlines for you.

Address

Yew Tree House, The Shrubbery, Church Street
St Neots
PE192BU

Telephone

+448000260854

Website

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