Accounting guides for business owners

A guide and Excel worksheet for reconciling marketplace activity to payouts and the closing platform balance, with unresolved differences recorded separately.

Reconcile Amazon and marketplace reserves at month-end. A worked £15,014.58 payout shows how to clear amounts already recorded and calculate the unpaid balance.

Reconcile The Range's old portal and Mirakl records: match overlapping orders, trace payouts and refunds, and check year-end cut-off without double-counting.

Check ecommerce profit reports, compare what each sales channel leaves after costs, and see why stock purchases can absorb cash despite profitable sales.

Month-end accounting checklist for UK businesses, with source records to collect, reconciliation checks and a fictional handover showing unfinished work.

Read a nine-page fictional month-end management pack covering performance, profitability, financial position, cash and actions. View online or download the PDF.

NEST pension contributions submitted but not paid? Check validation, payment instructions and funds received, with a simple example for small employers.

A practical dealership handover checklist covering payments, preparation and margin-scheme VAT, with a worked example for a used-car sale and invoice differences to check when buying at auction.

Track a used car’s preparation estimate against its actual costs. A worked example shows the effect on contribution and the separate margin-scheme VAT calculation.

Keep the current asking price separate from an earlier customer agreement, with a worked example and a final check.

VAT Global Accounting Scheme guide with fictional examples and an Excel working paper for eligible period totals, supported adjustments and negative margins.

Check a building job's expected profit using costs so far, open orders and remaining work. Keep approved variations, stage payments and cash timing clear.

Compare agency retainer income with delivery costs, spot scope creep, and separate pricing problems from overdue invoices in a practical monthly review.

Net creator payouts can understate your sales for Making Tax Digital. Learn how to record gross income and check VAT on fees deducted before payment.

UK tax on tips and gifts received by online creators: business income, non-cash receipts, platform balances and VAT, with practical records to keep.

A UK expenses guide for online creators: equipment, costumes, beauty, home working and agency fees, with practical record-keeping examples.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax starts at £50,000 in April 2026, £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028, each tested on an earlier tax return.

Making Tax Digital quarterly updates are due 7 August, 7 November, 7 February and 7 May, with the tax return by 31 January. What to send and when.

Selling on Amazon, eBay, Etsy or Shopify? Making Tax Digital is tested on your sales before marketplace fees, not the payouts that reach your bank.

CIS deductions are tax paid in advance, not an expense. For Making Tax Digital, a subcontractor’s income counts before the deduction is taken off.

Fixed-fee Making Tax Digital setup for sole traders and landlords: Xero, digital records and HMRC sign-up within five working days. From £99.