Economy rebuild measures announced
The government today announced what they refer to as their next step in rebuilding the economy. Their focus is very much around preventing unemployment whilst gradually stopping the furlough scheme, boosting the hospitality sector and kick starting the housing [...]
Your guide to Contractor Mortgages
Making the decision to purchase a property, whether that’s your first home, or if you’re planning on moving up the property ladder, is a huge and exciting step. It can be made more complicated when you throw into the [...]
How can I carry out a credit check on my customers?
Many people love the idea of running their own business but are concerned about the stability of self-employment. In theory, it should be simple; you do the work, you invoice your customer and they pay you. But there may [...]
Coronavirus business support – FAQ
With Covid-19 (Coronavirus) having a massive impact on businesses across the UK, it’s understandable that our Limited Company contractors are keen to understand the business support measures that have been announced by the Government.We’ve created a guide to all of [...]
Can I furlough myself as a Limited Company Contractor?
Under the Government’s Coronavirus business support measures announced this week, it has been indicated that some Limited Company contractors may be covered by the ‘Job retention scheme’ and therefore can furlough themselves if unable to work due to Covid-19. There [...]
Coronavirus business support measures explained
This guide covers all of the business support measures announced by Rishi Sunak in March and is being updated as and when new initiatives are launched or changes are made to existing ones. Please bookmark this page to keep up [...]
Sunak delivers Budget to meet ‘challenging times’
Sunak delivers Budget to meet ‘challenging times’ Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his first Budget, and the first since the UK’s departure from the European Union, against the backdrop of the coronavirus outbreak. The Chancellor announced a £30 billion stimulus package [...]
FCSA accreditation for SG Accounting and SG Umbrella
We’re delighted to announce that SG Accounting and SG Umbrella have been added to the accredited members list of The Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA). To become an accredited member, we’ve had to undergo an independent and rigorous [...]
IR35 April 2020 – essential FAQs
With IR35 changes in the private sector just around the corner, find out here exactly what is happening, how the change might impact you and what action can be taken to protect your contracts and take home pay.What’s changing?From April [...]
Your contractor accounting glossary of terms
Do you know your RTI from your PAYE? Contractor accounting can seem full of jargon and acronyms – so here’s a quick overview with our contractor accounting glossary of terms.Annual Financial AccountsAnnual Financial Accounts often referred to as Company Accounts [...]
How are Director’s Loans taxed?
A Director’s Loan can be taken when you need money to cover a personal expense, or if you need to purchase a new piece of work equipment, for instance. In fact, there are no rules detailing what the money can [...]
Everything you need to know about Director’s Loan
Being a director of a limited company comes with lots of responsibilities. One aspect of the role, which sometimes gets played down, is understanding the myriad of complex rules and legislation that come with running a limited company. A [...]
Important IR35 update: be prepared for April 2020
You will no doubt be aware of the proposed changes to IR35 (often referred to as the ‘off-payroll rules’) set to come into force from April 2020. Our aim here is to ensure you are aware of the support [...]
Could you benefit from the Rent a Room scheme?
Do you have a spare room in your home? Maybe your kids have grown up and have moved out? Or, you’ve moved into a new property and you find you have spare space? Instead, of converting this space into a [...]
Can I use company money to pay my personal mortgage?
We get asked lots of questions by our contractors, and this is one that comes up time and time again. Contractors who work outside of IR35, often ask us this because they may have sums of money held in [...]
Claiming interest on buy-to-let mortgages as a contractor
Anyone who has rental property or works in tax will know about the relatively recent changes HMRC have made to how landlords are allowed to claim the interest on their mortgages. See below: % of Mortgage Interest can be deducted [...]
Top tips for getting a mortgage when self-employed
According to HomeLet’s Rental Index, the average rent in the UK is £941 per calendar month. Many people see this as ‘dead money’ - going straight into the landlord’s pocket, with little benefit for them. If you’re one of the [...]
Charging interest on late payments
According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), late payments by clients causes 50,000 small businesses to go under each year. This is estimated to cost the UK economy £2.5 billion. For contractors and freelancers, the personal cost of late-paying [...]
Grants and loans available to contractors
Small businesses including contractors and freelancers have become a driving force in the UK. The latest figures by IPSE – the Association of Independent Professional and the Self Employed, puts the number of self-employed at 4.8 million, who contributed £275 [...]
Thinking about changing your company car? Why waiting until 2020 could be a good idea
If you’re a contractor who is thinking of purchasing an environmentally friendly company car through your limited company, due to the car benefit changes, you may be better off waiting until 2020 to do it. Tax on company cars [...]