SASEN Conference 2015
17 February 2015
South Ayrshire Social Enterprise Network (SASEN) The SASEN Conference 2015 is taking place at the Carrick Centre in Maybole on 27th February. It is free to attend for social enterprises by signing up at the Firstport website. SASEN Conference 2015 Workshops Alterledger is joining other social enterprise specialists in holding workshops on various topics to help […]
Know your staging date
16 February 2015
What is a staging date? Your staging date is the date your automatic enrolment duties come into effect. You must be prepared for this date, at which point you are obliged to have a suitable pension scheme in place. The law on the new employer duties and safeguards commenced in July 2012. Each employer is […]
Executive Income Protection
15 February 2015
Who pays the piper? For those individuals working for large organisations benefits such as death in service cover and long term sick pay are taken for granted. As a business owner what are the consequences if you are unable to work? Whilst an employee may have 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay, […]
What does my tax code mean?
7 February 2015
Why does my tax code change? HMRC reviews your tax code, often in the autumn and early in the new year, for many people this prompts the question “What does my tax code mean?”. The purpose of your tax code is to indicate how much of your earnings you can receive before tax is payable. It […]
Sage Final Accounts Online
18 December 2014
Major upgrade to Sage One Accounts Sage has been a leader in the market for desktop accounting packages to Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) for some time, but it has been slow in catching up with other online accounting packages. What has changed? Enhanced subscriptions have been added over time, including the Accounts Extra […]
Class 2 National Insurance Contributions
13 December 2014
Changes to Class 2 National Insurance payments If you currently pay your Class 2 National Insurance Contributions by Direct Debit Instruction (DDI) or have recently applied to do so, things are about to change! The Government announced plans to simplify the way self-employed people pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions from April 2015. Most self-employed people will […]
Orchestra Tax Relief
4 December 2014
Creative Industries Tax Relief The autumn statement from George Osborne announced a consultation on whether or not to extend Creative Industries tax relief and introduce an Orchestra Tax Relief. See below for the existing creative industry relief arrangements. Who can get the Orchestra Tax Relief? The Orchestra Tax Relief in common with the other […]
Tax and accounts seminar for musicians
7 November 2014
Free tax and accounts seminar for Musicians’ Union members Members of the Musicians Union are invited to a free seminar in Glasgow on 17th November or Edinburgh on 18th November. See below for booking forms on Eventbrite. Proposed tax breaks for musicians The Smith Commission, headed by Lord Smith of Kelvin is considering a proposal […]
Move from quickbooks to Xero
5 November 2014
Move to Xero for free! There are plenty of good reasons to consider using Xero for your accounting software. Now you have an extra reason to change before 31st December 2014. If you are currently using quickbooks and would like to upgrade to an international cloud accounting system, you can take advantage of a free service to […]
Changes for Scottish charity reporting
28 October 2014
To maintain public confidence in the work of charities, charity law requires most charities (income over £10,000) to have an external scrutiny of their accounts.
Tax breaks for artists and musicians?
9 October 2014
Should there be extra tax breaks for artists and musicians? The Republic of Ireland has had special tax breaks for artists since 1979. Lord Smith of Kelvin will oversee the process of devolving additional powers over tax, spending and welfare to Scotland following the ‘No’ vote in the country’s independence referendum. Douglas Connell, a tax […]
Alterledger is a Xero Partner
17 September 2014
Alterledger is proud to be a Xero Partner Xero has created beautiful accounting software (yes really!) and works in partnership with accountants across the globe. Alterledger is Xero Partner and is pleased to be able to announce that Xero will be coming along to the Creative Industries Networking for Business event on 19th September. If you […]
Creative Networking – Premium Tickets
17 September 2014
Premium tickets released for Creative Networking Event Free tickets are still available for the Creative Industries Networking for Business event on 19th September. If you would like a little extra and a £100 voucher for Alterledger, premium tickets are now available. Online Ticketing for Creative Industries Networking for Business powered by Eventbrite Terms for Premium […]
Free networking for creatives – early bird offer
14 September 2014
Free networking event for creatives in Soho If you want to meet some like-minded people for free networking and get some free advice on setting up and running your business, sign up on Eventbrite! Online Ticketing for Creative Industries Networking for Business powered by Eventbrite It is happening on Friday 19th September from 6pm in […]
Guide for start-ups part 2
10 September 2014
How does my start-up get clients? You’ve set up your business and made decisions about forming a limited company, you are ready to trade, but how do you get clients for your start-up? Hopefully you already had some contacts before you started your business, but whatever your situation it is always good to expand your network. […]
Guide for start-ups part 1
9 September 2014
Should my start-up be a company? You’ve got a great idea, you’ve thought of a name for your business, but you are not sure whether or not you should set up a company. You will hear from lots of people in your industry that they have set up a limited company, but is this right for […]
New Alterledger website
4 September 2014
Alterledger website The new Alterledger website is live. Big thanks to Haiwyre for designing it and getting everything ready. Have a look round and let me know what you think Tim Alter – Chartered Management Accountant
Are your charity accounts being correctly examined?
21 May 2014
To maintain public confidence in the work of charities, charity law requires most charities (income over £10,000) to have an external scrutiny of their accounts.
Ovivo – Dead as a dodo
22 March 2014
If you have recently signed up for a free subscription to the mobile phone company ovivo, you may be surprised to learn that the company has ceased trading.
Scottish Advocates and Tax
25 November 2013
There are number of special rules governing the financial accounts of Advocates and Barristers in the UK. For an overview please refer to my blogpost on the CIMA Accountant website. Computing profits for Advocates Earnings Basis The earnings basis is calculated in accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (UK GAAP). Advocates are taxed on the […]
Online Accounting
29 July 2013
Almost everyone that uses the internet already uses cloud computing. There are a number of online accounting packages available which make the accounting process easier for small businesses and have the potential to increase profits too.
Does your accountant work for you?
20 May 2013
The role of an accountant in a business. Many small businesses do not have an accountant on the payroll and hire external consultants to fulfil their financial needs. In too many cases the accountant is only working for the benefit of external stakeholders such as Companies House and HMRC. This role is described as financial […]
UK Private Limited Company Formation – A brief guide.
16 April 2013
What is a private limited company? A private limited company is a company limited by shares. The company is run by its directors on behalf of its shareholders. There must be at least one director and one shareholder for any new private company. The same person can be director and shareholder. The shares in a […]
Real Time Information for payroll processing – are you ready?
17 February 2013
Change required for all employers All employers will have to change the way they process payroll in 2013. If your organisation pays wages to anyone including salaried directors, you will need to provide information in “Real Time” to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Real Time Information (RTI) requires employers to submit payroll information before […]
Scottish Charities – OSCR Annual Return
10 January 2013
Scottish charity reporting All charities rely on their reputation. Charities have a privileged position including exemption from Corporation Tax. Donors give money to charities on the basis that the funds will be used responsibly and in accordance with the publicly declared charitable purposes. It is the responsibility of Trustees of Scottish charities to ensure that […]
