Smarter accounting

Alterledger Xero Gold Champion Partner

Alterledger is now a Xero Gold partner!

16 November 2021, General

We are pleased to announce that Alterledger is now a Xero Gold Champion. Why Xero Gold? We use Xero because we think it is the best software for Owner Managed Businesses.  Xero is constantly adding improvements to an already impressive product.  Without Xero we couldn’t provide the high quality service that our clients have come […]

The Scottish Wedding Industry Fund could give you up to £25,000

Scottish Wedding Industry Fund

27 January 2021, Artists, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Get up to £25,000 for Scottish Wedding Industry The new Scottish Wedding Industry Fund opens for applications on 28 January 2021.  If your business gets most of its income from weddings you could qualify for a grant of up to £25,000. The fund is available to jewellers, pipers and wedding bands as well as caterers […]

Making Tax Digital compulsory for VAT registered businesses - HMRC AI will change everything

You need to change the way you submit your VAT returns

30 December 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, General, Sole Traders

Action required by 8 April 2021 If you haven’t signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) yet, you need to change the way you submit your VAT returns. Even if you currently use Xero to file your VAT returns, you won’t be able to use software to file returns from 8th April unless you are […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

SEISS third grant

30 November 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

SEISS third grant open for claims. The rules on who is eligible to claim are different to those for the previous SEISS grants.  The third grant will be based on 80% of three months’ average trading profits, paid out in a single taxable instalment capped at £7,500, and will cover the period from 1 November […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

SEISS extended to April 2021

6 November 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Payment no 3 in December for SEISS extended to April. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has been extended to April 2021.  If you are self-employed and were eligible for the first and second SEISS grants you will be able to claim grants for the 6 month period from November 2020 to April 2021. What […]

Making Tax Digital compulsory for VAT registered businesses - HMRC AI will change everything

Making Tax Digital compulsory for VAT from April 2022

31 August 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

Making Tax Digital compulsory for all (eventually) Recent announcements make Making Tax Digital compulsory for all VAT registered business from April 2022.  The self-employed will be included from April 2023 and eventually Corporation Tax too. All VAT registered businesses will have to comply with Making Tax Digital (MTD) from 1 April 2022 and not just […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

SEISS phase 2

17 August 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Check if you can claim the SEISS phase 2 grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS phase 2) is now open for the self-employed to receive a second and final grant of up to £6,570.  The HMRC website went live on 17th August 2020 to allow you to claim […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

Check your SEISS eligibility

13 May 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is now open for the self-employed to receive a grant of up to £7,500.  The HMRC website to check your SEISS eligibility has been set up.  Find out what you need to do to allow HMRC […]

Claim Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant

Claim Self-employment Income Support Scheme Grant

4 May 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Get up to £7,500 from the government if you are self-employed Find out if you are eligible to Claim Self-employment Income Support Scheme Grant of up to £7,500.  Details of the Self-employment Income Support Scheme have now been published to support the self-employed or members of a partnership with trading income.  You will need to […]

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

27 March 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Government grant to freelancers Details of the Self-employment Income Support Scheme have now been released to support the self-employed or members of a partnership with trading income. Who can apply for the Self-employment Income Support Scheme? You can apply if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you: have submitted your […]

VAT on services

VAT Expenses – What proof does HMRC need?

24 January 2020, Advocates, Companies, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

A recent case of missing documents highlights the need for supporting information for VAT expenses to minimise your VAT bill to HMRC. Make sure you have good bookkeeping systems to get the VAT back that you are entitled to.

How many VAT registered businesses in the UK need to sign up to Making Tax Digital

MTD Registration – progress to date

19 August 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders

MTD Registration – Key numbers The Making Tax Digital (MTD) rules became law for VAT periods starting on or after 1 April 2019. MTD registration requires VAT-registered businesses with taxable turnover over £85,000 to keep their VAT records digitally.  They must also submit their VAT return direct from their Making Tax Digital-compatible software.  The MTD […]

How many VAT registered businesses in the UK need to sign up to Making Tax Digital

How many VAT registered businesses in the UK need to sign up to Making Tax Digital

30 March 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders

How many VAT registered businesses in the UK are there? Figures from the Office of National Statistics state that there are 2.67 million businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE.  Any business with employees must register for PAYE, but not all of these businesses are registered for VAT.  This prompts the question – how many VAT […]

How late can I register for Making Tax Digital for VAT?

29 April 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders

When is my first Making Tax Digital VAT return due? If you are asking yourself “How late can I register for Making Tax Digital for VAT? (MTDfV)” you are likely to be storing up problems.  Suppose you submit quarterly VAT returns to June and have to register for Making Tax Digital for VAT (MTDfV); your […]

Has Making Tax Digital for VAT been delayed?

Has Making Tax Digital for VAT been delayed?

15 March 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders

Has Making Tax Digital for VAT been delayed? Making tax digital for VAT legislation requires you to have “digital links” between your financial data and your VAT reports to HMRC.  What changes might you need to make to your record keeping to achieve this?  A “soft landing” delays the date that you need to have […]

Scottish BarAdvocates Making Tax Digital for VAT Questions and Answers

Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT Questions and Answers

2 March 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders

Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT Questions and Answers Tim Alter gave a lunchtime talk to the Scottish Bar on 1st March 2019.  The members of the Faculty of Advocates were highly engaged in the session on Making Tax Digital for VAT.  There was a lively and heartfelt response including a wide ranging discussion on […]

Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT seminar in Edinburgh

Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT seminar in Edinburgh

28 February 2019, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Sole Traders

Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT seminar We are looking forward to presenting the Advocates Making Tax Digital for VAT seminar in the Mackenzie Building in Edinburgh on 1st March 2019. Tim Alter will be presenting the lunchtime talk to the Faculty of Advocates.  For any advocates who can’t make the Edinburgh talk at 1:00 […]

Move from quickbooks to Xero

5 November 2014, Charities, Companies, Employer, Sole Traders

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 […]

Alterledger is a Xero Partner

17 September 2014, Companies, Sole Traders

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 […]

Scottish Advocates and Tax

25 November 2013, Advocates, Barristers, Sole Traders

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, Charities

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.

Website by Haiwyre