LDM Accounting Services

Sole trader deadlines to know:

6 April
New tax year starts

5 October
Register for Self Assessment

30 December
Deadline to pay tax through your PAYE code

31 January
Tax return and payment deadline

31 July
Second payment on account due, if relevant

April 2026
MTD starts for sole traders over £50,000

7 August 2026
First MTD quarterly update deadline

Comment TAX and I’ll send you some tax return tips.

HMRC won’t remind you to claim these.

A lot of business owners miss simple expenses that could reduce their tax bill, including:

✅ Trivial benefits
✅ Use of home allowance
✅ Business mileage
✅ Eye tests and screen-use glasses

None of these are huge on their own, but together they can add up.

The problem is, if you don’t know what you can claim, you’ll probably just miss it.

Comment “Expenses” and I’ll send you my full list of commonly missed business expenses.

If your company is making good profit, taking it all personally could cost you a fortune in tax.

This is where a holding company can help.

Instead of extracting all profits personally, your trading company can pay dividends up to a holding company.

That money stays inside the corporate structure, so there’s no personal tax at that point.

The holding company can then use those funds to invest in:

✅ Property
✅ Stocks
✅ Corporate bonds
✅ Other businesses

It can also help protect profits by moving surplus cash away from the trading company, where the main business risk sits.

If your company makes more profit than you need personally, a holding company could be worth considering.

Comment HOLDING if you want to know whether one could make sense for your business.

Does your accountant only tell you the numbers, not what they mean? 👇

Getting your accounts and tax return filed is one thing.

But if you’re sent the numbers with no explanation, that’s not really helping you run your business.

You should understand:

1️⃣ What your profit means
2️⃣ What tax you’re likely to owe
3️⃣ How much you can safely take out
4️⃣ What you can do before year-end

Because the numbers are only useful if you know what they’re telling you.

Comment SWITCH if you want an accountant who explains your numbers properly.

3 times a holding company might actually be worth it 👇

1️⃣ You have surplus cash
You want to move profits away from trading risk.

2️⃣ You want to reinvest
For example, into property, shares, or another business.

3️⃣ You’re planning to sell
A group structure can sometimes help with future exit planning.

Holding companies can be useful, but they are not automatically the right answer for every business.

Comment HOLDING if you’d like some more info.

Holding companies can help you reinvest faster 📈

A holding company can let you move profits out of your trading company without taking the money personally first.

In many cases, dividends paid from a trading company to a holding company are not taxed.

That means instead of taking the money personally, paying dividend tax, and then investing what is left, more cash can stay inside the company structure.

That money can then potentially be used for things like property, another business, or long-term investments.

It does not magically create more money.

It just helps delay personal tax and leaves more available to reinvest now.

Comment HOLDING if you want a full breakdown to help you decide if it makes sense for you.

Most people wait until January to sort their tax return…

But getting it done early is usually the smarter move ✅

Submitting early does not mean you have to pay early.

It just means you know what you owe sooner, which gives you more time to plan, budget properly and avoid any nasty surprises.

It can also help if you need your tax calculation for things like a mortgage, remortgage or proof of income.

And if your income has dropped compared to last year, filing early could reduce your payments on account, or potentially remove the July payment altogether, depending on the figures.

Plus, if HMRC owes you a refund, submitting early means you get your money back sooner.

So filing early is not about being eager.

It is about being organised.

Comment TAX if you want help getting your tax return sorted early and properly.

You do not need to take all £100k personally and get hammered on tax.

A more tax-efficient approach can be:
£12,570 salary
£37,700 dividends
£50,000 employer pension contribution

That way, you can keep your personal income within the basic rate band, keep dividend tax lower, and move the rest out of the company in a very tax-efficient way.

For 2026/27, that can mean just £3,999 dividend tax on the dividend element.

And the pension contribution?
No personal tax when it goes in, plus it can reduce the company’s corporation tax bill too.

With the right setup, this can be a very powerful strategy for limited company directors.

DM me EXPENSES and I’ll send you my list of commonly missed business expenses.

If your accountant makes you feel like your business is too small to matter, that’s the problem. Not you.

You should be able to ask questions and actually get clear answers.
You should be able to get a reply without chasing.
And you should have an accountant who helps you plan ahead, not just files things after the year has gone.

Whether you’re a sole trader, landlord or limited company director, you deserve proper support.

A good accountant shouldn’t make you feel like a burden just because you’re not their biggest client.

Comment SWITCH if you want to work with an accountant who actually wants to help.

There are some tax savings that are small, and then there are some that can make a five figure difference when used properly.

In this video I cover 5 ways business owners could potentially save serious tax, including:

• claiming the Employment Allowance
• choosing the right VAT scheme
• making pension contributions through the company
• using an electric company car efficiently
• working with a proactive accountant who spots opportunities early

The biggest tax savings usually do not come from one magic trick. They come from putting the right structure and planning in place early.

If you want my full list of allowable business expenses, comment “EXPENSES” and I’ll send it over.