J Leigh Accountant

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J Leigh Accountant Business owner. Accountant. Strategist. Helping small business owners understand their numbers, plan properly, and stop flying blind. Less jargon. More clarity.

Accounts, tax & business growth, explained like a human. I've been in the accounting world for more years than I care to count—starting with the fast-paced finance office of a large corporation to managing local practice offices. Now, as the owner of my own firm, I've taken all those years of experience, knowledge, and invaluable client feedback to build something with local business owners in mind. Accounting doesn’t have to be overwhelming—I’m here to simplify the numbers, keep you compliant, and help your business thrive. Whether it’s bookkeeping, tax, payroll, or strategic advice, I make sure you have the support you need.

You've been told you have to go VAT registered.But has anyone asked you which scheme is best for YOU?
26/10/2026

You've been told you have to go VAT registered.
But has anyone asked you which scheme is best for YOU?

25/10/2026

Wouldn't this be nice to know monthly, not yearly?

Monthly turnover & operating profit.
Where the money actually goes.
What you've taken personally — and what it means for your personal tax.

January payment broken down before January.

This is what monthly looks like.

Not year-end telling you what happened.
Monthly telling you what's happening — so you can decide what to do next.

Car? Dividends? Salary vs profit? Going over a threshold?

Imagine asking those questions with the numbers in front of you.

Business + Rental + Dividends + Sole Trade = what it means for YOU. Corporation tax and personal tax in one view.

Would you do things differently if you knew this monthly?

DM MONTHLY if you want your numbers like this.

24/10/2026

☔ The weather's miserable, so you might as well get your tax return done! 😂

Sole traders, before you hit submit, have you claimed everything you're entitled to?

Every year I see people missing expenses that could reduce their tax bill!

A few reminders from your accountant in your pocket 👇

🚗 Mileage – If you're filing your 2025/26 return, it's still 45p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles. The new 55p rate applies from 6 April 2026.

🏠 Working from home – Are you using HMRC's simplified expenses or claiming a proportion of your actual household costs? It can make a difference!

📱 Mobile phones – Using your personal phone for business? Don't forget the allowable business proportion.

💻 Software, subscriptions, insurance, training, professional fees... It all adds up!

Remember, expenses need to meet HMRC's rules. Just because you've spent the money doesn't automatically make it tax deductible!

And a little tip from me...

Don't leave your tax return until January! 😂

We're all much happier when we're not working against the clock. And yes, some accountants charge a premium for last-minute returns!

📌 SAVE this checklist for when you're preparing your return.

💬 What's the one expense you always forget to claim?

Who else misses the good old days? I certainly miss that £5,000 dividend allowance! Especially when we could make good u...
24/10/2026

Who else misses the good old days?

I certainly miss that £5,000 dividend allowance! Especially when we could make good use of a husband-and-wife setup! 👀

19% Corporation Tax, cheaper shopping and a little more money left in our pockets...

Anyway, just an accountant reminiscing about the good old days. Apparently this is what we find exciting.

Business owners, what would YOU bring back if you could turn back the clocks? 👇

23/10/2026

You're going limited just to avoid Making Tax Digital?

As an accountant, this is becoming one of my biggest frustrations.

I'm hearing more and more sole traders considering incorporation purely to avoid MTD.

But WHY?

You're not avoiding the need to understand your finances. You're simply swapping one set of filing obligations for another.

And here's something I feel quite strongly about.

You should be looking at your numbers EVERY MONTH anyway!

Sole trader or limited company, it doesn't matter.

You should know what your business is making, where your money is going, what tax you're likely to owe and whether you're actually making the profit you think you are.

That's why I believe monthly management accounts are so important.

And if your accountant isn't encouraging you to understand those numbers, I'd be asking why.

Now, there are some fantastic reasons to incorporate. Protection, flexibility, future growth.

But avoiding MTD? Your mate saving tax? Assuming limited companies automatically pay less?

Those are not good enough reasons to make such a big business decision.

Run the numbers. Understand the implications. THEN decide.

I'm curious. Have you considered going limited because of MTD? Or has someone told you you'd save tax by incorporating?

I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts.

Follow .leigh.accountant for practical accountancy advice that helps you understand your numbers, question your decisions and grow your business.

22/10/2026

Your mate went limited and saved thousands in tax… so should you?

Well, maybe. But maybe not!

There are some really good reasons to incorporate your business 👇

💷 Tax planning, More flexibility over how and when you take your money.

🔒 Protection Your company is legally separate from you, offering some protection for your personal finances.

📈 Growth Retaining profits to reinvest in equipment, vehicles or expansion.

🏢 Future plans Building a business you could eventually sell or bring other people into.

BUT here's what people forget…

Limited companies aren't automatically more tax-efficient!

Corporation Tax, dividend tax, additional costs and paperwork all need to be considered.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again…

RUN THE NUMBERS!

A good accountant shouldn't just tell you to go limited. They should explain WHY it's right for you.

💬 **Are you a sole trader thinking about going limited? Or have you already made the switch?**

18/10/2026

So, following on from my Sole Trader vs Limited Company post… 👀

How do you actually know which one is right for you?

Well, it's not quite as simple as hitting £50k profit and deciding it's time to go limited!

When I'm looking at whether someone would benefit from incorporating, I'm asking questions.

How much are you earning? How much do you actually need to live on? What are your plans for the business?

Because someone making £40k profit could potentially benefit from a limited company, while someone making £80k might be better off staying a sole trader.

And that's why I always say, run the numbers!

It's not just about paying less tax today. It's about making sure your business is structured in a way that works for you, your lifestyle and where you want to be in a few years.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer, and there shouldn't be.

I'll follow this up with a Reel explaining how I actually work through the numbers when advising my clients.

But for now, I'm curious…

Are you a sole trader or limited company?
And do you know WHY you chose that structure?

11/10/2026

PLEASE, JUST TALK TO US!! 😩

I cannot stress this enough.

You are NOT expected to understand corporation tax, directors' loans, dividends, capital allowances and every other bit of accounting jargon we throw around.

That's OUR job.

But you absolutely should understand what's happening in YOUR business.

How much money you're making.
What tax you're going to owe.
Whether you can afford to take more money out.
Why your business is making a profit but you've got no cash in the bank.

And if you don't understand something, ASK!

Ask again. Ask us to explain it differently. Ask us to show you the numbers.

There is absolutely nothing embarrassing about not understanding something you've never been taught.

I'm an accountant AND a business owner. I know how overwhelming running a business can be.

The whole point of having an accountant is to have someone in your corner who helps you make sense of it all.

Not someone who sends you a set of accounts once a year, uses a load of fancy words and leaves you wondering what on earth just happened.

Your accountant should be making business easier to understand. Not harder.

💬 Business owners, be honest. Have you ever nodded along in a meeting with your accountant when you had absolutely no idea what they were talking about? 😂

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36 Bear Street
Barnstaple

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