KJ Bookkeeping and Payroll Services

KJ Bookkeeping and Payroll Services Provision of a wide range of bookkeeping, accountancy and payroll services both remote and on site.
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When you have a team, “good bookkeeping” is less about admin and more about control. Three things we would expect in a g...
03/06/2026

When you have a team, “good bookkeeping” is less about admin and more about control.

Three things we would expect in a growing business:
• Bank reconciled weekly (so cash isn’t a mystery)
• Clear rules for coding common spend (so reporting isn’t random)
• A month-end close that happens on a date, not “when we get time”
If your numbers arrive late, you end up managing on instinct. That’s expensive as you build a team.

If you want your books to become decision-grade (without more effort), book a call, drop us message today and let us see how we can help you and your business.

02/06/2026

📣 Self Assessment 2025–2026 is now open

You do NOT need to wait until January 2027 to submit your tax return.

In fact, HMRC encourages taxpayers to file early, even though the payment deadline remains 31 January 2027.

✅ Benefits of filing early:

• Find out how much tax you owe sooner
• More time to budget and plan for your tax bill
• If you're due a refund, you can receive it sooner
• More time to check figures and correct mistakes
• Less stress and no last-minute rush in January
• A completed tax return can be used as proof of income for mortgages, loans, or benefit claims
• Reduces the risk of falling victim to last-minute tax scams and fraud

⚠️ Disadvantages of leaving it until January 2027:

• Increased pressure as the deadline approaches
• Less time to gather information and correct errors
• Higher risk of missing the filing deadline
• Late filing penalties can apply if your return is submitted after 31 January 2027
• Less time to prepare for potentially large tax bills or Payments on Account

💡 Filing early does NOT mean paying early. You can submit your return now and still have until 31 January 2027 to pay any tax due.

The earlier you know your position, the more time you have to plan ahead.

📞 Need help with your Self Assessment?

Whether you're self-employed, a landlord, a company director, or have other income to declare, we're here to help. Get in touch today and let us take the stress out of your tax return.

01/06/2026

🏠 Self-employed and working from home?

If you're self-employed, HMRC allows you to claim some of the costs of using your home for business purposes.

You have two options available:

✅ Simplified expenses (flat rate)
If you work from home for 25 hours or more per month, you can claim:
• 25–50 hours = £10 per month
• 51–100 hours = £18 per month
• 101+ hours = £26 per month

✅ Actual costs
You may be able to claim a business proportion of:
• Heating
• Electricity
• Council Tax
• Rent or mortgage interest

You must work out a reasonable split between personal and business use.

Remember: you can only claim the business portion of any costs, and if you use simplified expenses you cannot also claim actual household costs for the same expense.

Always keep accurate records or if you need any help, advice or guidance drop us a message and we can arrange a non obligation chat to see how we can help you.

📊 If your month-end is late… every decision in your business becomes harder.You wait longer to spot cash issues.You dela...
29/05/2026

📊 If your month-end is late… every decision in your business becomes harder.

You wait longer to spot cash issues.
You delay action.
And suddenly you’re making decisions based on last month’s reality instead of what’s happening now.

A smooth month-end isn’t about working longer hours — it’s about having the right process.

Here’s what actually makes the difference:

✅ Weekly reconciliations
Keep problems small instead of finding them all at month-end.

📅 Clear cut-off dates
Invoices, receipts and approvals need deadlines.

📝 Short commentary alongside the numbers
What changed? What needs attention? What action should happen next?

⚡ The goal is speed with accuracy — not perfection.

Good month-end reporting should give you confidence to make decisions, not create another admin headache.

If your month-end only gets done after three reminders and a lot of chasing… your process probably needs attention.

Want a month-end close process your team can run without you constantly following up?

Book a call with us today.

28/05/2026

📢 ACCOUNTING UPDATE | Key measures announced by Rachel Reeves on 21 May – what businesses and families should know

There’s been a lot of discussion around the announcements, so here’s a summary of some of the headline measures highlighted by the Chancellor.

☀️ Temporary summer VAT cut on family activities
The government announced a temporary reduction in VAT from 20% to 5% on selected summer attractions during the school holiday period.

The reduced VAT rate is intended to apply to:
✅ Ticket prices for adults and children at attractions including fairs, theme parks, zoos and museums
✅ Children’s tickets for cinemas, concerts, soft play and theatre
✅ Children’s meals purchased in restaurants and cafés

📅 The temporary VAT reduction is planned to apply across the UK from 25 June (start of Scottish school summer holidays) until 1 September (end of school holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

🚗 Mileage and transport measures
There has also been attention on travel-related announcements. The Chancellor highlighted changes to support costs and confirmed that fuel duty is not increasing this year, alongside updates affecting transport and household costs.
The Chancellor also announced that the tax-free business mileage rate will increase to 55p per mile — an increase of 10p per mile — and that the change will be backdated to April 2026.

🚛 Support for the haulage industry
To support hauliers, the Government announced a 12-month road tax holiday for HGVs, with a typical heavy lorry expected to save up to £912.

🚜🚆 Support for farming and rail freight
The Government also announced that red diesel duty will be cut by more than a third until the end of the year to support both farmers and the rail freight industry.

📌 Accounting takeaway:
Businesses with travelling employees, transport operations, hospitality, leisure or food service activity should start reviewing systems, policies and budgets early to avoid corrective work later.

📊 Forecasting doesn’t need a monster spreadsheet.Most businesses don’t lose control because they lack data — they lose c...
27/05/2026

📊 Forecasting doesn’t need a monster spreadsheet.

Most businesses don’t lose control because they lack data — they lose control because they can’t see what’s coming.

A simple 8-week cash forecast is often enough to give you clarity and help you make better decisions.

Focus on just a few numbers:

💷 Expected cash in
(By expected payment dates — not optimistic guesses)

📅 Fixed commitments
Payroll, VAT/tax, supplier payments, direct debits

⚠️ Known one-offs
Equipment purchases, annual renewals, planned spend

When you can spot the pressure points early, you can act early:
✔️ Chase overdue invoices
✔️ Renegotiate payment terms
✔️ Pause unnecessary spending
✔️ Adjust plans before cash becomes the problem

Forecasting should help you make decisions — not become another job.

Want a simple forecast you’ll actually use?
Book a call with us today.

26/05/2026

📢 MTD FOR INCOME TAX – HMRC MESSAGE: “GOOD ENOUGH, NOT PERFECT”

Speaking at Accountex London 2026, HMRC shared an update on the rollout of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax — and one message stood out:

👉 Quarterly updates do NOT need to be perfect.

Key points:

📊 Only 303,000 taxpayers have signed up so far
HMRC previously estimated around 864,000 individuals fall into the £50k+ qualifying income group — meaning many still need to prepare.

📝 Quarterly updates are NOT extra tax returns
HMRC pushed back on the idea of “five tax returns a year”.

There is still only ONE final tax return.

Quarterly submissions are intended as simple updates of income and expenses to keep records current.

✅ Mistakes can be corrected later
Miss something? HMRC confirmed adjustments can be made in future quarterly updates.

Their message:
“It is all about good enough… We are not expecting perfection.”

⚠️ New penalty system coming with MTD
Instead of immediate fines:

• Miss a deadline → receive a penalty point
• Reach 4 points → financial penalties apply

The aim is to be more proportionate for occasional mistakes while still tackling repeated late filing.

📌 Accountant takeaway:
If you or your clients are affected by MTD for Income Tax, the biggest risk right now may not be getting everything perfect — it may be delaying preparation altogether.

Digital records, process changes and software readiness should be the focus now before deadlines start arriving.

What are your thoughts around HMRC's statement?

Are you ready? Lets get the conversation started.

Long weekends are where cash slips: invoicing delayed, chasing paused, and supplier payments still go out. Before you sw...
25/05/2026

Long weekends are where cash slips: invoicing delayed, chasing paused, and supplier payments still go out.

Before you switch off, do three things:
• Send any invoices you’re sitting on
• Chase anything due this week (politely, but firmly)
• Check next week’s outgoings: payroll, suppliers, tax/VAT
This takes 20 minutes and saves a week of stress.

If you want a bank-holiday-proof cash routine, book a call with us today.

Most finance stress isn’t caused by complicated problems.It’s caused by fixing the same mistakes every single month.The ...
22/05/2026

Most finance stress isn’t caused by complicated problems.
It’s caused by fixing the same mistakes every single month.

The good news?
A few simple process changes usually remove most of the chaos.

Things that make a huge difference:

✔ One clear way to capture receipts (at the point of purchase)
✔ Clear approval rules — what needs sign-off and what doesn’t
✔ Standard coding rules for regular expenses
✔ A month-end checklist that’s actually followed consistently

That’s where smoother finance operations come from.

Less rework means:
• Faster month-end close
• Better reporting
• Fewer interruptions chasing answers
• More confidence in the numbers

Most businesses don’t need more software.
They need simpler, clearer processes around the software they already use.

If you’d like help tightening the finance process around your software and see if it is really working for you, book a call with us today.

VAT issues are rarely dramatic.They’re usually small errors repeated quietly for months.Until HMRC asks questions.The bi...
20/05/2026

VAT issues are rarely dramatic.
They’re usually small errors repeated quietly for months.

Until HMRC asks questions.

The biggest warning signs I see are:

⚠ No monthly VAT reconciliation
⚠ Unclear treatment for unusual transactions
⚠ Holding accounts full of old “fix later” items
⚠ Inconsistent bookkeeping decisions month to month

Most VAT mistakes aren’t caused by lack of effort.
They happen because there’s no clear process.

The solution is usually simple:

✔ Clear VAT rules
✔ Consistent treatment
✔ Regular reviews before problems build up

A 20-minute monthly check can save a lot of pain later.

If you want us to review your VAT process and identify the obvious risk points, book a call with us today.

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