Zen Chartered Accountants

19/05/2026

Creative Industry Tax Credits...are you missing out?
Read our latest blog herehttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/creative-tax-credits/

They miss out because of small assumptions that quietly build up until the claim becomes stressful, delayed, or impossible to support properly. If you run a media production company, creative tax credits are not just something to think about after delivery. They affect how you budget, contract, trac...

14/05/2026

Changes to dividend taxation from 6 April 2026. Read our blog herehttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/taxation-of-dividends-in-2026-27/

As announced at the time of the 2025 Autumn Budget, the ordinary and upper dividend tax rates are increased by two percentage points from 6 April 2026. The additional dividend rate remains unchanged. The increase will affect those with shareholdings who receive dividend income, as well as shareholde...

07/05/2026

Do you have the optimal company year-end?
Read our latest blog herehttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/if-your-company-year-end-is-not-31-march-you-might-be-making-life-harder-than-it-needs-to-be/

06/05/2026

Making Tax Digital. It's not your accountant's fault!
Read our latest blog here

It is the feeling that you are paying more, for something you did not ask for. I have had a few conversations recently with freelancers in film, TV, music and content who are annoyed about the extra cost of getting set up for MTD. I get it. Your work already comes with enough moving parts. […]

15/04/2026

Have you received a letter from HMRC about exceeding the VAT threshold?

Read our latest blog here:

We’re seeing a wave of letters from HM Revenue & Customs about businesses potentially exceeding the VAT threshold. Important point 👇📬 These letters often don’t actually ask for a response — they’re a prompt to check your figures, not an accusation or an enquiry. So if you’ve received...

31/03/2026

Is the limited company dead in 2026?
Read our latest blog herehttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/is-the-limited-company-dead-in-2026/

Should I set up a limited company?

25/03/2026

When to hire an accountant for your production company?
Read our latest bloghttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/most-production-companies-dont-need-an-accountant-on-day-one/

But they *do* need one before “we’ll sort it later” turns into a mess you’re trying to fix mid-delivery. After 20+ years around film, TV and commercial production, I’ve noticed the same pattern: teams bring an accountant in when the pain becomes obvious… not when the risk quietly starts ...

18/03/2026

Claiming more expenses as a freelance creative?
Read our latest blog herehttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/i-watched-a-youtube-video-recently-about-claiming-more-expenses-and-how-most-business-owners-are-missing-things-they-could-legally-write-

And yes… that can be true. But honestly, what I see day-to-day with creative people isn’t usually that they’re careless. It’s that they’re cautious. They don’t want to get it wrong. They don’t want to feel like they’re “pushing it”… or doing anything that might come back to bit...

13/03/2026

A funny thing happens when I try not to force productivity
Read our latest blog herehttps://www.z-e-n.co.uk/a-funny-thing-happens-when-i-stop-trying-to-be-productive/

12/03/2026

If your work comes in waves, your admin can’t stay on an annual timetable anymore.
Read our latest blog about Making Tax Digital and creatives.

That’s the quiet reality behind Making Tax Digital. It’s not just “a new way to file”. It’s HMRC nudging self-employed people towards a more regular rhythm of reporting. And for creatives, that matters. Because most of the people I work with don’t have neat, predictable months. They have...