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Prime Numbers offers tailored financial support to entrepreneurial businesses. We offer accountancy and tax services; allowing you to focus on your sales.

26/05/2026

The government has announced an important change to inheritance tax planning for business and agricultural assets.

From April 2026,

- A new £2.5 million allowance will cap how much business and agricultural property qualifies for 100% relief

- Values above this are expected to receive 50% relief instead

- Allowances can be transferred between spouses and civil partners

This change will affect fewer estates than originally planned, but it’s still significant for anyone with valuable business or farming assets — especially where trusts or succession planning are involved.

Early review gives more flexibility than last-minute decisions.

20/05/2026

Here's what we hear from clients once we've got their management accounts running monthly.

"I finally feel like I understand my own business."

Not because they didn't understand it before. They knew their product, their customers, and their market. But the numbers were always either behind, vague, or someone else's job.

Management accounts change that. You get a clear profit and loss for the period. A cash flow picture. A view of who owes you money and how long it's been sitting there. And a comparison against what you planned, so you can see immediately if something's drifting.

We don't produce a pack of numbers and send it over. We produce it and talk you through it, because that conversation is where the value is.

One client put it like this: they knew their busiest months, but had no idea those were also their lowest margin months. The management accounts showed it in minutes.

That's the kind of thing that changes decisions.

If you're running your business from your bank balance and an instinct, there's a better way.

14/05/2026

One detail that’s catching people out: the £50,000 income test for Making Tax Digital starting in April 2026 is based on your 2024/25 tax return.

That return was due by 31 January 2026, which means HMRC already has the figures it will use to decide whether you’re brought into MTD from April.

If your income was close to the threshold, or last year was stronger than usual, it’s worth checking where you now stand and what this means for the way you manage your tax going forward.

Clarity now saves stress later.

https://f.mtr.cool/nozusguwfh

12/05/2026

Big news for business and farming families! Is your estate ready for the changes in inheritance tax?

Starting in April 2026, there's a new £2.5M allowance for business and agricultural assets. Beyond that, expect only 50% relief. But don't worry! Spouses and civil partners can transfer allowances.

This might affect fewer estates than expected, but if you have valuable assets, it's time to act! Early planning beats last-minute stress.

What are your thoughts on this change?

07/05/2026

Is your accountant giving you insight, or just numbers?

Many business owners have spent years with accountants who simply file paperwork.
But the industry is changing, and so are expectations.

You deserve strategic advice, clarity, and real partnership.
That’s what future-focused accounting looks like.

05/05/2026

This is one of the most common questions we're seeing right now. And it's a fair one.

A quarterly MTD update is not a tax return. Let's be clear about that.

It's a summary of your income and expenses for those three months, submitted digitally to HMRC through approved software. No tax is calculated at that point. No payment is due. It's a reporting update, not a bill.

Your four deadlines for the 2026/27 tax year are 7 August, 7 November, 7 February, and 7 May.
The actual tax calculation still happens at year end, with your final annual declaration due 31 January 2027.

So, if the quarterly updates feel overwhelming, reframe them. They're just regular snapshots of what your business is already doing. If your records are kept up to date, each one should take minutes, not hours.

The real question is: are your records actually up to date?

If the honest answer is no, that's exactly where we start.

30/04/2026

We're often asked what the one simple change is that makes the biggest difference to how a business is run.

The answer is always the same: regular management reporting.

When you have up-to-date numbers, decisions stop being guesswork. You can see what’s really happening in the business, spot issues earlier, and move forward with confidence rather than uncertainty.

It’s one of the most empowering shifts a business owner can make — because you’re leading with facts, not gut feel.

If you want 2026 to feel calmer, clearer and more intentional, this is a very good place to start.

28/04/2026

HMRC won't penalise you for late quarterly MTD submissions in year one.

That's the good news, and it's genuine breathing room while you get set up. But here's what a lot of people are missing.

That grace period does not apply to your final annual return. It's still due 31 January 2027. Miss that, and the penalties kick in exactly as they always have.

So yes, you have some flexibility on the quarterly updates this year. Use that time well. Get your software sorted, get your records in order, build the habit.

Just don't confuse "grace period on quarterly updates" with "no consequences this year." They're not the same thing.

If you're not sure where you stand with MTD, or you haven't set up your software yet, now is the right time to sort it.

What's the part of MTD you're still not clear on? Drop it below and I'll answer it.

23/04/2026

4. For many business owners, pensions are the most overlooked part of pay planning.

Used properly, they can:

- Reduce personal tax
- Reduce corporation tax
- Avoid national insurance when paid as employer contributions
- Build long-term security outside the business

In 2026/27, the annual pension allowance is £60,000, but limits and tapering can apply for higher earners.

One key point people miss: dividends usually don’t count as earnings for personal pension relief but employer pension contributions often solve that issue.

Pensions aren’t about locking money away blindly. They’re about balance: today’s income and tomorrow’s security.

20/04/2026

3. Dividends can be tax-efficient, but only in the right circumstances.

A few key realities to keep in mind:

- Dividends can only be paid from distributable profits
- They don’t reduce corporation tax
- The dividend allowance is now just £500

Dividends count towards income levels that affect things like child benefit

Once corporation tax is factored in, dividends aren’t always the “cheapest” option people assume.

This is why dividend planning should never be done in isolation. It needs to sit alongside company profits, tax bands and household income.

Getting this wrong doesn’t just increase tax; it can create cash flow pressure, too.

15/04/2026

2. Salary still has an important role, but the numbers behind it have shifted.

In 2026/27:

Your personal allowance remains £12,570
Employee National Insurance generally starts above this
Employer National Insurance starts at £5,000, charged at 15%

That means a salary set near the personal allowance can now create a real cost for the company, unless reliefs apply.

The Employment Allowance is now £10,500, which can reduce or even eliminate that employer National Insurance cost for eligible businesses.

Salary decisions now need a bit more care. It’s no longer just about “using the allowance”, but understanding the employer cost alongside the personal benefit.

This is where tailored planning beats rules of thumb every time.

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Edinburgh
EH39

Website

http://www.primenumbersca.co.uk/

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