HB Accountants

HB Accountants HB Accountants offer friendly, expert, imaginative & practical accounting business solutions

Friendly, efficient firm of accountants who offer pro-active advice to help you grow your business and save tax

Mileage Claims, VAT Cuts & Business Costs: What the Chancellor’s Latest Changes Mean for UK Business OwnersRecent announ...
27/05/2026

Mileage Claims, VAT Cuts & Business Costs: What the Chancellor’s Latest Changes Mean for UK Business Owners

Recent announcements from Chancellor Rachel Reeves included a few changes that business owners will actually pay attention to, particularly around mileage claims and VAT reductions, and after years of rising costs, some of them were probably overdue

Will the VAT reduction help hospitality this Summer?

The Chancellor announced a temporary VAT reduction from 20% to 5% on selected family-focused hospitality and leisure activities over the summer.

AND

The Mileage Allowance Payment Increase Finally Gets the Green Light

After years of complaints from businesses and employees alike, the government has finally increased the HMRC mileage allowance rate - the AMAP will rise from 45p to 55p per mile for the first 10,000 business miles travelled each year, this is the first meaningful increase since 2011.

Comment “💪🏽” in the comments 👇 and we will DM you our free guide to the updates and how they might affect you

Understanding your financial statements: a guide for SMEs in HertfordshireFinancial statements can feel like a foreign l...
27/05/2026

Understanding your financial statements: a guide for SMEs in Hertfordshire

Financial statements can feel like a foreign language. Yet understanding them is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business. Knowing what the numbers are telling you can help you make decisions – where to add more resource and where to cut back, for example.

Comment “accounts” below 👇 for our beginner’s guide to understanding balance sheets, profit & loss, and other key financial statements, straight to your inbox

We will help you understand what your statements contain and explains why this matters

An update on our sponsored accountancy student in Africa, GetrudeGertrude is a third-year university student in Zambia, ...
18/05/2026

An update on our sponsored accountancy student in Africa, Getrude

Gertrude is a third-year university student in Zambia, studying Finance and Banking. We’ve sponsored student Gertrude through her three-year degree via the charity,

eagerly look out for updates about Gertrude, proudly following her progress and learning more about life in Zambia. It sounds so different to university in the UK but the need to work hard and stay focussed is the same. We’re always astounded that such a simple act of sponsoring a student can make such a huge difference to their life - and to the lives of their family, living in a small village many hours away from the university

To read Gertrude’s latest message to the HB team and to find out how you can make a difference and help a student through African Impact Foundation, email Keith Grover or comment “🌍” and all the info will land in your inbox 📥

🧁🎀 Date for your Diary 🎀🧁Join us on Thursday 6th August for Afternoon Tea with HB Accountants as we raise money and awar...
18/05/2026

🧁🎀 Date for your Diary 🎀🧁

Join us on Thursday 6th August for Afternoon Tea with HB Accountants as we raise money and awareness for 💖

We’ll have
🧁 delicious cakes
☕️ “pick-a-teacup” sweepstake £2
🎁 a gorgeous hamper raffle (watch this space for more details) £2

We are proud to support such an important cause so please save the date and come along join us for a cuppa and a slice of cake and help us raise money for

If you’ve received a notice through your letterbox to complete your Self Assessment, you are definitely not alone 👀You h...
15/05/2026

If you’ve received a notice through your letterbox to complete your Self Assessment, you are definitely not alone 👀

You haven’t missed a deadline - this is simply a helpful reminder that the 2025-26 tax year ended on 5 April 2026, meaning you can now submit your 2025-26 Tax Return to HMRC

We’ve already contacted all of our Self Assessment clients requesting their income and expenditure details covering 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026 so we can begin drafting returns well ahead of the 31 January 2027 filing deadline

Staying ahead of the curve makes life so much easier. It always surprises us how many people leave finding out their tax liability, or even discovering they’re due a refund, until the last minute, leading to a mad rush in December and January to pull everything together for their accountant

Getting organised early = less stress, more time to plan, and no January panic ✅

14/05/2026

Team HB Strikes Again!! 🎳

Solid night out bowling with the team 🍻

Congratulations to our fabulous Chartered Accountant, Karen RobbinsKaren joined HB 30 years ago at the age of 23, embark...
13/05/2026

Congratulations to our fabulous Chartered Accountant, Karen Robbins

Karen joined HB 30 years ago at the age of 23, embarking on her journey to become a Chartered Accountant. Over the decades, her loyalty and dedication have made her an invaluable asset to the firm.

As she celebrates this remarkable milestone, Karen’s journey reflects her commitment to excellence and the lasting relationships she has built along the way.

Happy Work-anniversary Karen - happy to enjoy cakes with you this afternoon 🎂🎉🍾

Wishing our fabulous chartered accountant, Karen Robbins, a very happy birthday 🎈🎉🍾Thank you for the cake run ( ) 🎂🍰    ...
12/05/2026

Wishing our fabulous chartered accountant, Karen Robbins, a very happy birthday 🎈🎉🍾

Thank you for the cake run ( ) 🎂🍰

Feeling grateful at HB this afternoon 💛 A huge thank you to Hannah  for the most gorgeous chocolate that arrived today a...
27/04/2026

Feeling grateful at HB this afternoon 💛

A huge thank you to Hannah for the most gorgeous chocolate that arrived today at HBHQ (big shout out to Colin and the team at 🍫✨ absolutely delicious!) And also a huge nod to Emma and the team at for the beautiful personalised ribbon, extra special gifting 💖

Happy to be part of such a wonderful, supportive business community 💫

Do Salary Sacrifice Benefits Need to Go on a P11D? We have produced a simple guide for you - comment “💖” and keep your e...
17/04/2026

Do Salary Sacrifice Benefits Need to Go on a P11D? We have produced a simple guide for you - comment “💖” and keep your eyes on your inbox

Salary sacrifice doesn’t always mean a tax-free benefit. Under the OpRA rules*, HMRC often ignores the salary reduction and taxes the benefit based on its real value

The simple rule:

*OpRA stands for Optional Remuneration Arrangements. It’s an HMRC tax rule that applies when an employee gives up salary (or chooses between cash and a benefit) in exchange for a benefit. Even benefits which would otherwise be exempt such as mobile phones can become taxable if they are given in exchange for salary sacrifice.

HMRC charges tax on the higher of:

💷the salary the employee gives up, or
💷the cost/value of the benefit

If it’s taxable, it must be reported on a P11D (unless it’s payrolled through payroll).

Quick cheat sheet – Salary Sacrifice Benefits and P11d

USUALLY EXEMPT (NO OPRA “HIGHER OF” TEST)
✅ 🚴🏼 Cycle to Work scheme (including e-bikes)
✅ 🧓 Pension contributions
✅ 🚙 Ultra-low emission company cars (special rules apply) – this is taxed on its value as a company car not the salary sacrificed)

NOT EXEMPT (OPRA APPLIES)
❌💪🏽 Gym memberships
❌ 🚘 Most company cars
❌ 🩺 Private medical insurance
❌ 💖 Most lifestyle benefits

Is P11D reporting becoming monthly via payroll?

Yes – but not yet in full

Our guide gives you more detailed info

Address

Plumpton House, Plumpton Road
Hoddesdon
EN110LB

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when HB Accountants posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to HB Accountants:

Share