UK Money & Accountancy Guides
Jargon-free explainers on tax, business and everyday money, written for the UK. Every guide ties back to a calculator so you can put the numbers into practice.
In progress: our full guide library is being written. In the meantime you can search any topic, or jump straight into the calculators.
Tax guides
How UK Income Tax works
The tax-free allowance, rate bands and how PAYE takes tax from your pay.
Coming soonUnderstanding tax bands
Basic, higher and additional rate explained with worked examples.
Coming soonWhat is National Insurance?
Why NI is separate from Income Tax and what it pays for.
Coming soonHow tax codes work
Decode 1257L, BR, K codes and what to do if yours looks wrong.
Coming soonPAYE explained
How pay as you earn collects Income Tax and NI from your salary.
Coming soonSelf-employed tax explained
Income tax and Class 4 NI on your profits, simply explained.
Coming soonAllowable business expenses
What you can deduct when working out your taxable profit.
Coming soonTax deadlines
Self-assessment key dates, penalties and what happens if you miss them.
Coming soonTax refunds
How overpaid tax happens and how to claim it back.
Coming soonBusiness guides
How to become self-employed
Registering with HMRC, tax returns and what you need to do first.
Coming soonSole trader vs limited company
The pros, cons and tax differences of each trading structure.
Coming soonHow VAT works
When to register, what to charge and how to reclaim VAT.
Coming soonHow to calculate profit
Revenue minus costs — and the difference between gross and net profit.
Coming soonBusiness expenses explained
Which costs count and how to keep simple expense records.
Coming soonBusiness bookkeeping basics
A no-nonsense system for tracking income and expenses.
Coming soonHow invoices work
What every UK invoice must include and how to get paid on time.
Coming soonCash flow explained
Why profit is not cash, and how to keep your business solvent.
Coming soonPersonal Finance guides
How to create a budget
A simple 50/30/20-style budget you can stick to.
Coming soonHow much should I save?
A realistic savings target for your income and goals.
Coming soonBuilding an emergency fund
Three to six months of costs — and how to get there.
Coming soonHow compound interest works
The eighth wonder of the world, with real numbers.
Coming soonUnderstanding mortgages
Terms, rates, fees and the questions every buyer should ask.
Coming soonUnderstanding credit
Credit scores, reports and how to use credit well in the UK.
Coming soonReducing debt
Snowball vs avalanche — a plan to pay down borrowing faster.
Coming soon