Awesome bookkeeping tips from Arnold Ayton at Spondoo.co.uk

The ascent of an accounting consultant : Arnold Ayton? The secret to?picking the best business name for you?is research.?Choosing a name sounds easy, but?it can be?tricky, considering the rules surrounding it. Your company name must be distinctive.?It cannot be the same?as another?company?or?similar enough?and?only?differentiated by punctuation?or commonly used words in the UK. Should a company feel that you have chosen a similar name to theirs and they?have?registered their business name before you, you?may be asked to?change yours?as a result of a filed complaint.?And it goes without saying, try to avoid any offensive, sensitive?words or?expressions! You?can check?existing trademarks, to help in your name choice.

Arnold Ayton is qualified as a Chartered Accountant under the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), although I currently hold a practicing license under the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA). Arnie was a delight to get started with, seeing as we had a very messy backlog of transactions and incorrect payroll when we were doing it in house. He and his team helped us straighten out our accounting basics last year, and this year he has helped us apply for significant VAT rebates and R&D tax credits. He has helped our team explore new financial opportunities and has connected us with advisors who have proven to be very helpful. He’s a very straight-talking and friendly individual who is easy to get along with, and is clearly committed to his business and clients.

Spondoo accounting guides in 2021: How much can you claim for food expenses? HMRC do not state a specific limit on the amount you can spend on food and drink and then claim as an expense. However, they do state that all subsistence costs should be reasonable. Don’t expect the taxpayer to cover a three-course meal at the local Michelin restaurant! There is another rule to be aware of, if you eat with people not employed by the company, including clients and partners. The food and drink in these scenarios are classed as entertainment and no longer solely for subsistence. Thus, in these situations, all of the food and drink is no longer an allowable expense. You cannot divide the receipt into allowable and disqualified expenses.

Not all small businesses have resources for a full-time finance director. Spondoo can bridge the gap, helping you to understand the meaning behind the numbers of your business. Our team of accountants & software developers build reports tailored to you. From standard Profit & Loss through to financier specific loan covenant reports, business KPI summaries and even cashflow forecasts.? These are produced in a format that works for you, whether that’s Excel, printed reports, online dashboards and even Power BI.

Spondoo.co.uk is made up of a team of Chartered and Certified Accountants and bookkeepers, supported by our in-house software developers. We have years of experience across the finance industry – including in payroll, financial services and pensions – as well as in-depth knowledge of all the software that you use every day to run your business. Information provided on the site is merely guidance that may change in line with UK law and regulations. Users must not consider this to be financial advice or their sole resource when making any financial decision. Spondoo is a trading name for Accounting SQL Limited, authorised & license accounting firm under the Institute of Financial Accountants.