Fooks & Co

14/10/2026

Planning your 2027 payroll? The National Living Wage is rising in April. 💷

The National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates for April 2027 are expected to be confirmed in the Autumn Budget. For businesses with hourly-paid or lower-salaried staff, even a modest increase in the NLW can have a meaningful impact on total payroll costs — particularly when combined with the increased Employer's National Insurance rate of 15% that came in from April 2025.

Now is the time to model the cost implications for your business before the new rates are confirmed, so that you can build them accurately into your 2027 budget and pricing decisions.

Our South Wales team can help you understand the full employment cost picture for next year. Get in touch today!

📞 01443 834047 | 📩 [email protected] | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

11/10/2026

If your business year ends on 31 December, October is your last comfortable planning window. Leave it until December and you're reacting — not planning.

Our latest blog sets out six actions to take right now:

1️⃣ Use the Annual Investment Allowance — up to £1m on qualifying assets
2️⃣ Review your salary and dividend split for the full year
3️⃣ Make employer pension contributions before year end
4️⃣ Claim every legitimate business expense
5️⃣ Write off irrecoverable debts for bad debt relief
6️⃣ Plan intelligently for the year ahead

💡 Quick example: at a 25% Corporation Tax rate, an unclaimed £1,000 expense costs your business £250 in unnecessary tax. Small omissions add up.

📖 Read the full article → https://loom.ly/cbAt87M

Book your year-end planning session with our team ⬇️

📞 01443 834047 | 📩 [email protected]

For businesses with a 31 December accounting year end (and for individuals planning against the 5 April 2027 personal tax year end) October and November represent the last comfortable window to take meaningful action before the deadline arrives.

08/10/2026

Thinking of investing in equipment before your year end? Read this first. 🛠️

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) allows businesses to deduct the full cost of qualifying plant and machinery from their taxable profits in the year of purchase — up to £1 million per year. This is one of the most powerful tax reliefs available to UK businesses, and it is frequently underused.

If your accounting year ends on 31 December or 31 March, now is the window to plan any capital expenditure that you want to benefit from in this tax year.

Speak to our team before committing to any significant purchase and we will make sure you are making the most of the AIA.

📞 01443 834047 | 📩 [email protected] | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

06/10/2026

Autumn Budget season — what could be coming for small businesses? 🏛️

With the Autumn Budget expected in the coming weeks, business owners across the UK are watching carefully for announcements that could affect their tax position, payroll costs, and investment plans.

Areas that are frequently in focus include changes to National Insurance thresholds, Capital Gains Tax rates, Inheritance Tax relief, and the treatment of business assets. For owner-managed businesses in South Wales, even relatively modest changes in any of these areas can have a meaningful financial impact.

Now is an excellent time to review your current position with your accountant (before any changes are announced). Pre-Budget planning is nearly always more effective than post-Budget reaction.

Get in touch with our team today to discuss your position ahead of the Budget.

📞 01443 834047 | 📩 [email protected] | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

04/10/2026

31 October is the paper Self Assessment deadline — have you filed? 📝

If you file your Self Assessment tax return on paper rather than online, the deadline is 31 October 2026.. just weeks away. Paper returns filed after this date are treated as late, even if the January online deadline has not yet passed.

The vast majority of returns are now filed online, where the deadline is 31 January 2027. But if you prefer paper (or if your accountant files on your behalf via paper) this earlier date is crucial.

Not yet started your 2025/26 return? Our South Wales team can help you get it done well ahead of any deadline. Get in touch today.

📞 01443 834047 | 📩 [email protected] | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

01/10/2026

October kicks off with some important deadlines... don't get caught out 📋

Here's what's landing in the first week of October:

📅 5 October 2026 — Last chance to notify HMRC if you need to register for Self Assessment for 2025/26. This applies if you became self-employed, received rental income, earned over £100,000, or had any other untaxed income during the year. Miss this and HMRC can charge penalties.

📅 7 October 2026 — VAT return and payment due for the quarter ending 31 August 2026.

📅 19/22 October 2026 — PAYE, NIC, and CIS payments to HMRC for the month ending 5 October 2026.

If any of these apply to you and you have not yet acted, please get in touch with our South Wales team today — there is still time to put it right.

📞 01443 834047 | 📩 [email protected] | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

28/09/2026

Q4 starts this week — let's make it count. 🚀

October marks the beginning of the final quarter of 2026, and for most businesses, it is one of the most important periods of the year. Sales targets, year-end planning, Self Assessment preparation, and budget-setting for 2027 all land in the next three months.

The economic outlook for 2026 shows slow but steady GDP growth of around 1.4% — and interest rates are expected to ease toward the Bank of England's 2% target. The conditions are there for businesses that are well prepared.

Is your business ready for Q4? Our South Wales team would love to help you go into it with confidence.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

25/09/2026

FRS 102 is changing... and it affects more businesses than you might think. 📑

New FRS 102 rules apply to accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2026. The amendments expected to have the most significant impact are the revised revenue and lease accounting requirements.

Entities are advised to conduct a thorough assessment to understand the full implications of these changes (even beyond accounting) including potential impacts on financial ratios, performance metrics, debt covenants, business operations, systems, data, and internal controls.

If your business prepares accounts under FRS 102 and your new accounting period has already started, these changes apply to you right now! The sooner you understand the impact, the better positioned you will be to manage it.

Get in touch with our team to discuss what FRS 102 means for your business.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

22/09/2026

October is almost here — which means Q4 is almost here. And the businesses that make the most of the final quarter are the ones that planned for it in September.

Our latest blog sets out five actions to take right now:

1️⃣ Review your year-to-date financial performance
2️⃣ Plan your tax position before your year end
3️⃣ Make smart use of the Annual Investment Allowance
4️⃣ Build a realistic budget for 2027
5️⃣ Get on top of Q4's compliance deadlines before they pile up

💡 Key Q4 deadlines to know:
📅 5 Oct — Notify HMRC of new SA obligations
📅 7 Oct — VAT return for quarter ending 31 August
📅 31 Oct — Paper Self Assessment deadline

Go into Q4 with a plan, not a panic.

📖 Read the full article → https://loom.ly/RYkisAY

Book a Q4 planning session with our South Wales team today.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

October is almost here, and with it, the final quarter of 2026. For many business owners, Q4 arrives in a blur of deadlines, seasonal pressures, and year-end obligations. But for those who plan ahead in September, it is also one of the most productive and financially rewarding periods of the year.

20/09/2026

End of September compliance checklist ✅

Before the month closes, make sure these are ticked off:

✅ VAT return submitted and paid (7 Sept — quarter ending 31 July)
✅ PAYE & NIC paid electronically to HMRC (22 Sept)
✅ CIS monthly return filed (19 Sept)
✅ CT600 filed if year end was 30 Sept 2025 (30 Sept)
✅ Companies House accounts filed if December 2025 year end (30 Sept)
✅ Self Assessment return progress reviewed with your accountant

September is one of the heaviest compliance months of the year. If anything on this list has slipped, let our South Wales team know today — there is still time to put it right.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ