AKC

21/08/2026

Phased roll-out for mandatory payrolling benefits in kind (BIKS) — actions for you to take now
Employers should be getting ready for reporting benefits in kind (BIKS) in real time
We are encouraging you to get started now if you have not already done so.
From 6 April 2027 to 5 April 2028 mandatory payrolling will be introduced in phases.
Phase 1 will apply only to:
• company cars
• car fuel
• vans
• van fuel
• medical benefits
Mandatory payrolling for most other benefits will be introduced from April 2028. Phasing in this way will support employers and payroll providers to prepare and adapt.
Employers will not need to register in order to payroll mandatory BiKs (company cars, car fuel, vans, van fuel and private medical benefits) from April 2027.
Communicating to employees
It is important that you make employees aware of these changes.
You should explain how:
• employees who currently pay tax in arrears on BiKs will not do so from April 2027 onwards — many employees may not realise this is how they are paying tax on BiKs, and that next year they will pay tax on their BiKs for cars, vans, fuel for both and medical benefits in the year they receive them
• employees may currently have a deduction in their tax code so they pay tax on an estimated benefit — this will no longer be the case from April 2027
• tax on phase 1 BiKs must be paid in real time in the year they are received

You should act now, well ahead of the changes and will need to:
• explain how your employees will be paying tax in real time on the cars, vans, fuel for both and medical BiKs they receive for the 2027 to 2028 tax year, while they may also be catching up with payments for any BiKs from the previous tax year once mandatory payrolling applies
• encourage your emplyees to open their own personal tax account through Gov.uk – AKC have guidance on this
• be prepared for instances where your employee is paying tax in the current year as well as underpayments for previous years which may be related to BiKs

As your payroll provider AKC can guide you through these changes - our payroll software is fully compliant with the changes.
If you have any questions please contact either Lorraine or Carol.
[email protected]
[email protected]

09/08/2026

06/08/2026

Meet the team
Meet Helen 👋

Helen has been part of the AKC team since 1993, bringing over 30 years of experience in preparing detailed management, financial and contract farm accounts.

She works with a mixed portfolio of farming and estate clients and can also help with bookkeeping advice across a range of accounting systems.

If you need support with your accounts or bookkeeping, Helen is here to help.
Accountant
MAAT
[email protected]

04/08/2026

📣Business Rate changes that came into effect in April 2026 how will they affect you?
What changed in April 2026?
The national revaluation took effect in April 2026. Businesses already listed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will see their rateable value change. Many diversified farming businesses we are involved with are seeing an increase, and in some cases this can be significant.
Reliefs that may help
If your rateable value increases significantly, you may be able to claim transitional relief. Other reliefs may also be available, although they may not fully offset a substantial increase.
 Small Business Rate Relief
 Empty Property Relief
Duty to Notify
From April 2026, the VOA introduced a Duty to Notify. This means ratepayers are responsible for telling the VOA about any changes to their commercial property. The requirement will become mandatory for all ratepayers by April 2029.

More information can be found on https://www.gov.uk/find-business-rates

30/07/2026

Meet Lorraine, our Payroll Manager. With over 40 years’ experience in payroll and HR, Lorraine brings a wealth of knowledge to the AKC team. Over the years, she has supported a growing range of clients — from charities, catering outlets and local businesses to our long-standing agricultural clients. 👋
Need support with payroll? Get in touch with Lorraine and the team today.

23/07/2026

Expression of Interest for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Opens today 23rd July.
Since launching Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, to invited applicants last year the Scheme has steadily expanded enabling more Farmers and Land Managers access to funding.
As of today, farmers and land managers will be able to submit an Expression of Interest for woodland, agroforestry, and new single-focus agreements, making it easier to access support for targeted environmental work.
Single-focus agreements will initially cover species-rich grassland and scheduled monument management, alongside planned trials for common land applications and increased payments for CSHT moorland and rough grazing actions.
Contact the team at AKC if you think CSHT is something you want to consider on your farm.
A EOI form can be submitted following this link Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) - GOV.UK

23/07/2026

Meet Ann — a farmer’s daughter who trained as a Farm Secretary and is a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians. Ann has been part of AKC since 2006, producing Financial and Management Accounts and supporting clients with bookkeeping and Farm Secretarial services, both on farm and via the cloud.
With her farming background and practical accounting expertise, Ann brings a real understanding of the agricultural sector to the AKC team.

20/07/2026

AKC are supporting this year. Farm Safety week isn’t about statistics its about people. – Every accident changes a life.
The Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) is a charity established in 2014 by the NFU, The charities main focus is to challenge the mindset across the industry through a collective approach to take responsibility together to have a commitment to do things more safely on farms, helping to prevent death and injury. Find out more at .

17/07/2026

17/07/2026

📸 Proof that not all superheroes wear capes... some use Xero!
Camilla might not be very good at catching receipts by hand, but she is very good at using Xero's Smart Document Capture. 🙌
Simply snap, upload, and let Xero do the hard work—capturing key information from your receipts and bills to help streamline your bookkeeping and save valuable time.
✅ Less manual data entry
✅ Faster processing
✅ More time to focus on your business
Want to see how Xero's latest feature could work for you? Get in touch with us today and we'll show you how to make receipt management a whole lot easier.