Free resources for clients & small businesses
A curated directory of every official UK source a small business needs in one place — HMRC, Companies House, ICO, FCA, Pensions Regulator, startup funding bodies (British Business Bank, SEIS/EIS guidance, Innovate UK), MTD software, professional bodies, free tax help charities, and local Redbridge & Essex business support. For personalised advice, contact us directly.
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Free PDF downloads
Three substantial PDF guides written for UK sole traders, landlords and first-time directors. Plain English, current rates, worked examples. Free with email signup.
Income tax, NIC, expenses, VAT, MTD ITSA, and when (or whether) to become a limited company. Worked examples throughout.
The biggest change to landlord tax in a generation. Thresholds, software, quarterly updates, Section 24, incorporation, CGT 60-day rule.
Formation, registration, first-month checklist, Corporation Tax, salary vs dividends at new 2026/27 rates, year-one obligations.
Email required. No spam. Unsubscribe any time. All PDFs use 2026/27 rates.
Our sister firm
Fernside Accounting works in close association with The Tax Lead, a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers. For complex tax matters, specialist advisory and offshore services, The Tax Lead provides the expert backing that sets us apart.
Services available via The Tax Lead
Free tools by Fernside
Updated for 2026/27 tax year — including the new dividend rates from 6 April 2026. All calculations run in your browser. No email required.
Income tax + Class 4 NIC for the self-employed.
Gross-to-net for employees.
Directors with new 2026/27 rates (10.75% / 35.75%).
19% / marginal relief / 25%.
Add or remove VAT — 20%, 5%, 0%.
HMRC AMAP rates — 45p / 25p.
Professional membership
Fahmina Jahan is a Member of the Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers (MIAB) — a regulated professional body that sets standards for accounting and bookkeeping practice in the UK.
IAB membership means Fahmina is bound by a Code of Professional Conduct, holds appropriate professional indemnity insurance and undertakes continuing professional development. All accounts and tax returns are additionally reviewed by Shamim Bhuiyan FCCA CTA before submission.
Verify IAB membership ↗Why professional membership matters
Free downloads & tools by Fernside
Practical, no-fluff guides and tools for landlords and small businesses across the UK. All free, no email required.
Complete guide to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Thresholds, deadlines, software comparison, real cost breakdown, 6-month prep checklist and an action plan worksheet.
📥 Download free →Free 5-question quiz to find out if Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to you, when you need to act, and what to do next. Personalised result.
Take the quiz →The web version of the playbook. Read in your browser or skim the table of contents to jump to what you need.
Read online →Official guidance & useful links
These links point to official HMRC guidance, Companies House tools, government support schemes and professional bodies. All links open in a new tab.
Tax Returns & Self Assessment
The official HMRC guide to Self Assessment — who needs to register, deadlines and how to file.
Visit resource ↗Register online if you need to file a Self Assessment tax return for the first time.
Visit resource ↗Key filing and payment deadlines for Self Assessment including payments on account.
Visit resource ↗Log in to your HMRC personal tax account to view your tax position, file returns and make payments.
Visit resource ↗Official guidance on how your Self Assessment tax bill is calculated.
Visit resource ↗How to apply to reduce your payments on account if your income has fallen.
Visit resource ↗Corporation Tax, VAT & Payroll
Who pays Corporation Tax, rates, deadlines and how to file your company tax return.
Visit resource ↗Current Corporation Tax rates including the small profits rate and marginal relief.
Visit resource ↗HMRC's complete guide to VAT registration, returns and Making Tax Digital.
Visit resource ↗How and when to register for VAT, including voluntary registration.
Visit resource ↗Official guidance on MTD for VAT — what you need to do and when.
Visit resource ↗Set up PAYE, run payroll and report to HMRC in real time.
Visit resource ↗Current National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.
Visit resource ↗Rates and rules for Statutory Sick Pay.
Visit resource ↗Rules and rates for Statutory Maternity Pay and leave.
Visit resource ↗What You Can Claim
Official HMRC guidance on allowable expenses for sole traders and partnerships.
Visit resource ↗Tax relief on business expenses for employees and directors.
Visit resource ↗How to claim for working from home — flat rate and actual costs method.
Visit resource ↗Claim capital allowances on equipment and assets used in your business.
Visit resource ↗100% first-year allowance on qualifying plant and machinery.
Visit resource ↗HMRC approved mileage rates for business travel in your own vehicle.
Visit resource ↗Buy-to-Let & Rental Income
HMRC guidance on how rental income is taxed and what expenses you can deduct.
Visit resource ↗How the mortgage interest tax credit works for residential landlords.
Visit resource ↗CGT rates on residential property and how to calculate your gain.
Visit resource ↗How to report Capital Gains Tax within 60 days of selling UK residential property.
Visit resource ↗SDLT rates on property purchases including the 3% surcharge for additional properties.
Visit resource ↗Company Formation & Compliance
How to form a limited company — registration takes as little as 24 hours.
Visit resource ↗File your annual accounts and confirmation statement online at Companies House.
Visit resource ↗Search the Companies House register for any UK company.
Visit resource ↗Deadlines for filing your company's annual accounts with Companies House.
Visit resource ↗What a confirmation statement is and how to file it annually.
Visit resource ↗Your legal duties as a company director under the Companies Act.
Visit resource ↗Regulation & Standards
The professional body for accountants and bookkeepers. Fahmina Jahan is an MIAB Founder · FCCA + CTA Reviewed.
Visit resource ↗How to authorise your accountant to act on your behalf with HMRC.
Visit resource ↗The UK's data protection regulator — responsible for GDPR compliance.
Visit resource ↗Regulator for financial services in the UK.
Visit resource ↗Our sister firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, providing specialist tax advice.
Visit resource ↗Guidance for Entrepreneurs
The official government guide to starting a business in the UK.
Visit resource ↗Find government-backed finance and support schemes for your business.
Visit resource ↗Government-backed personal loans for UK businesses in their early stages.
Visit resource ↗Finance options and support for small and medium-sized businesses.
Visit resource ↗The UK's leading small business organisation — advice, support and lobbying.
Visit resource ↗Free guidance on employment law, contracts, pay and workplace disputes.
Visit resource ↗Workplace health and safety guidance for employers.
Visit resource ↗Register trademarks, patents and designs to protect your business.
Visit resource ↗Startup Funding & Finance
Official UK aggregator: search grants, loans and tax reliefs by industry, location, and stage.
Visit resource ↗Government-backed loans of £500–£25,000 per founder at 7.5% fixed, with 12 months free mentoring.
Visit resource ↗UK government economic development bank; finance hub for SMEs, accredited lenders directory, Growth Guarantee Scheme.
Visit resource ↗HMRC guidance for startups raising up to £500,000 with 50% investor income tax relief.
Visit resource ↗HMRC guidance for growth-stage companies (up to £24m lifetime) with 30% investor relief. April 2026 limits expanded.
Visit resource ↗UKRI competition search: R&D grants for innovative tech, materials, life sciences and engineering projects.
Visit resource ↗For founders aged 18–30 (up to 65 for some ex-military). Free training, mentoring, low-interest loans up to £5,000.
Visit resource ↗Council-led business advice and support programme (UKSPF-funded). Includes Local London Start-Up Programme.
Visit resource ↗Business support for Chigwell, Loughton, Buckhurst Hill, Epping — grants, advice and signposting.
Visit resource ↗County growth hub: free workshops, training, mentoring, finance support and peer networking for Essex businesses.
Visit resource ↗Free online aggregator of grants, loans and support schemes available to Essex businesses.
Visit resource ↗Merged Scheme R&D Expenditure Credit (20% above-the-line) and ERIS for loss-making R&D-intensive SMEs.
Visit resource ↗Regulators & Compliance
UK data protection regulator. Annual registration fee £52–£3,763 depending on business size.
Visit resource ↗Check whether you need to register and pay the annual data protection fee (most businesses do).
Visit resource ↗Regulator for financial services firms in the UK (consumer credit, payments, insurance distribution, investment).
Visit resource ↗Employer auto-enrolment duties: enrol eligible staff into a workplace pension, contribute, re-enrol every 3 years.
Visit resource ↗UK agency for company liquidations, bankruptcy, director disqualification, and creditors' meetings.
Visit resource ↗Some businesses (estate agents, art market participants, accountancy service providers) must register for AML supervision.
Visit resource ↗ECCTA identity verification rules: directors and PSCs must verify identity through Companies House or an Authorised Corporate Service Provider.
Visit resource ↗UK workplace health and safety regulator. Free guidance for small businesses on H&S basics, risk assessments, RIDDOR reporting.
Visit resource ↗Most small employers can claim up to £10,500/year off their employer NIC bill.
Visit resource ↗Current National Living Wage £12.71/hr (April 2026). Updated annually each April.
Visit resource ↗MTD & Digital Tax
Mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses. Submit returns through MTD-compatible software.
Visit resource ↗Mandatory from 6 April 2026 for sole traders/landlords with qualifying income over £50k. £30k from April 2027.
Visit resource ↗HMRC's official list of approved MTD ITSA and MTD VAT software vendors.
Visit resource ↗Our free 5-minute diagnostic to check whether MTD ITSA applies to you in April 2026 and what you need to do.
Use diagnostic ↗Accounting Software
Cloud accounting software popular with UK small businesses. MTD-compatible for VAT and ITSA. Our recommended general-purpose platform.
Visit resource ↗Cloud accounting for freelancers and small businesses. Free with NatWest/RBS/Mettle business accounts. MTD-ready.
Visit resource ↗Intuit's cloud accounting platform. Strong invoicing, payroll integration. MTD-compatible.
Visit resource ↗Long-established UK accounting brand. Range from sole trader (Sage Start) to mid-market. MTD-compatible.
Visit resource ↗Tax-focused current account + bookkeeping for sole traders and landlords. Designed for MTD ITSA.
Visit resource ↗Receipt and invoice scanning that integrates with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. Standard tool in most modern UK practices.
Visit resource ↗Free Help & Independent Advice
Free, independent, plain-English tax guidance for people on low incomes. CIOT-backed and widely trusted.
Visit resource ↗Free tax help charity for people on low incomes who can't afford an accountant. Telephone helpline.
Visit resource ↗Free tax advice for older people on lower incomes from a network of volunteer tax professionals.
Visit resource ↗Free, confidential advice on tax, benefits, employment, consumer and money issues. National network of local offices.
Visit resource ↗Government-backed free money guidance covering tax basics, pensions and benefits for the self-employed.
Visit resource ↗Free, impartial advice on employment rights, contracts, redundancy and workplace disputes for employers and employees.
Visit resource ↗Membership & Lobbying Bodies
UK's largest small business membership body. Legal helpline, HR advice, contract templates, lobbying.
Visit resource ↗Membership body for the self-employed and freelancers. Tax investigation cover, contract templates, sick pay scheme.
Visit resource ↗Network of local accredited Chambers. Local networking, export documentation, business support.
Visit resource ↗Greater London Authority business support, investor introductions, sector strategies for London-based businesses.
Visit resource ↗Online Tax Tools
Estimate your Income Tax and National Insurance contributions.
Visit resource ↗Calculate VAT on your sales and purchases.
Visit resource ↗Check if you need to pay the High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge.
Visit resource ↗Calculate Statutory Maternity Pay for your employees.
Visit resource ↗Check your NI record and state pension forecast.
Visit resource ↗Free HMRC software for employers to calculate and report PAYE.
Visit resource ↗Book a free 20-min call with Fahmina Jahan MIAB. Serving Woodford Green, Chigwell, Loughton, South Woodford, Snaresbrook, Gants Hill, Chingford, Epping, City of London and Wanstead.
Book a free 20-min call