3 reasons why a local accountant is better for your business

You may not know that local accountants HB Accountants, based in Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire and on the Essex border, was originally a London accountancy practice. We moved out to this lovely market town over 40 years ago and are so happy that some of our original London-based businesses are still our clients.

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Simple spreadsheet accounting or accounting software package: which is best for your small business?

A critical part of running a small business is managing your accounting. Not only do you need to manage the bookkeeping – the recording and organising of your financial data such as invoicing, expenses, payments and payroll – you also need to manage your accounts – the presentation and interpretation of that financial data including preparing tax returns, generating reports and forecasts, and auditing. So, which is the best way to record your financial information if you’re a SME? Should small businesses use simple spreadsheet accounting or invest in an accounting software package?

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Download your 2025-26 Tax Card – all the Key UK Tax Rates in One Place

HB Accountants understand how important it is to stay on top of the latest tax rates and allowances. If you are running a business, managing payroll or planning your personal finances, our Tax Card is a great resource. We summarise all the key UK tax rates you need in one convenient place.

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HB Accountants Podcast: Episode 3 Year End Tax Planning Tips for Individuals

Following the success of our previous episodes, HB Accountants is excited to announce Episode 3 of our podcast series: Year End Tax Planning Tips for Individuals. This installment is dedicated to helping individuals navigate the complexities of personal tax planning as the fisccal year draws to a close.

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Working From Home tax relief – you can still claim for the Covid-years

During the lockdowns of 2020-2021, a number of people were asked to work from home. The Working From Home Rules on Tax Relief were relaxed to cover additional energy and other household costs encountered by working from home. The rules for working from home tax relief have evolved now that people are back to working from the office but you can still claim for the covid-years and may still be eligible for relief today.

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National Minimum Wage – What counts as working time?

A number of workers are not being paid the National Minimum Wage (NMW). Often, this isn’t intentional, it’s because the NMW is more than just a pay rate, it’s a calculation. The main reason why so many companies accidentally underpay their workers is because they do not know about the calculation. Here is the HB overview of the NMW – our payroll team is always on hand if you need advice.

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No further Tax Increases: Spring Statement 2025

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves has delivered her second fiscal statement announcing her focus is on growth. In the run up to the event, the Chancellor stated that she ‘remains committed to one major fiscal event a year to give families and businesses stability and certainty on upcoming tax and spending changes and, in turn, to support the government’s growth mission’.

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