Karen Chase officially joined HB Accountants back in 1998. It was the year when Buffy the Vampire Slayer was all the rage, Titanic won 11 Oscars and a furby was the toy of choice! Karen had already gained an Accountancy and Finance degree but was unsure where she wanted to work – many accountancy firms seemed grey and impersonal. She was attracted to HB because many of our 10-strong audit team were of a similar age and Karen could see that there was both the opportunity to learn more about auditing as well as enjoy a social life.
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Planning For Growth
Welcome to our new series of blogs that will help organisations and businesses of all sizes with PLANNING FOR GROWTH.
After the roller coaster 18-months of lockdowns, openings and for some, a reduced customer base, it’s time to refocus our energies on growth. Over the next few months, we will write a number of blogs on this topic. They will be packed full of guidance and tips that will help your business flourish. Featuring ways to streamline your processes, that will prompt you to review your activities, as well as offering invaluable advice.
Continue readingGiving Carter a Kickstart
We are so pleased to welcome Carter to HB team as our Junior Finance Team Assistant. Carter has joined us for 6 months on the government’s Kickstart Scheme, which provides funding to create new jobs for 16-24 year olds.
Carter has recently secured his A Levels and decided to pursue training, rather than heading off to University. When he has lots of valuable experience under his belt, Carter hopes to find an Apprenticeship scheme or a role that will allow him to develop his natural numeracy skills.
Continue readingCOVID support schemes are ending, find out what is continuing
The SEISS fifth grant period ends today as does the furlough scheme, with employers having until 14 October to submit a claim for the latter – as does the VAT reduction for hospitality and tourism to 5%, which will see an increase to 12.5
The ICAEW have issued a handy timeline for the remaining schemes.
Two forms of data are shown in the chart: how much money has been spent or lent on each scheme so far, and each scheme’s end date.
The chart does not include all of the support measures provided by the government or the Bank of England to businesses and individuals, for example the £20 a week uplift in universal credit to those on low incomes that also comes to an end on 30 September or the corporate finance lending facilities provided by the Bank of England to very large businesses.
Continue readingPhishing email – Think that you won’t open one?
We all send emails daily. Yet, an increasingly large number of emails are a phishing email. Phishing (pronounced “fishing”) emails are sent by criminals who want you to give them your personal details. The email will ask you to fill in a form or to click on a link and download code to your computer – this allows the criminals to simply gather information or more severely, attack your IT system by implanting malware: software that will disrupt or destroy your data or tools or install ransomware, which encrypts data that will only be released once the victim has paid a ransom. Cybercrime is sadly rife.
Continue readingHB Accountants are buzzing about positive changes
Climate chance: Evidence shows that our planet is warming up. The Paris Agreement is the UK’s legal target to achieve net zero by 2050 – businesses all over Hertfordshire and Essex and throughout the UK are collectively on this journey together – the first step: create a plan. Embedding that plan and utilising your business’ net zero efficiencies and educating your people will drive a positive change.
Continue readingThe HB Accountants History part 4: The life of a post-war articled clerk
As we celebrate our 100th birthday, we thought it would be fun to look back at the history of HB Accountants. You can read part 1 – our birth – here or read about how the 2nd World War impacted us here or how we got our name here. In this blog, part 4, we revisit what life was like for an articled clerk, learning his trade as an accountant.
Continue readingCelebrating Colin Wilkinson’s 60th Birthday: Do you know your accountant?
This week, HB Accountants’ are celebrating Colin’s 60th Birthday! If ever Team HB needed an excuse to celebrate, this is it, thank you Colin!
Continue readingHMRC told our client to wait 6 months for tax refund to be processed – not on our watch!
James* is 22 years old and is self-employed. He has successfully claimed the SEISS, as his business was negatively financially impacted during the Covid19 pandemic – he wasn’t able to work during most of the Covid19 lockdowns.
Continue readingWhat does MTD Making Tax Digital mean for sole traders from 2023 – MTD for Income Tax
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self-Assessment becomes law on 6 April 2023 and aims to make tax accounting easier for businesses and individuals such as sole traders by legislating the digitalisation of tax data and submission.
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