John Neighbour is retiring after 45 years with HB Accountants

A letter from our former Tax Director, now Tax Consultant,
Mr John Neighbour

I joined HB in September 1976 from Thomson McLintock (now part of KPMG) in order to set up a tax department.  At that time, we were based in London at Coventry House near Liverpool Street Station.  45 years & 4 office moves later, we are now based at Plumpton House in Hoddesdon. Over the past few years, I have been winding down my time commitments & at present I am typically working about two days per week. At the same time my tax manager, Amy Thompson, has been taking on more responsibility. 

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Why is effective credit control so critical for your business?

Effective credit control is fundamental to ensuring a business has a regular flow of cash. Securing a good cash flow is one of the most important aspects of running a business in order to enable sustainable growth or to support a fight for survival. As we emerge from a pattern of lockdowns and openings, it’s never been more important to ensure your business is in the strongest financial position possible.

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VAT: Has HMRC contacted your businesses about VAT?

Some non-VAT registered businesses have recently received letters from HMRC claiming that they are trading above the VAT threshold. Any business that has received such a letter needs to act quickly. They should share the letter with their tax agent/accountant then work together to review the rolling 12-month turnover figures.

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Meet Vicki – Team HB Accountants’ social media and office queen

You probably know Vicki. She is Team HB Accountants’ Office and Marketing Manager: the bubbly voice at the end of the phone and the one who organises all our wonderful events, whilst keeping in regular contact with our clients, partners and friends on social media and in person. But how many of you know that she passed her stock broking exams, having divided her time between an Equity and a Eurobond trading floor in the City and was an entrepreneur in her own right, with vast experience of running her own business?

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We love the Apprenticeship Scheme!

We’re big fans of the apprenticeship scheme. A number of young people have now started their careers at HB this way, either as trainee accountants. Last September, we employed two new trainee accountants, Max and Taylor, on our apprenticeship scheme. This is what they told us about their first few weeks with HB.

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Have you missed the tax return deadline of 31 January 2022?

The 2020-2021 tax year runs from April ’20 to April ’21, the last date for submitting returns for those who do self-assessment was 31st January 2022 – this is referred to as the tax return deadline. Will you find yourself in trouble with HMRC if you didn’t submit your return in time, along with any tax you owe?

Here’s what you need to know…

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