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Zen Finance

Registering for VAT is a rite of passage for any successful start-up. It adds a layer of complexity to your tax arrangements, but also offers some very useful advantages. Barnes & Scott has a huge amount of experience helping start-ups become VAT registered. We usually act as agents for our...

At Barnes & Scott, we are no strangers to working remotely. We have always been an office-free business and worked mostly remotely long before the pandemic. During lockdown, my work desk in the dining room has been relocated to  a desk in the corner of a bedroom. I guess you...

Picture perfect: How Barnes & Scott helped a post-production company save time and money by automating its accounts For The Forge Photographic Services, attention to detail is everything. The London-based, post-production company works its digital magic on advertising and editorial photo and film shoots. That could mean cleaning up dust...

Business fraud is real, common and becoming increasingly less obvious to spot. Below is an example of a fraudulent invoice I received a few years ago when I first started out in business. I did not make the payment as I quickly realised that the invoice was fake. Red flags...

Taking on your first employee can be daunting, but is a task that must be overcome for businesses that have the ambition to grow. Hiring employees will allow you to be able to focus on what you are best at, as opposed to being a generalist covering all areas of...

Research & Development (R&D) tax credits were first introduced in the UK in 2000 (for SMEs) and in 2002 for larger companies. The scheme is hugely popular (recent stats reveal that HMRC currently pays out £1.8bn of R&D tax credits to SMEs annually), due to being a generous and effective...

Back in 1983, the iconic Harvard Business Review published the five developmental stages that still apply to start-ups over 35 years later. Whether your company is launching a new app with minimal staff and infrastructure to consider, or a day-care nursery with over ten employees in a sprawling building, these...

Two of the hottest topics for accountants in recent times have been Brexit and Making Tax Digital (MTD). Both have resulted in plenty of questions – and not a lot of answers. We’ve been asked quite often by our clients about the impact of Brexit on taxes – especially VAT. The truth is, we...