E-Money Accounts vs Bank Accounts: The Difference
A lot of popular freelancer business accounts are e-money accounts, not banks. The money is kept safe differently — worth knowing how before you rely on it.
Guides
Hiring a Subcontractor as a Sole Trader: Status First
Hiring a subcontractor as a sole trader means proving they are genuinely self-employed. Get it wrong and HMRC can pursue the unpaid tax from you.
Switching Business Bank Accounts: The Easy 7-Day Process
Switching business bank accounts takes 7 working days under the Current Account Switch Service, with a guarantee against fees if anything goes wrong.
VAT Invoices: What Changes Once You Register
VAT invoices need fields a normal invoice doesn’t, plus a 30-day issue deadline. Here’s what changes once you’re VAT registered.
Business Rates When Working From Home: When They Apply
Most home-based freelancers never pay business rates. Once the Valuation Office gives part of your home a rateable value, that changes — here is when.
FSCS Protection on Business Accounts: What’s Covered in 2026
The FSCS limit rose to £120,000 in December 2025 — but whether your business account is covered depends on your bank’s licence, not just its name.
Reducing Your Payments on Account: When and How to Apply
HMRC lets you reduce payments on account if you expect a lower bill — get the estimate wrong and interest runs on the shortfall. How SA303 works.
Foreign Income Tax for UK Freelancers: How It Works
UK tax residents generally owe tax on foreign income when they earn it, wherever the money sits. How residency, reporting and double taxation relief work.
High Income Child Benefit Charge When Self-Employed
Self-employed income is hard to predict, which makes the Child Benefit charge easy to misjudge. How adjusted net income works — and how a pension changes it.
Free Accounting Software for Sole Traders in 2026
Free accounting software for sole traders is real, but almost every free tier shares one catch: no MTD submissions. What is genuinely free in 2026.
Switching Accounting Software Without Losing Records
HMRC expects six years of VAT records. Here is how to switch accounting software without losing the history you are still legally required to produce.
Wise Business Review 2026: Fees, FX and the FSCS Catch
Wise Business charges a one-off £50, no monthly fee, and transfers from 0.24% at the real exchange rate. When that beats a standard UK business account.