The Basetax education hub.
Plain-English guides on running your business, filing your tax return, saving tax and planning ahead — written by our ICAEW-supervised team.
Sole trader vs limited company: which is right for you?
How each is taxed, the profit level where a company pays off, and the non-tax factors that matter.
Read guide →Starting a business: your first-year checklist
Registering, record-keeping, deadlines and the early decisions that set you up properly.
Explore →Bookkeeping basics for small businesses
What to record, how often, and how to keep books that make tax time effortless.
Explore →How to file your Self Assessment tax return
A step-by-step walkthrough — who must file, the deadlines, and how to avoid the penalties.
Read guide →Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, explained
Who's affected, when it starts, and exactly what you'll need to do — without the jargon.
Read guide →Am I affected by Making Tax Digital?
Answer two quick questions and find out instantly if MTD applies to you, and from which year.
Open the checker →12 legitimate ways to reduce your tax bill
No schemes — just the allowances, reliefs and habits that keep more of your money.
Read guide →Allowable expenses for sole traders
What you can (and can't) claim to lower your tax bill — the practical, complete rundown.
Read guide →Salary vs dividends: the tax-efficient mix for directors
How to pay yourself from your company tax-efficiently — with a worked example and the pitfalls.
Read guide →Get a tax-saving review
Answer a few questions for an instant, fixed-fee quote on tax planning tailored to you.
Get a quote →More guides on the way — tell us what you'd like us to cover.
The 2026 MTD readiness checklist.
Six simple steps to get ready for Making Tax Digital before April 2026 — sent straight to your inbox.
Stop reading, start filing.
Put what you've learned into practice — track your tax live and get MTD-ready, free.