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Stratford-upon-Avon
13 The Courtyard
Timothy's Bridge Road
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Warwickshire CV37 9NP
Company liquidations and insolvencies are still elevated
by Grenfell James
The Insolvency Service data for England and Wales shows monthly company insolvencies remain high by historical standards, even though they move up and down month to month. For example, November 2025 recorded 1,866 registered company insolvencies,
by Grenfell James
Pre-tax year end planning is one of the most practical and controllable ways for UK businesses and higher rate taxpayers to reduce unnecessary tax exposure. Unlike long term restructuring, it focuses on decisions that can still be influenced before 5
New First Year Allowance from 1 January 2026
by Grenfell James
The new 40% First Year Allowance (FYA) for qualifying main-rate plant and machinery expenditure first announced at Autumn Budget 2025 has now come into force.
Effective from 1 January 2026, the new FYA applies to qualifying main-rate plant and
Changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief reforms
by Grenfell James
The government recently announced significant changes to the planned reforms to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). The threshold for 100% relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million when the changes
Did you file your tax return over the festive period?
by Grenfell James
HMRC’s figures show thousands of taxpayers are filing over the festive period, but leaving your return until late January risks penalties, stress and avoidable payment problems.
A new press release by HMRC has highlighted that 4,606 taxpayers took
Company car expenses and benefits – what’s exempt?
by Grenfell James
While company cars often come with tax implications, there are specific situations where the associated benefits may be exempt. There are circumstances where it can be possible to offer employees car benefits that are exempt from tax.
Exempt
by Grenfell James
Providing the right information when you start a new job helps ensure your tax code is correct from the first pay day and avoids the risk of paying too much tax.
When starting a new job or taking on additional employment, your new employer will
Check a UK VAT number is authentic
by Grenfell James
Verifying a VAT number before reclaiming VAT can protect your business from rejected claims, repayments, and unnecessary penalties.The online service for checking a UK VAT number is available at www.gov.uk/check-uk-vat-number. This online tool allows
The scope of the trivial benefits legislation
by Grenfell James
The trivial benefits legislation provides a simple and practical tax exemption that allows employers to give small non-cash benefits to employees without triggering tax or National Insurance charges.
To qualify as a trivial benefit, the cost to the
Grenfell James Technology Adoption Index
How does your business perform against others adopting financial tech? Find out with our interactive diagnostic:
1.
How does your business receive invoices?
A)
Invoices are mainly received in paper form
B)
Invoices are mainly received by email
C)
Invoices are emailed then automatically forwarded to a designated mailbox
2.
How are purchase invoices processed?
A)
Invoices are entered manually
B)
Invoices are attached to manually raised invoices
C)
Automated software (e.g. ReceiptBank, 1Tap, HubDoc etc) collates invoices
3.
How are accounts processed?
A)
Using Excel/paper-based
B)
Using Computer-based, offline software
C)
Using cloud-based accountancy software
4.
How often is business data revised?
A)
Data is updated annually
B)
Data is updated quarterly
C)
Data is updated monthly or more often
5.
How is banking updated for your business?
A)
Banking is updated manually
B)
Banking is updated by imports
C)
Banking is updated via a live feed
6.
How are bank payments made?
A)
Bank payments are manual
B)
Bank payments are made using bulk imports
C)
Bank payments are made directly via accounting software
7.
How are bank receipts reconciled?
A)
Receipts are chased and reconciled manually
B)
Receipts are chased and reconciled automatically
C)
A third-party platform is used to chase debts and collect fees
8.
How often are management reports produced?
A)
No reports are provided
B)
Reports are provided but often too late to be valuable
C)
Reports are automated with real-time information
Score 8-12:
Curious Exploration
Your financial technology phase is Curious Exploration
% of respondent businesses are in this phase too.
Switching accountancy systems may seem like an upheaval, but can be much more straightforward than most businesses imagine. From talking to our clients, they have found moving from paper invoicing and desktop-based accounting software to the cloud and apps quickly makes the transition process a worthwhile investment of time. Digital accounting solutions bring in streamlined processes, up-to-date business data and greater confidence in the accuracy of information when making financial decisions.
Grenfell James works with your team to fully assess the needs of your business and minimise the impact of any transitions for solutions we recommend.
Score 13-19:
Measured Discovery
Your financial technology phase is Measured Discovery
% of respondent businesses are in this phase too.
Once cloud accountancy software is in place, there’s still plenty of scope to improve your accountancy processes and make sure your business is maximising the benefits of adopting a digital accounting solution. Grenfell James assesses each business to understand how any implemented solutions are being used, identify areas for improvement and the needs of the business overall to support your business goals and achieve success.
Our team of experts can discuss a range of time-saving automation and get different apps and cloud-based solutions talking to create and manage a digital accountancy eco-system to help your business grow.
Score 20-24:
Bold Innovation
Your financial technology phase is Bold Innovation
% of respondent businesses are in this phase too.
You know the benefits of accounting technology and the impact it can have on your business goals. If you want to take it a step further, our team can conduct a systematic review of your processes, apps and business goals to ensure your digital accountancy ecosystem is keeping pace with the changing needs of a growing business.