Hancock & Hastings Accountants Dunstable

Hancock & Hastings Accountants Dunstable Chartered Certified Accountants and Auditors in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, working across the UK. Helping you feel confident with your numbers.

Friendly, practical accountants and tax advisors for small businesses. Our friendly chartered certified accountancy practice, based in Dunstable, thrives on helping businesses understand their finances, along with saving money and reducing personal and business tax bills. Say goodbye to the frustration of trying to decipher complex financial terminology – we communicate in plain English, ensuring

that you understand every aspect of your accounts and tax obligations. From business accounts and external audits to specialist expertise in sectors such as construction, consultancy, and property, we offer a comprehensive range of services to meet your accounting and tax needs. Let us streamline your accounting processes, save you time and money, and empower you to make informed financial decisions with confidence.

Be honest...Have you ever looked at something you spend money on regularly and wondered:"Could I put that through the bu...
18/06/2026

Be honest...

Have you ever looked at something you spend money on regularly and wondered:

"Could I put that through the business?"

Amy's version happens to be Pilates.

For some people it's the gym.

For others it's golf, a smartwatch, massages, supplements, or that Spotify subscription they swear helps them work better.

The problem is, what feels work-related and what HMRC accepts as a business expense are often two very different things.

Pilates helps Amy manage her back pain.

It helps her feel better.

It probably helps her do her job better too.

HMRC still isn't interested.

Why?

It comes down to one phrase: Wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the business.

If there's an obvious personal benefit, claiming it can become difficult very quickly.

There are exceptions. There are grey areas. There are a few professions where fitness costs can be claimed.

For most business owners though?

Pilates stays personal.

Swipe through for the full explanation, a few surprising exceptions, and the things your limited company can pay for instead.

Want straightforward answers to questions like this without the tax jargon?

Comment WAITLIST and we'll add you to our waitlist.

17/06/2026

🤘🎸

Imagine if HMRC turned up everywhere.At Tesco self-checkout.On dating apps.At airport security.While you're watching Net...
16/06/2026

Imagine if HMRC turned up everywhere.

At Tesco self-checkout.

On dating apps.

At airport security.

While you're watching Netflix.

Even your mum would get involved.

We had a little fun imagining what that might look like...

Honestly? It would be chaos 🤪

Have you ever wanted to treat yourself or an employee?Not a yacht. Not a Rolex. Just something nice?A bottle of wine aft...
11/06/2026

Have you ever wanted to treat yourself or an employee?

Not a yacht. Not a Rolex. Just something nice?

A bottle of wine after a busy quarter.

Flowers for someone's birthday.

A box of chocolates at Christmas.

A coffee for the team member who's held everything together while everyone else was on holiday.

HMRC doesn't expect business owners to live a life completely free of small acts of kindness.

In some situations, your limited company can provide what's known as a trivial benefit.

In plain English?

A small gift that can often be given without creating a tax bill.
There are a few rules:

The gift must cost £50 or less.
It can't be cash.
It can't be a bonus.
It can't be something someone's contract says they're entitled to receive.

Think:
✔️ Flowers
✔️ Chocolates
✔️ Wine
✔️ Gift hampers
✔️ Coffee vouchers

Not:
✖️ £50 in an envelope
✖️ A Christmas bonus labelled "totally not a bonus"
✖️ A reward for hitting targets

If you're a director of a limited company, you may even be able to treat yourself from time to time too, although separate limits can apply.

If you're a sole trader, unfortunately HMRC's view is essentially:
"You can buy yourself a treat. Just not through the business."

Tax can be complicated.

This one doesn't have to be.

If you are unsure, drop us a DM we’d be happy to have a conversation.

09/06/2026

The thing about Gary is that there’s a surprisingly high success rate attached to ideas that sound completely ridiculous at first.

Which is unfortunate.

It means nobody can confidently tell him no anymore.

You wouldn’t build a house without checking the measurements.Running a business isn’t much different.You need to know wh...
03/06/2026

You wouldn’t build a house without checking the measurements.

Running a business isn’t much different.

You need to know where the money’s coming from, where it’s going, and whether the jobs you’re doing are making the profit you think they are.

The builders who stay in control usually aren’t doing anything fancy.

They’re keeping an eye on the basics.

What jobs are making money?

Who’s paid?

Who hasn’t?

How much tax needs putting aside?

What’s coming up next month?

A few minutes spent checking your numbers can save a lot of stress later.

02/06/2026

Most people know because of the chocolate.

What most people don’t know is that it all started with a man who believed people deserved to be treated properly.

Back in 1824, John Cadbury opened a small shop in Birmingham selling drinking chocolate, tea, and coffee.

As the business grew, he became known for something that had nothing to do with chocolate.

He invested in his people. That belief ran through everything. As the business grew, they created Bournville. It had real homes, green spaces, a community built around the idea that work should support a good life, not replace one.

The business grew. Two generations later, the family created what we now know as Dairy Milk. New products followed. The family kept building.

But through all of it, something stayed remarkably consistent.

The way they did things. The values. The feeling people associated with the brand.

By the time the gorilla advert arrived, Cadbury wasn’t just selling chocolate. It had become part of people’s lives. Birthdays. Christmas. Easter. Childhood memories.

That famous purple became recognisable long before you ever saw the logo.

Two hundred years later, Cadbury is one of the most recognisable brands in the world.

Not bad for a business that started with one man, a small shop, and a belief that people matter.

Gorilla drawn at by

Client satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do. Feedback like this means the world to our team. Thank you! ⭐
31/05/2026

Client satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do. Feedback like this means the world to our team. Thank you! ⭐

29/05/2026

To be clear - this isn’t tax advice and it won’t be right for everyone. Always check with your accountant or tax advisor first. But here’s how a lot of people do it.

So you’re self employed. You graft. You invoice. You pay your tax. You cry a little. Repeat.

But some people have figured out a different way to pay themselves - and no, it’s not dodgy, it’s just limited.

When you go limited the company earns the money instead of you. You pay yourself a small salary, just enough to keep HMRC happy, and then top it up with dividends. Which is basically just a fancy word for “your share of the profits.”

Dividends are taxed differently to income. For a lot of people that means actually keeping more of what they earn.

Wild concept, we know.

But, it’s not for everyone - there’s more admin and it depends on your situation. But for a lot of sole traders there comes a point where it just starts making sense.

Wondering if that point is now?

DM us SHAKE IT and we’ll add you to our waitlist 👇

(Our books are currently paused but we’d love to have you next in line.)

You finish a job. You’re knackered. Last thing you want to do is sit down and write an invoice.So you don’t. You’ll do i...
26/05/2026

You finish a job. You’re knackered. Last thing you want to do is sit down and write an invoice.

So you don’t. You’ll do it later… and we all know how that ends.

If you’re still doing it all manually, there’s a better way - and once you try it you’ll wonder what took you so long.

You pull your phone out, log the work on the spot, and the software just... does the invoice. Sends it too if you want. That’s it. You’re done before you’ve even got your seatbelt on.

And look - the taxman is catching up with everyone anyway. Making Tax Digital is already here for a lot of sole traders and e-invoicing becomes a legal requirement in 2029. It’s all heading the same direction.

But forget the law for a second. Just think about how much headspace you’d free up. No more forgotten jobs. No more billable hours falling through the cracks.

We help people get set up with this stuff every day. It’s not complicated, we promise. If you can send a WhatsApp you can do this.

Address

Suite 2, Ashton Square Business Centre, 22 Ashton Square
Dunstable
LU63SN

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441582758844

Website

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