Mid-year accounting review

Price Mann • July 19, 2023

Mid-year accounting review

Are you hitting your business goals?

We’ve over halfway through 2023, so now is the opportune moment to review your business and progress for the year. Chances are, it’s been a tough year so far: in the 12 months to May 2023, the consumer prices index of inflation rose by 8.7% and the bank rate is 5%. A skills shortage and the cost of energy continue to hurt businesses.

However, the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) index for business leader optimism stabilised at -6 in May, much improved from the -64 we saw in November 2022.

According to the IoD’s surveys, 55% of business leaders even expect revenues to rise in the year, compared to 19% who expect theirs to fall. Another 35% expect to increase their headcount in the next year, compared to 14% who expect it to reduce.

So, with 2023 still marked by an air of uncertainty, how are you going to make sure your business doesn’t just survive, but thrives in the current economic climate?

Business tax planning

Businesses face a tough tax treatment in 2023: corporation tax is higher for some companies, the income tax threshold remains frozen, and the capital gains tax and dividends tax allowances have been reduced.

Therefore, a great place to start with your mid-year review is to check whether your business is as tax-efficient as possible and create a tax plan.

Allowable expenses

Every tax plan will be different according to each business, but most can reduce their tax burden by claiming every allowable expense possible. By offsetting these against your pre-tax profit, you reduce the figure HMRC applies a tax rate to — ultimately reducing your tax bill.

To be allowable for tax purposes, expenses must be incurred “wholly and exclusively” for business purposes. So, training courses, staff expenses, stock for resale, raw materials, business travel, marketing costs, home office costs and uniforms (but not ‘regular’ clothes you wear to work) — they’re all allowable, as long as they fit HMRC’s criteria.

The most important part of allowable expenses is to ensure that your bookkeeping and record keeping is up to scratch — if you lose a receipt for an expense, for example, you’ll struggle to convince HMRC you actually purchased the item.

Capital allowances

If you purchase longer-life assets, you may be able to write off their value from your pre-tax profit through capital allowances. Some, like the annual investment allowance (AIA) and temporary full expensing scheme, allow you to claim the full amount of certain assets in the same year you purchased them.

Then there’s the writing-down allowance, which a lot of companies use if they exceed the AIA limit (£1 million) or the asset does not qualify for the AIA or full expensing. This scheme lets them claim 6% or 18% of the value of an asset each accounting year, depending on the asset. Finally, is the first-year allowance, which allows you to claim the full cost of specific assets like electric cars and refuelling equipment.

Other reliefs

Limited companies in particular stand to gain from tax reliefs, including:

Research and development tax relief if you’re attempting to make an innovative contribution to science or technology.
Reliefs for creative industries if you’re in the theatre, film, television, animation or video game industries.
Disincorporation relief if you’re closing your company to become a sole trader.
Relief if you make a loss from trading, the sale of a capital asset or property income.

There are plenty of other ways to reduce your tax liability, so make sure you seek professional advice to save more money that you can reinvest into the business.

Managing cash flow

Is cash tight at the moment? No matter how many times you’ve tried cutting costs or increasing prices to improve your cashflow, it’s always worth checking whether there’s somewhere else you can improve.

Expanding your inflow

Proper invoice management is a relatively simple way to expand your inflow. So, make sure you send your invoices right away so clients can pay you as soon as possible. You can also set early payment discounts and late payment fees. Consider adding discounts to your products, too, to turn products cluttering your shelves into cash.

Finally, if you’re expecting a temporary cashflow shortfall, you can get short-term financing, such as invoice financing, to get the money you need.

Controlling your outflow

There are many ways you can control your outflow. For instance, you can explore an alternative place of business by downsizing or adopting a co-working arrangement. Of course, there’s always working from home, too. You can also take a look at how you buy stock; big orders often come with discounts attached. If you can’t afford a big order at the moment, consider finding another business to team up with. Next, consider using part-time and freelance staff, switch from print to digital marketing and make sure you’ve cancelled all those free trials you signed up for. And above all, don’t be afraid to haggle with suppliers!

Cashflow forecasting

Creating a cashflow forecast is an essential part of cashflow management — without an idea of how much money you can expect to enter and leave your business in a period of time, how can you plan ahead? How will you spot issues early on or know the extent to which you need to employ some cashflow management techniques?

When drawing up your forecast, it always pays to create multiple with different assumptions, like a summer downturn or a higher energy bill. That way, you should be prepared for anything.

The importance of regular accounting

Good accounting is about more than submitting your annual accounts at year-end: you can also split the year into smaller ‘accounting periods’ to keep on top of your finances so you can make well-informed business decisions.

That’s essential for ambitious business owners, especially during 2023 with lingering uncertainty since Brexit and the pandemic.

Regular accounting will also give you a more balanced workload as you’ll be doing your accounting in smaller batches over the year, making your year-end accounting far simpler.

That ensures you can keep your records in order to create accurate accounts that tell the true story of your finances, reveal hidden problems and highlight potential opportunities.

Talk to your accountant

Ultimately, if you’re unsure about your business’s performance in 2023, or just want to ensure the best year possible, you should always get in touch with your accountant.

We’ll be able to give you more detail about everything we’ve talked about so far — and more.

Talk to us about your business.

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Managing risk in your investment portfolio

By Price Mann • September 17, 2025

Managing risk in your investment portfolio Tips for a balanced investment approach. Investment markets rise and fall, yet the goals that matter to you – retirement security, children’s education, a comfortable buffer against the unexpected – remain constant. Managing risk means giving each goal the best chance of success while avoiding avoidable shocks. You can do that by holding the right mix of assets for your timeframe, using tax wrappers efficiently, and controlling costs and emotions. The 2025/26 UK tax year brings unchanged ISA and pension allowances. This guide explains the key steps, such as diversifying sensibly, rebalancing with discipline, safeguarding cash, and monitoring allowances, so you can stay on track whatever the markets deliver. It is an information resource, not personal advice. Start with a clear plan Define goals and timeframes: Decide what each pot of money is for (for example: house deposit in three years, retirement in 20 years). Time horizon drives how much short-term volatility you can accept. Short-term goals usually need more cash and high-quality bonds; long-term goals can justify more equities. Set your risk level in advance: Ask yourself two questions. Risk capacity: How much loss could you absorb without derailing plans (linked to your time horizon, job security and other assets)? Risk tolerance: How do you feel about market swings? Use a more cautious mix if you are likely to sell in a downturn. Ring-fence cash needs: Keep 3-6 months’ essential spending in easy-access cash before you invest. This reduces the chance of selling investments at a low point to meet bills. Choose simple, diversified building blocks: Broad index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) covering global equities and high-quality bonds provide instant diversification at low cost. Avoid concentration in a single share, sector or theme unless you are comfortable with higher risk. Diversification: Spread risk across assets, regions and issuers Diversification reduces the impact of any single holding. Practical ways to diversify include the following. Assets: Use both growth assets (equities) and defensive assets (investment-grade bonds, some cash). Regions: Combine UK and global holdings. Many UK investors hold too much domestically; global funds spread company and currency risk. Issuers: In bonds, mix UK gilts and investment-grade corporate bonds to diversify credit exposure. Currencies: Equity funds are commonly unhedged (currency moves add volatility but can offset local shocks). For bonds, many investors prefer sterling-hedged funds to lower currency risk. A diversified core helps the portfolio behave more predictably across different market conditions. You can add small “satellite” positions if you wish, but keep any higher-risk ideas to a modest percentage of the whole. Use tax wrappers to reduce avoidable tax and trading frictions Efficient use of ISAs and pensions is one of the most effective risk-management tools because it protects more of your return from tax. ISAs (individual savings accounts) Annual ISA allowance: £20,000 for 2025/26. You can split this across cash, stocks & shares and innovative finance ISAs. Lifetime ISAs (LISAs) are capped at £4,000 within the overall £20,000. Junior ISA (for children under 18): £9,000 for 2025/26 (unchanged). ISAs shield interest, dividends and capital gains from tax. Rebalancing inside an ISA does not create capital gains tax (CGT), which helps you maintain your chosen risk level at lower cost. Note: There has been public discussion about potential ISA reforms, but the current 2025/26 allowance is £20,000. If government policy changes later, we will let you know. Pensions (workplace pension, personal pension/SIPP) Annual allowance: £60,000 for 2025/26 (subject to tapering for higher incomes; see below). You may be able to carry forward unused annual allowance from the three previous years if eligible. Tapered annual allowance: If your adjusted income exceeds £260,000 and threshold income exceeds £200,000, the annual allowance tapers down (to a minimum of £10,000 for 2025/26). Money purchase annual allowance (MPAA): £10,000 for 2025/26 once you’ve flexibly accessed defined contribution benefits (for example, taking taxable drawdown income). Tax-free lump sum limits: The lifetime allowance has been replaced. From 6 April 2024, the lump sum allowance (LSA) caps total tax-free pension lump sums at £268,275 for most people, and the lump sum and death benefit allowance (LSDBA) is £1,073,100. Pensions are long-term wrappers designed for retirement. Contributions usually attract tax relief and investments grow free of UK income tax and capital gains tax while inside the pension. Personal savings: Interest allowances Personal savings allowance (PSA): Basic-rate taxpayers can earn up to £1,000 of bank/building society interest tax free; higher-rate taxpayers up to £500; additional-rate taxpayers do not receive a PSA. Starting rate for savings: Up to £5,000 of interest may be taxable at 0% if your other taxable non-savings income is below a set threshold. For 2025/26, that threshold is £17,570 (personal allowance of £12,570 plus the £5,000 starting rate band). Dividends and capital gains outside ISAs/pensions Dividend allowance: £500 for 2025/26 (unchanged from 2024/25). Dividend tax rates remain 8.75%, 33.75% and 39.35% for basic, higher and additional-rate bands, respectively. The annual capital gains tax (CGT) exempt amount , £3,000 for individuals (£1,500 for most trusts). CGT rates from 6 April 2025: For individuals, 18% within the basic-rate band and 24% above it, on gains from both residential property and other chargeable assets (carried interest has its rate). HMRC examples confirm the £37,700 basic-rate band figure used in CGT calculations for 2025/26. CGT reporting reminder: UK residents disposing of UK residential property with CGT to pay must report and pay within 60 days of completion. Other gains are reported via self assessment (online filing deadline is 31 January following the tax year; if you want HMRC to collect through your PAYE code, file online by 30 December; payments on account remain due 31 January and 31 July). Why this matters for risk: Using ISAs and pensions lowers the drag from tax, allowing you to rebalance and compound returns more effectively. Outside wrappers, plan disposals to use the £3,000 CGT allowance and each holder’s tax bands and consider transfer to a spouse/civil partner (no CGT on gifts between spouses) before selling where suitable. Bonds and cash: Interest-rate and inflation considerations Interest rates: The Bank of England reduced the Bank Rate to 4% at its August 2025 meeting. Bond prices can move meaningfully when rates are high or changing, especially for longer-dated bonds. Consider the duration of bond funds and whether a mix of short- and intermediate-duration exposure suits your time horizon. Inflation: Headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation was 3.6% in the 12 months to June 2025, while the CPI including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose by 4.1%. Inflation affects the real value of cash and bond coupons, and can influence central bank policy, affecting bond prices. Review whether your mix of cash, index-linked gilts and conventional bonds remains appropriate as inflation and interest-rate expectations evolve. Cash strategy: For short-term needs, spread deposits to respect Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) limits. For longer-term goals, excessive cash can increase the risk of falling behind inflation. Control costs and product risk Keep fees low: Ongoing charges figures (OCFs), platform fees and trading costs compound over time. Favour straightforward funds and avoid unnecessary expenses. Understand the product: Structured products, highly concentrated thematic funds or complex alternatives can behave unpredictably. If you use them, size them modestly within a diversified core. Use disciplined trading rules: Avoid frequent tinkering. Set rebalancing points (see below) and resist acting on short-term news. Rebalancing: Why, when and how Markets move at different speeds. Without rebalancing, a portfolio can “drift” to a higher or lower risk level than you intended. Follow this simple rebalancing framework. Invest in something that will rebalance automatically (i.e. certain ETFs) Frequency: Review at least annually. Thresholds: Rebalance when an asset class is 5 percentage points away from target (absolute) or 20% away (relative). Tax-aware execution: I prefer to rebalance inside ISAs and pensions. Outside wrappers, use new cash or dividends where possible; then consider selling gains up to the £3,000 CGT allowance and factoring in dividend and savings allowances. Implementation tip: If markets are volatile, use staged trades (for example, three equal tranches a few days apart) rather than one large order. Safeguard cash and investments with the right protections FSCS protection (cash deposits): Up to £85,000 per person, per authorised bank/building society group is protected. Temporary high balances from specific life events can be covered up to £1m for six months. The Prudential Regulation Authority has consulted on raising the standard deposit limit to £110,000 and the temporary high balance limit to £1.4m from 1 December 2025 (proposal stage at the time of writing). FSCS protection (investments): If a regulated investment firm fails and your assets are missing or there is a valid claim for bad advice/arranging, compensation may be available up to £85,000 per person, per firm. This does not protect you against normal market falls. Operational risk checks: Use Financial Conduct Authority authorised providers, check how your assets are held (client money and custody), enable multi-factor authentication, and keep beneficiary and contact details up to date. Currency risk: When to hedge For equities, many long-term investors accept currency fluctuations as part of the growth engine, since sterling often weakens when global equities are stressed, partly offsetting losses. For bonds, many prefer sterling-hedged funds to keep defensive holdings aligned with sterling cashflow needs. A blended approach works: unhedged global equities plus mostly hedged bonds. Behavioural risks: Keep decisions steady Common pitfalls include chasing recent winners, selling after falls or holding too much cash after a downturn. Tactics to keep you on track include: automate contributions (regular monthly investing), which spreads entry points write down rules (what you will do if markets fall 10%, 20%, 30%) separate spending cash from investments so you do not sell at weak prices to fund short-term needs use portfolio “buckets” in retirement. Retirement planning: Sequence-of-returns risk and withdrawals If you are drawing an income from investments consider the following. Hold a cash buffer (for example, 12–24 months of planned withdrawals) to avoid forced sales during sharp market falls. Be flexible with withdrawals: Pausing inflation-indexing or trimming withdrawals after a poor market year can help portfolios last longer. Use tax bands efficiently: Consider the order of withdrawals (pension, ISA, general investment account) to make use of personal allowance, PSA, dividend allowance and the CGT annual exempt amount. Take care around the MPAA if you are still contributing to pensions after accessing them. Putting it together: A repeatable checklist Confirm goals and time horizons. Check emergency cash (3-6 months). Map your target asset allocation. Use wrappers first: Fill ISAs and workplace/personal pensions as appropriate. Keep costs low: Prefer broad index funds/ETFs. Set rebalancing rules: Annual review + thresholds. Document tax items: Monitor dividend/CGT use; note 60-day property CGT rule; plan for 31 January/31 July self assessment dates if relevant. Review protection limits: Spread larger cash balances across institutions in line with FSCS; note proposed changes for late 2025. Schedule an annual review to update assumptions for interest rates, inflation and any rule changes. Get in touch if: you are unsure how to set or maintain an asset allocation you plan to draw income and want to coordinate wrappers and tax bands you expect large one-off gains or dividends and want to plan disposals or contributions you have concentrated positions (employer shares, single funds) and want to reduce single-asset risk tax-efficiently you are considering more complex investments. Wrapping up Risk management is not a one-off task but an ongoing discipline. By defining clear objectives, spreading investments across regions and asset classes, using ISAs and pensions to shelter returns, and reviewing allocations at least annually, you create a framework that limits surprises and keeps decisions rational. Document key dates – self assessment payments on 31 January and 31 July, the 60-day CGT rule for property, and the annual ISA reset on 6 April – so tax never forces a sale at the wrong time. Check deposit limits and platform safeguards for peace of mind, and keep a written record of your rebalancing rules to prevent knee-jerk trades. If life events or regulations change, revisit your plan promptly. A measured, systematic approach lets your portfolio work harder while you stay focused on the goals that matter most. Important information This guide is information only and does not account for your personal circumstances. Past performance is not a guide to future returns. The value of investments and income from them can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invest. Tax rules can change and benefits depend on individual circumstances. If you need personalised advice, please contact a regulated financial adviser. If you’d like advice on managing your portfolio, get in touch.