Self-employed calligraphers doing wedding invitations, signage and commissions face seasonal income and modest material costs. Full worked example on £16,000 turnover shows a £86 tax and NI bill.
Self-employed candle makers selling at craft markets and online face wax, wick and fragrance costs, pitch fees, and mandatory CLP safety testing. Full worked example on £15,000 turnover and what you actually keep.
Carpet and upholstery cleaning runs on machine investment and consumables. Worked example on £38,000 turnover shows exactly what a self-employed carpet cleaner owes in tax and NI for 2026/27.
Council tax bills vary enormously by local authority, driven by Band D rates and property valuations rather than income. Here's how to find the genuinely cheapest areas for 2026/27, and why headline rankings can mislead.
Unmarried couples miss out on ISA Additional Permitted Subscription, CGT-free asset transfers, and Inheritance Tax spousal exemption. Here's how to structure ISA and pension nominations, wills and expression of wishes forms to protect a partner who isn't legally entitled to any of it.
Council Tax bands are set independently by each council, so precise Band D figures for Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham vary year to year and should always be checked directly. What you CAN calculate reliably is how much rent or mortgage your take-home pay can realistically support in any of the three cities — here's the framework.
Self-employed CV writers and career coaches run one of the lowest-overhead service businesses around. Full worked example on £32,000 turnover shows what you actually keep after tax and NI.
The dividend allowance is just £500 in 2026/27. Once a General Investment Account portfolio produces more than that in dividends, tax kicks in fast — here's exactly how much, and how an ISA avoids it entirely.
A Scottish company director extracting £60,000 saves £9,310.27 a year by taking a low salary plus dividends instead of a salary-heavy split — £3,067.50 more than an identical rUK director saves, because Scotland's 42% higher rate starts at £31,092 instead of £50,270. Full worked numbers.
Self-employed embroiderers face a big early decision — a £6,000+ commercial machine — plus ongoing thread, blank garment and digitising software costs. Full worked examples on £28,000 turnover and a machine purchase using the £1m Annual Investment Allowance.
Self-employed lash technicians renting a salon chair or working mobile face supply, insurance and training costs. Full worked example on £24,000 turnover shows a £762 tax and NI bill.
Buying a UK franchise for £20,000-£30,000? On £60,000 annual profit, a limited company structure can save a franchise owner over £1,500 a year in tax versus trading as a sole trader.
