Knowledge hub

Find out everything you need to know about running a business as a freelancer in the UK. From starting up and setting your rates, to saving for tax and completing your Self Assessment, we’ve got you covered.

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How much should you put away to cover your tax bill?
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How much should you put away to cover your tax bill?

Finding out that you haven’t got enough money to pay your tax bill is the stuff of nightmares for sole traders and freelancers. Even if you can borrow from others to pay your tax bill, you’re reluctant to, because paying it back can be a real struggle. But there again, going forward, how do you earn enough to cover your living costs and pay the tax you owe? Technology can also really help to ensure that you gain peace of mind from knowing you’ve put enough away to pay your tax bill.

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How to reduce your accountancy firm’s costs
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How to reduce your accountancy firm’s costs

Against a backdrop of eye-watering price increases across the board, like everyone else, accountants are experiencing cash-flow pressures. Their small business, landlord and personal clients are also having to deal with significant price hikes, of course, which makes it difficult for accountants to increase their fees and grow their own firm.

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How Redundancy Gave John the Push He Needed to Go Freelance
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How Redundancy Gave John the Push He Needed to Go Freelance

Redundancy leaves many people feeling stuck and unsure what to do next. Instead of waiting for a new opportunity, why not create one? That's what John did.

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A Complete Guide To Self Assessment Tax Returns
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A Complete Guide To Self Assessment Tax Returns

Self Assessment tax returns are a key task in every sole trader's to-do list. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know about completing your tax return for HMRC, so you know exactly what income you need to declare.

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Six ways to add value to your relationships with your small-landlord clients
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Six ways to add value to your relationships with your small-landlord clients

Adding real value to the relationships you have with your small-landlord clients can be a good way to ensure their loyalty. They might also be more willing to leave positive reviews about you online and recommend you to others. So, how could you add value to your relationships with your small-landlord clients?

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Five ways to make your life easier and save time if you’re self-employed
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Five ways to make your life easier and save time if you’re self-employed

It’s important to try to find ways to make your life easier and save time during your working day so that you can enjoy a healthier work-life balance and spend more time with your loved ones. So, what could make your life easier and save you time?

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5 Top Tips on Setting Your Freelance Rates
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5 Top Tips on Setting Your Freelance Rates

"What’s your rate?" It's a question freelancers get asked every day, but a surprisingly hard one to answer; there are many factors to consider when deciding how much to charge for your services, and many different ways to do so. Whether you're new to freelancing or have been in the game for a while, here are some of the top tips we've learned.

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Use GoSimpleTax for FREE and save time on your client Self Assessment tax returns
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Use GoSimpleTax for FREE and save time on your client Self Assessment tax returns

Coconut is an easy-to-use accounting software solution that enables sole traders and landlords to conveniently record their income, track their expenses (so they don’t forget to reclaim any), manage their invoicing and work out how much to set aside for tax. Coconut gives your clients far greater control over their cash flow and finances, which brings peace of mind. If your sole trader and landlord clients use Coconut, it also saves you time, effort and hassle, of course. It’s a classic win-win. Well, things are about to get even better thanks to the integration of Coconut and GoSimpleTax.

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How to streamline your client onboarding process
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How to streamline your client onboarding process

Winning new clients is sure a sign not only that your services continue to appeal and meet market demand, but possibly also that your existing clients are saying nice things about you or that the way you’re marketing your business is working well. Happy days. Read our blog on how to streamline your client onboarding process.

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Panicking because your Self Assessment tax return isn’t filed yet? Here’s what to do…
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Panicking because your Self Assessment tax return isn’t filed yet? Here’s what to do…

Despite your best intentions, you may not have completed your Self Assessment tax return yet. That’s fine… Kind of... Until you realise that the online-filing deadline is midnight on the 31 of January. Gulp. Not long now. Double gulp. You begin to sweat and feel a bit sick as a horrible sense of panic sets in. So, what should you do about it?

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Christmas shutdown checklist for small businesses, sole traders and freelancers
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Christmas shutdown checklist for small businesses, sole traders and freelancers

The weeks leading up to Christmas is a hectic period for many small businesses, sole traders and freelancers. Not only are there the usual jobs to complete, but Christmas also means there are many other things to take care of before you can shut down, have some well-earned time off and munch away on far too many festive mince pies.

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The simple way to take the hassle out of sole trader tax returns?
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The simple way to take the hassle out of sole trader tax returns?

January can be a nightmare month for small-business accountants. The reason? Battling the looming end-of-month Self Assessment online-filing deadline, of course. And despite sending email reminders to your small-business clients, appealing for them to send the information you need to complete their Self assessment tax return, they leave it until January. Of course they do. They do every year.

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Five things to consider when choosing a business bank account
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Five things to consider when choosing a business bank account

Whether you’re just starting out or your business is more established and you’re considering switching banks, here are five key things to consider when weighing up which business bank account is right for you.

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Seven ways your accountancy firm could attract more clients
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Seven ways your accountancy firm could attract more clients

If your accountancy firm is to grow, obviously, it will need to attract more clients (probably, many more). And no matter what you do for them, some will go elsewhere or decide to do their own accounting and tax returns. Customer churn is a challenge for all accountancy firms. So what can you do to attract more clients?

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How to Get the Right Numbers for Your Tax Return Using Coconut
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How to Get the Right Numbers for Your Tax Return Using Coconut

We know that doing your Self Assessment can be a bit overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be that way. This guide will show you how to use the Coconut app to find the key numbers you need to fill in your tax return.

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Seven important things you should know if you’re thinking about freelancing
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Seven important things you should know if you’re thinking about freelancing

If you’re thinking of going freelance, whether full time or part time, here are seven important things that you should know…

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How to Say Goodbye to Your Clients’ Shoebox of Receipts
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How to Say Goodbye to Your Clients’ Shoebox of Receipts

No one starts a career in accounting to spend their days entering receipts…but that doesn’t stop some clients presenting you with a shoebox full of them when it’s time to do their tax return. Find out how Coconut will help you power through that particularly tedious task in no time.

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9 great reasons why you need to get your sole trader clients to use Coconut
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9 great reasons why you need to get your sole trader clients to use Coconut

Many thousands of sole traders all over the UK use the Coconut accounting app. Some of your sole trader clients might already be among them, but if not – how could using Coconut benefit them and you?

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What Are Payments on Account?
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What Are Payments on Account?

If you're new to Self Assessment, you might be surprised to see a 'payment on account' on your tax bill. This is an advance payment for next year's tax—and it can come as a surprise for new sole traders. Read our guide for everything you need to know.

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7 ways to make your life less stressful if you’re a busy sole trader or freelancer
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7 ways to make your life less stressful if you’re a busy sole trader or freelancer

Work can be stressful. And the added responsibility and pressure that comes from working for yourself often generates additional stress. Find out how to minimise stress.

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How to Register as Self-Employed with HMRC
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How to Register as Self-Employed with HMRC

So you've decided to become self-employed—great news! Here's what you need to know about registering as a sole trader with HMRC.

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GoSimpleTax Acquisition FAQ's
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GoSimpleTax Acquisition FAQ's

We've answered all your frequently asked questions regarding the GoSimpleTax acquisition of Coconut. You can meet the GoSimpleTax team and find out everything you need to know.

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Our MTD ITSA Software Is HMRC-Recognised for Digital Record-Keeping & Quarterly Submissions
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Our MTD ITSA Software Is HMRC-Recognised for Digital Record-Keeping & Quarterly Submissions

Calling all accountants and bookkeepers! Coconut’s software is now HMRC-recognised for handling MTD ITSA digital record-keeping and quarterly submissions requirements, and our Pilot Programme is now open.

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6 Steps to Starting the New Tax Year Right
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6 Steps to Starting the New Tax Year Right

The start of a new tax year is a big day in the self-employed calendar. So, in this blog, you'll find six key things you can do to ensure that the 2023/24 tax year is smooth sailing for your business.

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4 Habits Every Sole Trader Should Adopt This Tax Year
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4 Habits Every Sole Trader Should Adopt This Tax Year

Whilst the tax return for work you’re doing now may not be due for months, the beginning of the new tax year is the perfect time to build good tax habits. So, in this blog, we’ve outlined four ways you can make this tax year the easiest yet.

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How Do I Sign Up For Making Tax Digital? Our Step-By-Step Guide
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How Do I Sign Up For Making Tax Digital? Our Step-By-Step Guide

If you're a VAT-registered freelancer, you need to sign up for Making Tax Digital for VAT by April 2022. And all individuals earning more than £50,000 from self-employment or property will have to sign up for MTD for Income Tax by 2026—read our guide to find out what you need to know.

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Key Dates & Self Assessment Deadlines for Self-Employed People
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Key Dates & Self Assessment Deadlines for Self-Employed People

From Self Assessment deadlines to payment on account dates, we’ve listed all of the key tax dates that you need to bear in mind when you're self-employed as a sole trader. Pop them in your diary to ensure you're always on top of your finances!

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Why You Should Digitise Your Sole Trader Clients (Regardless of MTD ITSA)
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Why You Should Digitise Your Sole Trader Clients (Regardless of MTD ITSA)

Technology has the potential to drastically improve the way the accounting profession works with smaller clients. Below, we explore some of the wider benefits of sole trader digitisation, and why we should be thinking about it now—Making Tax Digital, or no Making Tax Digital.

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How to Get Your Sole Trader & Landlord Clients to Do 80% Of the Work
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How to Get Your Sole Trader & Landlord Clients to Do 80% Of the Work

When working with small clients, you may find yourself chasing receipts or manually entering data into spreadsheets. And as you well know, these aren’t the areas where accountants can add the most value. Here’s how tech could help you eliminate up to 80% of that work, provide more value to clients, and maximise your margins.

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What Is the Trading Income Allowance & How Do I Use It?
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What Is the Trading Income Allowance & How Do I Use It?

HMRC's trading allowance could give you tax relief on income from self-employment and ‘side hustles’— but is it always a good idea to use it? Find out everything you need to know in this helpful guide.

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How to Fill in a Self Assessment Form (Online & Paper)
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How to Fill in a Self Assessment Form (Online & Paper)

Filling in your Self Assessment tax return for the first time? Don't panic! Instead, take a deep breath, and then follow our step-by-step guide to find out everything you need to know to fill out your form online or on paper. You've got this!

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Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Delay: What You Need to Know
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Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Delay: What You Need to Know

‍In December 2022, HMRC announced that it will be delaying the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD ITSA) until April 2026, and that it will also be changing the income thresholds for eligibility. 

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What Is Making Tax Digital (MTD)? The Ultimate Guide for Sole Traders
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What Is Making Tax Digital (MTD)? The Ultimate Guide for Sole Traders

Are you ready for Making Tax Digital, or still figuring out what that means? This post contains everything you need to know to prepare for the new system and simplify your tax admin—so you can focus on the stuff that really matters.

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Do I Need To Complete A Self Assessment Tax Return?
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Do I Need To Complete A Self Assessment Tax Return?

Confused about whether you need to file a Self Assessment tax return this year? You're not alone. HMRC has specific rules for each different situation, and it can quickly get confusing. Read on for our full guide to who needs to file a return.

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Autumn Statement 2022: What It Means for Sole Traders & Landlords
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Autumn Statement 2022: What It Means for Sole Traders & Landlords

On 17th November 2022, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt made his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons. In this article, we’ve summarised everything you need to know about how it will affect you (or your clients) as a sole trader or landlord.

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What Does the 2022 Mini-Budget Mean for Sole Traders & Landlords?
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What Does the 2022 Mini-Budget Mean for Sole Traders & Landlords?

In his first major announcement since taking office, the new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has today announced an array of changes to tax and duties in his ‘mini-budget’. But what do the changes mean for sole traders and unincorporated landlords?

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What Exactly Is the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)?
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What Exactly Is the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)?

Under the Construction Industry Scheme, subcontractors have a portion of their earnings deducted and sent directly to HMRC as an advance payment towards their tax bill. But the scheme can make keeping track of finances tricky for both subcontractors and their accountants—read on for more info about CIS and how Coconut can help.

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The Road to MTD ITSA: What We’re Building at Coconut & Why
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The Road to MTD ITSA: What We’re Building at Coconut & Why

Ensuring that our software is MTD-compliant ahead of time is our primary focus at Coconut, but it’s also critical that we keep our Partner Firms up-to-date with what we’re working on and why. Read on to find our what we're doing to ensure that our accounting and tax software is ready for this major change to millions of taxpayers’ processes.

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A Guide to Getting Your Unincorporated Landlord Clients Ready for MTD ITSA
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A Guide to Getting Your Unincorporated Landlord Clients Ready for MTD ITSA

A huge proportion of unincorporated landlords own fewer than 5 properties, but aren’t serviced properly by the accounting software industry. With MTD ITSA on the horizon, this is an issue that needs resolving. In this guide, we discuss the accounting challenges of ‘non-professional’ landlords, and how accountants & bookkeepers can overcome them ahead of the 2026 deadline.

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What Is the 'Rent a Room' Scheme & How Will It Affect Your Tax Return?
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What Is the 'Rent a Room' Scheme & How Will It Affect Your Tax Return?

What is the UK's 'Rent a Room' Scheme, who can make the most of it, and do you have to declare the rental income on your tax return? We've summarised the key points in this article.

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Coconut Now Supports Subcontractors on the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)
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Coconut Now Supports Subcontractors on the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)

We’re delighted to announce that Coconut’s simple accounting and tax software for sole traders and accountants now supports subcontractors on the Construction Industry Scheme—taking us yet another step closer to ensuring that our software supports the whole of the UK’s sole trader community ready for Making Tax Digital.

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MTD for ITSA: The £360 Million Opportunity for Accountants
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MTD for ITSA: The £360 Million Opportunity for Accountants

We commissioned Opinium to survey 500 UK sole traders to better understand their views on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, how prepared they are for the changes, and what action they expect to take to become compliant with the rules. The results revealed an incredible opportunity for the accounting industry.

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Why Coconut's Current Accounts Are Closing
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Why Coconut's Current Accounts Are Closing

We recently announced that all Coconut current accounts will be closing on 30th June 2022. Read on to find out more about what this change to our service means, why we’re doing it, and what it means for the future of Coconut.

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Introducing: the New Tax Tab
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Introducing: the New Tax Tab

For the new tax year, we’ve decided to make some key changes to our Tax tab—which we hope will make it significantly easier for you to find out how much of your earnings you should set aside for tax.

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Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: A Guide for Sole Traders
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Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: A Guide for Sole Traders

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax will change how sole traders keep records and declare their income from April 2026. That might seem a long way off, but it's important to be prepared—here's our guide to everything you need to know.

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Making Tax Digital Deadlines: Explained
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Making Tax Digital Deadlines: Explained

Do you know when you need to be signed up for Making Tax Digital for VAT and Income Tax? This post contains all the important dates you need for your diary so you can be prepared well ahead of time.

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What is Making Tax Digital for VAT? All Your Questions Answered
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What is Making Tax Digital for VAT? All Your Questions Answered

Making Tax Digital for VAT will change the way freelancers keep VAT records and submit VAT returns to HMRC—but there's no need to panic! Here's everything you need to know to make sure you're prepared and ready to tackle MTD with confidence.

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Submit Your Self Assessment in 5 Simple Steps
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Submit Your Self Assessment in 5 Simple Steps

Sole traders: make “January panic” a thing of the past with our quick-start guide to doing your Self Assessment tax return. We've broken the process down into five manageable chunks—so you can tick that job off your to-do list in no time.

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Self-Employed Tax Rates For 2022/23: Sole Traders
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Self-Employed Tax Rates For 2022/23: Sole Traders

If you're self-employed as a sole trader, here’s a summary of the key self-employed tax allowances, income tax and VAT rates, and National Insurance Contributions you need to know for the 2022/23 tax year.

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Spring Statement 2022: What It Means for Self-Employed People
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Spring Statement 2022: What It Means for Self-Employed People

On March 23rd 2022, the Chancellor delivered the Spring Statement to Parliament. In this blog, we’ve listed what was announced, and how each measure will impact self-employed people operating as sole traders in the year ahead.

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What’s the New Health and Social Care Levy & How Will It Affect Self-Employed People?
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What’s the New Health and Social Care Levy & How Will It Affect Self-Employed People?

The UK government has outlined plans to increase National Insurance contributions in the 2022/23 tax year, as part of the new Health and Social Care Levy. Below, we've summarised what these changes involve, and how they will affect you as a self-employed person.

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2022 and the Countdown to MTD ITSA
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2022 and the Countdown to MTD ITSA

The extended tax season is over and so for accountants that means we’re gathering our thoughts and making our plans for 2022. What’s different this year is that it’s the last year before MTD ITSA really kicks in which will dramatically change how we work with sole traders. Read on below to learn how Coconut will support our Accountant Partners through this change.

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How Nancy Used Her Professional Skills to Launch Her Alterations Business
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How Nancy Used Her Professional Skills to Launch Her Alterations Business

Up until March 2020, Nancy was Deputy Head of Wardrobe for the Book of Mormon. But then her hard-earned career came to a halt when Covid-19 hit. In this edition of Community Spotlight, we spoke to Nancy about how she adapted to a tough situation, and used her skill, initiative, and courage to start her own business.

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Squarespace, Surfing & Swimming: How Going Freelance Allows Katy to Live Her Dream Life
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Squarespace, Surfing & Swimming: How Going Freelance Allows Katy to Live Her Dream Life

In this edition of Community Spotlight, we spoke to SQSP Queen, Katy. As is so often the case, going freelance has allowed Katy to live the life that she has always wanted: by the sea, doing a job she loves, on her terms.

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How This Self-Taught Jeweller Is Shaping Her Future Through Self-Employment
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How This Self-Taught Jeweller Is Shaping Her Future Through Self-Employment

In this edition of Community Spotlight, we spoke to self-taught jeweller, Esh: a self-taught, freelance jeweller building a more fulfilling career for herself; one that can fit around her life and potential health concerns in the long-term.

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“My Dog Ate My Tax Return”: When Is It Okay Not to Submit Yours?
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“My Dog Ate My Tax Return”: When Is It Okay Not to Submit Yours?

“I had an argument with my wife and went to Italy for 5 years” is the perfect example of an excuse that HMRC *won’t* accept for a late tax return. So what does count as a reasonable excuse? And is it ever okay not to submit a tax return? We explain all in this blog.

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How to Reduce Your Payments on Account
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How to Reduce Your Payments on Account

Payments on account are designed to spread the cost of the upcoming year’s tax bill, but the assumptions used to work out your payments might not be quite right if your income has changed between tax years.

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All You Need to Know About Student Loans and Employment Income for Self Assessment
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All You Need to Know About Student Loans and Employment Income for Self Assessment

If you have a student loan or income from other sources, such as employment salary or rental income, this may affect what you’ll need to pay or the tax rate applied to your self-employment income. Here's what you need to know.

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What Expenses Can I Claim As a Sole Trader?
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What Expenses Can I Claim As a Sole Trader?

When you’re a sole trader, you can deduct a wide range of business-related costs from your taxable profit. Here’s a handy list of the most common things which count as "allowable expenses".

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How to Complete Your Online Self Assessment Using Coconut
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How to Complete Your Online Self Assessment Using Coconut

Once you’ve got your income, expenses and any other allowances and adjustments organised in Coconut, you’re ready to fill in your tax return. You'll most likely be completing your Self Assessment online through the Government Gateway—so this article lays out what you can expect from the process.

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How to Capture Adjustments and Allowances for Your Self Assessment
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How to Capture Adjustments and Allowances for Your Self Assessment

Adjustments in Coconut are a way for you to account for any income or expenses that you haven’t already captured in your transactions. This could be extra income outside of your Coconut account, cash expenses, or work from home (WFH) allowance and mileage.

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Using Coconut to Categorise Your Transactions for Your Self Assessment
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Using Coconut to Categorise Your Transactions for Your Self Assessment

To ensure that all of the information in your Coconut tax return summary is right, it’s important to take the time to check that all of your transactions are categorised correctly. This helps us determine which transactions fall into income or expenses.

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What Are the Standard Rate & Flat Rate VAT Schemes?
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What Are the Standard Rate & Flat Rate VAT Schemes?

When you’re self-employed and VAT-registered, you can choose between the standard or flat rate VAT schemes. Here’s what you need to know about both.

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Why We’re No Longer Opening New Current Accounts
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Why We’re No Longer Opening New Current Accounts

Coconut 2.0 signals a big shift in our business strategy—one that we think has the potential to revolutionise the working lives of self-employed people. But as well as all of the new things we’re working on, there are also a few things we won’t be doing in the future; most notably, opening new bank accounts. Here’s why we’ve made that decision, and what it means for the future.

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2021: A Big Year for Coconut and Our Accountant Partners
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2021: A Big Year for Coconut and Our Accountant Partners

2021 will be a year that we’ll remember at Coconut for a while. This year saw a big change in our business come to fruition.

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Coconut Web: Manage Your Bookkeeping on Desktop
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Coconut Web: Manage Your Bookkeeping on Desktop

The desktop version of our mobile app is live! Coconut Web gives you access to the transaction history of any bank accounts you’ve linked up to Coconut, and allows you to complete your key bookkeeping tasks, all within your browser. Give it a try now!

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Are BACS, CHAPS and Faster Payments the Same as Bank Transfers?
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Are BACS, CHAPS and Faster Payments the Same as Bank Transfers?

What's the difference between BACS, CHAPS, and Faster Payments? Here's what you need to know about all three types of bank transfer, and why we use Faster Payments at Coconut.

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We’ve Evolved: Meet Coconut 2.0
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We’ve Evolved: Meet Coconut 2.0

Join us on 15th December to find out how Coconut has evolved over the past 12 months, what our plans are for the future, and how “Coconut 2.0” will make it easier than ever for self-employed people—and their accountants—to manage their finances.

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Tech-savvy Accounting Firm Gets More Done in Less Time with Coconut
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Tech-savvy Accounting Firm Gets More Done in Less Time with Coconut

“The key thing for all accountants is time saving and efficiency, because there are never enough hours in a day I think any accountant who looks into Coconut will realise the potential time saving is massive.”

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How Coconut Helped the barefoot accountant Run Smoother, Plan Smarter & Prepare for MTD
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How Coconut Helped the barefoot accountant Run Smoother, Plan Smarter & Prepare for MTD

The barefoot accountant provides accountancy services to creative sole traders who just want to be fabulously creative and not worry about the boring stuff. Operating from a shop front in Hertfordshire, the firm delivers personalised tax and accountancy services in a relaxed and judgement-free zone.

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Un-Muddling Personal and Business Expenses: A Uniquely Sole Trader Problem
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Un-Muddling Personal and Business Expenses: A Uniquely Sole Trader Problem

Imagine if clients and you could un-muddle business and personal without having to open a new bank account?

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Coconut Is Not a Bank – It’s a Tax App for Self-Employed People
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Coconut Is Not a Bank – It’s a Tax App for Self-Employed People

When Coconut first launched in 2018, we offered a product that combined an accounting product with a business current account. We’ve now stopped opening new accounts, so that we can focus on making our bookkeeping and tax app for freelancers the best it possibly can be.

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Sole Trader Tax Rates for the 2021/22 Tax Year
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Sole Trader Tax Rates for the 2021/22 Tax Year

Sole traders: read on to find a list of the UK's Personal Allowance, income tax and National Insurance rates for the 2021/22 tax year.

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Covid-19 Scams to Watch Out For – And How to Protect Yourself
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Covid-19 Scams to Watch Out For – And How to Protect Yourself

We want to help you protect yourself against Covid-19 fraud. Here’s what you need to be aware of and what to watch out for.

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Budget 2021: Financial Support Available for Self-Employed People
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Budget 2021: Financial Support Available for Self-Employed People

The SEISS has been extended until September, and there has been one significant change for the better. The grant has been extended to ~600,000 people who were previously excluded by including those who filed a 2019/20 Self-Assessment tax return by midnight 2nd March.

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Budget 2020: Top Takeaways for Self-Employed People
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Budget 2020: Top Takeaways for Self-Employed People

The SEISS has been extended until September, and there has been one significant change for the better. The grant has been extended to ~600,000 people who were previously excluded by including those who filed a 2019/20 Self-Assessment tax return by midnight 2nd March.

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Setting Up Your Business So You Can Save Too
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Setting Up Your Business So You Can Save Too

Saving can often be an afterthought when you're freelancing and have a fluctuating income. But it doesn't have to be—discover some money saving habits in this article.

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A Change of Focus for a Photography Business Facing Challenging Times
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A Change of Focus for a Photography Business Facing Challenging Times

For Paul, Covid-19 has brought many collaborations that will help his business to boom once the pandemic is over. Find out how he's adapted in this interview.

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How Will Brexit Impact Freelancers?
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How Will Brexit Impact Freelancers?

With January around the corner, here are some tips for everyone in the self-employed and freelance community to prepare for a deal or no deal brexit.

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How Ben Got His Zest for His Career by Going Freelance When He Was 19
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How Ben Got His Zest for His Career by Going Freelance When He Was 19

Freelancing can be really liberating and often helps people to take control of their careers. But how does that work if you start freelancing at the very beginning of your career? Find out by taking a look at Ben's story.

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3 Challenges That Self-Employed People Face & How to Overcome Them
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3 Challenges That Self-Employed People Face & How to Overcome Them

Self employed people come across plenty of challenges when they're building a business from the ground up. Find out how to overcome them in our latest blog.

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UK Lockdown: Updates to Financial Support
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UK Lockdown: Updates to Financial Support

With November's lockdown already upon us, we've put together a list of the latest government updates to make sure you can navigate your way through it.

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Saving for Tax Survey: The Results Are In
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Saving for Tax Survey: The Results Are In

We asked 500 self-employed people how they feel about saving for tax - take a look at the results and see how Coconut can help you to save for tax soon.

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Digital Adoption: How Fitness Instructor Elle Linton Adapted During the Pandemic
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Digital Adoption: How Fitness Instructor Elle Linton Adapted During the Pandemic

Find out how fitness instructor Elle Linton adapted her business when covid-19 hit the UK this year and the role that digital played in making it happen.

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Coronavirus Business Loans - Find and Apply for Funding with Swoop
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Coronavirus Business Loans - Find and Apply for Funding with Swoop

Covid-19 support for self-employed people: Bounce Back Loans. And we've teamed up with Swoop to help you navigate the application process.

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Covid-19: SEISS Q&A for Self-Employed People
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Covid-19: SEISS Q&A for Self-Employed People

Our answers to the big questions we've had about the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme from our customers and the wider self-employed community.

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Coconut’s Guide to Effortless Expenses
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Coconut’s Guide to Effortless Expenses

Here's our quick guide to effortless expenses to make sure you're not missing out on key tax savings.

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What is the VAT Cash Accounting Scheme?
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What is the VAT Cash Accounting Scheme?

Understand the VAT Cash Accounting Scheme. Who it's for, how to qualify and what it could mean for you and your business.

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Should You Be a Sole Trader or a Limited Company?
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Should You Be a Sole Trader or a Limited Company?

It’s often the first question people have when starting their self-employment journey. Should I become a limited company or a sole trader? Read our guide to find out the pros and cons of each, and decide which is the best setup for you and your freelance career.

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3 Reasons to Separate Your Business Expenses from Your Personal Expenses
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3 Reasons to Separate Your Business Expenses from Your Personal Expenses

Read this short article on how to save your self-employed business time and money by separating your business expenses from your personal expenses.

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The Pain of Dealing With Late Payments
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The Pain of Dealing With Late Payments

The self-employed population contributes £271 billion to the UK economy - so why are so many still getting messed about when it comes to getting paid?

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The Top 5 Business Expenses You Didn't Know You Could Claim
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The Top 5 Business Expenses You Didn't Know You Could Claim

Time for your annual tax return for HMRC? We’ve created a list of the top five business expenses most commonly overlooked.

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