Green Zebra Business Solutions Ltd

Are you getting value from your accountant?

Or are they simply filing your accounts and sending you an invoice?

A great accountant should be much more than a compliance service. They should be a trusted adviser who helps your business grow.

Ask yourself:

✅ Are they proactively saving you tax?

✅ Do they respond when you need them?

✅ Do they explain things in plain English?

✅ Do they help you plan ahead, rather than just looking backwards?

✅ Do they understand your business goals and support your ambitions?

If you answered “no” to any of these, it might be time to ask whether you’re getting the service your business deserves.

At Green Zebra, we believe accounting is about more than numbers.

It’s about giving business owners clarity, confidence and practical advice that helps them make better decisions and keep more of what they earn.

Your accountant should be helping your business move forward—not just keeping it compliant.

If you could change one thing about your current accountant, what would it be?

www.greenzebraltd.com - Proudly helping consultants, freelancers and growing businesses across Hampshire and the South of England.

Are you getting value from your accountant?

Or are they simply filing your accounts and sending you an invoice?

A great accountant should be much more than a compliance service. They should be a trusted adviser who helps your business grow.

Ask yourself:

✅ Are they proactively saving you tax?�
✅ Do they respond when you need them?
�✅ Do they explain things in plain English?
�✅ Do they help you plan ahead, rather than just looking backwards?
�✅ Do they understand your business goals and support your ambitions?

If you answered "no" to any of these, it might be time to ask whether you're getting the service your business deserves.

At Green Zebra, we believe accounting is about more than numbers.

It's about giving business owners clarity, confidence and practical advice that helps them make better decisions and keep more of what they earn.

Your accountant should be helping your business move forward—not just keeping it compliant.

If you could change one thing about your current accountant, what would it be?

www.greenzebraltd.com - Proudly helping consultants, freelancers and growing businesses across Hampshire and the South of England.

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Accounting with a Different Stripe 🦓
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Should hospitality VAT be cut from 20% to 10%? 🍽️🍺

People like and Rachel Rachel Harris think so — and it’s easy to see why.

The hospitality industry has faced rising wages, higher National Insurance costs, food inflation and soaring energy bills.

Yet despite all this, hospitality still pays 20% VAT.

Supporters of a VAT reduction argue it would:

✅ Help struggling pubs and restaurants survive
✅ Protect jobs
✅ Boost high streets and local economies
✅ Encourage investment and growth

Critics say it would cost the Treasury billions.

But one thing is certain: hospitality is a huge employer and a vital part of our communities.

What do you think?
Should hospitality VAT be reduced to 10%?

👇 Let me know in the comments.

PubOwner BusinessOwner Tax VAT UKBusiness

Most contractors/consultants/freelancers don’t realise this is the real problem ...

Most think they need:

* Better bookkeeping
* A better accountant
* Or more tax advice

But that’s not actually the problem.

The real issue is:

Not having financial clarity throughout the year — only after it’s too late to act.

So decisions get made blind.

If you have clarity through the year, it means you will feel in control and be able to make informed decisions about your business, expenditure and investment.

A sole trader came to us thinking they had a tax bill they couldn’t afford.
After reviewing their bookkeeping, we found:

✅ Unclaimed software costs
✅ Business mileage never logged
✅ Work-from-home allowance missed
✅ Training incorrectly categorised

Total missed expenses: just over £3,800 - Which significantly reduced their tax liability.

This is the difference between “Doing your books” and Doing your books properly.

If you're a founder still managing your own bookkeeping and want to know what you might be missing, DM me or email us at [email protected] to have a coffee or online chat.

business

Some friendly advice - If you’re doing your bookkeeping at 10PM after a full day of client work…

This is your sign to stop.

I spoke to a founder who:
• delivers brilliant work for their clients
• invoices on time
• has consistent revenue

…but hadn’t reconciled their accounts for months.

They said:

“I just open my banking app and hope there’s enough in there for tax.”

Your profit ≠ the cash sitting in your account.

And hoping for the best in January is not a tax strategy.

If your books are currently:
• behind
• confusing
• or living in a spreadsheet you’re scared to open ...

then come and have a no-obligation chat with us - whether you join as a client or not, we'll do our best to help.

Most UK freelancers are missing out on at least 3 of these business expenses 👇

• Software subscriptions (Canva, Zoom, Notion, etc.)
• Home office costs
• Mobile phone usage
• Professional indemnity insurance
• Mileage (not just fuel)
• Accountant / bookkeeping fees
• Training related to your services

I recently spoke to a consultant who had been in business for 2+ years…
…and hadn’t claimed a single home office expense.

That’s potentially £100s (sometimes £1,000s) per year in unnecessary tax.

If you're a:

✔️ Freelancer
✔️ Consultant
✔️ Sole trader
✔️ Small Ltd company founder

and you’re not 100% sure you're claiming everything you're entitled to — today is the day to change that!

Just contact [email protected] and we will make sure you're claiming everything you can and we'll get you back in control.