Fooks & Co

R&D tax relief is one of the most valuable (and most frequently unclaimed) forms of government support for UK small businesses.

And it's not just for tech companies or scientists. It applies to any business resolving a genuine technical or scientific uncertainty. That could be your sector.

🏗️ Construction — new build methods or materials
🍽️ Food production — novel processes or formulations
🏭 Manufacturing — efficiency improvements through novel techniques
💻 Software — building tools that don't already exist

Our latest blog breaks down:
✅ How the merged R&D scheme works in 2026
✅ Which costs qualify (and which don't)
✅ The new advance assurance pilot from HMRC
✅ Why professional advice matters more than ever

Even if you've never claimed before, prior years may still be in scope.

📖 Read the full article → https://loom.ly/oI9KcaA

Get in touch for a no-obligation assessment!

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

R&D Tax Relief: Could Your South Wales Business Be Claiming and Missing Out? Research and Development tax relief is one of the most valuable (and most frequently overlooked) forms of government support available to UK small businesses. Despite significant publicity in recent years, HMRC's own data suggests that a large proportion of eligible businesses still do not claim, ty...

September is here — and business is back in full swing. 🍂

After the slower pace of August, September brings a sharp return to activity for businesses across South Wales. New projects kick off, client conversations resume, and the final quarter of the calendar year starts to come into view.

It is also one of the busiest months in the UK compliance calendar. Key September dates include:

📅 7 September — VAT return & payment due for quarter ending 31 July 2026
📅 19 September — PAYE, NIC & CIS postal payment deadline
📅 22 September — PAYE, NIC & CIS electronic payment deadline
📅 30 September — CT600 Corporation Tax return due for accounting periods ended 30 September 2025

If any of these apply to your business and you're not already on top of them, now is the time to act. Our South Wales team is here to help.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

Why August Is the Best Time to Start Preparing Your Self Assessment! 📆

The 31 January deadline feels far away. But January arrives faster than you think! And the chaos of a last-minute tax return is entirely avoidable.

Here's the thing: your 2025/26 tax year ended on 5 April. All the information you need for your return already exists. August is the perfect moment to gather it.

Our latest blog covers:
✅ Exactly what information you'll need
✅ What MTD means for your Self Assessment this year
✅ The real benefits of filing early (including getting refunds sooner)
✅ How to hand it off to your accountant with minimal stress

Filing early means no January panic, a clearer picture of your tax bill, and more time to plan your finances.

📖 Read the full guide → https://loom.ly/X5XC4vI

Ready to get your Self Assessment started? Get in touch today.
📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

Get Ahead of Self Assessment: Why September Is the Best Time to Start Preparing The Self Assessment filing deadline of 31 January 2027 might feel comfortably distant right now. But if you have ever found yourself scrambling for receipts and bank statements in the middle of December, you will know how quickly the months disappear.. and how stressful a last-minute tax return can....

31st August Corporation Tax filing deadline... does it affect you? 📁

Companies with an accounting period ending 31 August 2025 must file their CT600 Corporation Tax return with HMRC by 31 August 2026.

It's easy to lose track of Corporation Tax deadlines (particularly when your year end doesn't fall in December or March). Your return is due 12 months after your accounting period ends, and your payment was due 9 months and 1 day after — so if you missed the payment deadline, interest will already be accruing.

If you're unsure of your CT600 position or haven't yet filed, please get in touch with our team before the end of the month.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

ESG used to be a large-company issue. Not anymore.

With the UK Sustainability Reporting Standards now in force, larger businesses are asking their suppliers (potentially including yours) for data on emissions, supply chain practices, and environmental policies.

If you're not prepared, you could find it affecting your contracts.

Our latest blog explains:
🌿 What ESG actually means for small businesses
📊 Why your financial data is central to ESG reporting
💼 The commercial case for getting ahead — finance, talent, and costs
📋 Where to start without feeling overwhelmed

You may already be doing more than you think. The challenge is being able to evidence it.

📖 Read the full article → https://loom.ly/JQkH7tk

Want to understand your ESG position? Let's talk. 📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

Welcome to Fooks & Co Fooks & Co is a long-established accountancy firm based in Bargoed, offering expert tax, payroll, VAT, and business advisory services to individuals and businesses across South Wales.

Payroll reminder for August 🗓️

Two PAYE dates to keep on your radar this month:

📅 19 August — Deadline for postal PAYE, NICs and CIS payments for the tax month ended 5 August 2026. Deadline for submitting the monthly CIS300 return for the month ended 5 August 2026.

📅 22 August — Deadline for electronic PAYE, NICs and CIS payments to reach HMRC.

If you're running payroll in-house and juggling summer leave at the same time, it's worth double-checking everything is in order before the deadlines arrive. Our payroll team are here to take the pressure off.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

August might feel quieter, but your tax deadlines aren't taking a holiday!

VAT returns, MTD updates, PAYE, CIS, and Corporation Tax all fall this month. And if income dips while the obligations stay put, cash flow can tighten fast.

Our latest blog covers:
✅ How to build a simple short-term cash flow forecast
✅ Why chasing debtors before your holiday matters
✅ Every key August deadline in one place
✅ When to have a mid-year conversation with your accountant

The businesses that manage August well are the ones that plan ahead — not the ones that react.

📖 Read the full article → https://loom.ly/2V-98Zk

Worried about cash flow this summer? We're here, even in August.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

Summer Cash Flow: How to Keep Your Business Finances on Track During the Quieter Months August is a paradox for many small business owners. On the surface, it can feel like a slower month — clients are on holiday, decisions get deferred, and the usual rhythm of business softens. But the tax calendar does not take a summer break. VAT returns, PAYE deadlines, CIS obligations, and Corpo...

Monthly reports are no longer enough — here's why. 📊

The way business owners want to understand their finances is changing. In 2026, the distinction between period-end reporting and ongoing financial oversight is blurring. Business leaders want up-to-the-minute visibility into cash flow, spend, and financial performance — quarterly or monthly reports simply won't cut it.

That means more automation, tighter integrations between systems, and finance teams adopting dashboards that reflect the business in real time.

At Fooks, we help our clients move beyond the year-end spreadsheet and towards a clearer, real-time picture of their business. Want to know what that looks like in practice? Let's have a conversation.

📞 01443 834047 | 🌐 https://loom.ly/n_T9EtQ

📣 WE’RE HIRING – EXPERIENCED PRACTICE ACCOUNTANT 📣

Fooks & Co | Bargoed High Street

We’re looking for an experienced and capable accountant to join our long-established practice in Bargoed.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys taking ownership of their work, dealing directly with clients and seeing a job through from the client records right through to final accounts and tax returns.

For us, experience and ability are paramount.
You might be professionally qualified, qualified by experience, part-qualified or currently studying – we’re open-minded about qualifications.

What matters is that you can demonstrate solid accountancy practice experience and that you are able to work accurately, confidently and largely unsupervised.

What will you be doing?

Your main role will be preparing accounts for sole traders, partnerships and limited companies, and seeing those jobs through to completion, including:

• Self Assessment tax returns
• Partnership returns / SA800s
• Corporation Tax returns / CT600s
• VAT
• Payroll
• Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
• Liaising directly with clients
• Dealing with HMRC by telephone, letter and email

We’re a small practice, so the work is varied and everyone pulls together. You won’t be pigeonholed into one narrow area of accountancy.

We’re particularly interested in someone who:

✅ Has solid recent accountancy practice experience
✅ Can take a job from start to finish
✅ Works to a high degree of accuracy
✅ Is comfortable working independently and using their own judgement
✅ Can manage their workload and meet deadlines
✅ Has a strong work ethic
✅ Is confident dealing with clients face to face, by phone and by email
✅ Has experience dealing with HMRC, or can demonstrate strong transferable skills

Experience with Microsoft 365, TaxCalc, Client Engager and Xero would be ideal, although experience with similar systems is absolutely fine – we would expect the right person to transition to our software without difficulty.

What do we offer?

⭐ Competitive salary, negotiable depending on experience and ability
⭐ 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays
⭐ Workplace pension scheme
⭐ Death in service life cover
⭐ Study support available for the right candidate
⭐ Varied and interesting work
⭐ Genuine responsibility and autonomy
⭐ Support from an experienced, friendly team
⭐ Free parking available nearby
Please note: this is a full-time, office-based position, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, at our Bargoed High Street office.

We understand that life occasionally gets in the way, so we can offer flexibility to work from home where a temporary need arises. However, this is not a permanent hybrid or remote-working role and applicants should be looking for an office-based position as part of our team.

We are ready to recruit now, so if this sounds like you – or you know someone who would be a great fit – I’d be very happy to have an informal chat.

📞 Paddy – 01443 834047
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.fooks.co.uk

Or, if you’re passing, feel free to pop into Fooks & Co on Bargoed High Street and introduce yourself.

Please feel free to share – the right person may be in your network!