Hancock & Hastings Accountants Dunstable

Hancock & Hastings Accountants Dunstable Chartered Certified Accountants and Auditors in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, working across the UK. Helping you feel confident with your numbers.

Friendly, practical accountants and tax advisors for small businesses. Our friendly chartered certified accountancy practice, based in Dunstable, thrives on helping businesses understand their finances, along with saving money and reducing personal and business tax bills. Say goodbye to the frustration of trying to decipher complex financial terminology – we communicate in plain English, ensuring that you understand every aspect of your accounts and tax obligations. From business accounts and external audits to specialist expertise in sectors such as construction, consultancy, and property, we offer a comprehensive range of services to meet your accounting and tax needs. Let us streamline your accounting processes, save you time and money, and empower you to make informed financial decisions with confidence.

What a lovely evening celebrating some brilliant work happening right here in Dunstable 🌸We are proud to sponsor the Jun...
01/10/2026

What a lovely evening celebrating some brilliant work happening right here in Dunstable 🌸

We are proud to sponsor the Junior Wheelbarrow Award at theDunstable in Bloom. Awards, and yesterday .hancock.fcca and Carly joined the celebrations.

It was lovely to see the creativity that had gone into the entries and to hear more about the fantastic work Dunstable in Bloom does alongside for our local community.

A huge well done to everyone involved, especially all of this year’s winners and young entrants 💐

We’re really pleased to support something so positive for Dunstable.

30/09/2026

We’re officially in the “-ber” months… which means one thing around here.

Tax return season is well and truly underway 👀

September might feel early to start thinking about a deadline in January, but you don't have to wait until January to submit it!

Getting your Self Assessment sorted now means you know exactly what you owe, you have time to plan for the payment, and you avoid that horrible January rush where everyone suddenly remembers HMRC exists at the same time.

We do have space to help a handful of new Self Assessment clients this year, but once those spaces are filled. They’re filled.

28/09/2026

Starting a limited company comes with a few deadlines that are very easy to miss when you’re busy trying to actually run the business.

The big ones are:

📊 Annual accounts
These are usually due 9 months after the end of your company’s financial year.

💷 Corporation Tax payment
This is usually due 9 months and 1 day after the end of your accounting period.

🧾 Corporation Tax return
This is usually due 12 months after the end of your accounting period.

📋 Confirmation statement
This needs to be filed at least once every 12 months with Companies House.

The slightly annoying bit is that they’re not all due at the same time.

So if you’ve only just set up your company, it’s worth getting these dates in the diary now rather than waiting for a reminder.

We speak to plenty of new directors who assume HMRC or Companies House will tell them exactly what to do and when.

Sometimes you’ll get reminders. Sometimes you won’t.

Either way, the responsibility sits with you.

Recently incorporated and not totally sure what your deadlines are? Send us a message and we’ll help you get everything set up properly from the start.

25/09/2026

HMRC are currently writing to contractors where they believe the wrong CIS deduction rate may have been applied to subcontractor payments during the 2025/26 tax year.

So, if one of these letters lands on your doorstep, please don’t chuck it in the “deal with later” pile.

HMRC has introduced a new online form specifically for responding to these letters, and they’re asking contractors to respond even if you believe the deductions and returns you submitted were correct.

The letter should explain what HMRC thinks has gone wrong and what you need to do next.

If you receive one and you’re not sure what it means, or whether HMRC has got it right, send it over to us before you start trying to unravel it yourself.

We can take a look and help you work out what, if anything, needs correcting.

24/09/2026

Last month, someone asked us: “Why do you ask so many questions?”

Fair question 😂

One answer usually leads to another question, because we’re trying to understand the full picture and make sure everything has been treated properly.

But, in the interests of fairness… Sometimes it works the other way too.

Sometimes we ask one tiny question and get the full director’s cut, extended edition and behind-the-scenes commentary 😂

And do you know what? We’ll take it. Because we know buried somewhere in the “while I’ve got you…” chat is often the bit of information that actually matters.

The more we understand about what’s going on in your business, the better advice we can give you and the less likely something important is to get missed.

So yes, we ask a lot of questions. And yes, sometimes you tell us a lot in return. Jaime just prefers to process it horizontally 😂

21/09/2026

Gym memberships are a good example of why tax isn’t always a simple yes or no.

If your limited company pays for your membership, it will usually be treated as a Benefit in Kind. That means there can be tax and National Insurance consequences. But that doesn’t automatically mean it’s the wrong option.

Depending on your wider tax position, paying through the company could still leave you better off overall than taking taxed money out personally and paying the membership yourself.

That’s why we always look at the whole picture rather than just asking whether something is “allowable”.
Sometimes the better question is: What does this actually cost me after tax?

17/09/2026

Christmas party planning might feel a little premature in September, but there are two good reasons not to leave it too late.

First, the obvious one: the good venues disappear quickly.

Second, if you run a limited company, your annual staff event can usually qualify for a tax exemption.

The key rules are that the event must be open to all employees and the total cost must not exceed £150 per head, including VAT and associated costs such as transport or accommodation.

A sole director can also qualify if they are an employee of the company, and a partner or spouse can usually attend as a guest when working out the cost per head.

The important bit is that £150 is a limit, not an allowance. If the qualifying annual events go over that limit, the exemption can be lost for the relevant event.

So if the Christmas party is happening anyway, it’s worth knowing the rules before you start booking.
And preferably before you’re trying to find a table for 20 in the middle of December.

14/09/2026

If your receipts are living in the van, glovebox, jacket pocket or somewhere under the passenger seat… this is your sign 😂

You don’t need to keep handing your accountant a pile of paper at the end of the month.

Using software like Apron, you can take a quick photo of the receipt as soon as you get it and upload it there and then.

That means:
• Less chance of receipts going missing
• Less time trying to remember what you bought three months ago
• Cleaner records throughout the year
• Fewer last-minute searches through the van
• Much less limbering up required from Amy

A tiny habit that makes your bookkeeping a whole lot easier.
Take the photo. Upload it. Job done.

13/09/2026

☕ We’re open today!
Join us from 10 AM – 2 PM for fresh coffee and homemade cake in the heart of Dunstable.
A cosy spot, a sweet treat, and your Sunday moment. 🍰

10/09/2026

This is one of those areas where the line between business and personal matters.

If you travel somewhere for a genuine business reason, such as a conference, networking event or client meeting, the qualifying business costs may be allowable.

But extending the trip into a family holiday doesn’t automatically make the extra costs deductible too.
Your partner’s travel, family meals, extra accommodation and additional days away are still personal costs unless they meet the normal business expense rules.

Social media can sometimes make tax planning sound like there’s a clever workaround for everything.

In reality, the safest approach is usually much simpler: claim what genuinely belongs to the business and keep the rest separate.

If you’re planning a trip that mixes work and personal time, it’s worth checking the position before you book everything through the company.

Address

Suite 2, Ashton Square Business Centre, 22 Ashton Square
Dunstable
LU63SN

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+441582758844

Website

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