Afford Bond

Afford Bond Afford Bond is a leading independent firm of Chartered Accountants based in the North West servicing clients across the UK.

ENERGY BILLS: The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has urged households to take practical steps to manage rising bills ...
06/10/2026

ENERGY BILLS: The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has urged households to take practical steps to manage rising bills after the energy price cap rose by 4% on 1 October, adding £60 a year to a typical household’s energy costs.

The increase lifts the typical annual bill from £1,663 to £1,723.

The organisation, which runs the free MoneyHelper service, set out four steps for cutting costs: checking bills and submitting regular meter readings so charges stay accurate; comparing tariffs for a better deal; paying by direct debit, which is typically cheaper; and cutting consumption through simple measures such as using appliances’ eco settings, running full loads, switching off unused devices and checking for off-peak rates.

For small business clients, the same approach applies to commercial energy contracts: reviewing usage, querying meter readings and shopping around can help offset rising overheads, particularly for energy-intensive premises.
Talk to us about managing rising costs.

📞 01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞 01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞 0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻 Email [email protected]

MILLIONS IN CHILD TRUST FUNDS GO UNCLAIMEDHMRC has confirmed that almost three million Child Trust Fund accounts have no...
28/09/2026

MILLIONS IN CHILD TRUST FUNDS GO UNCLAIMED

HMRC has confirmed that almost three million Child Trust Fund accounts have now been claimed or transferred since maturity payments began in September 2020, but around 827,000 accounts remain unclaimed.

Child Trust Funds were set up for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, with the government making an initial deposit of at least £250 into each account. Accounts mature when the child turns 18, and the funds can then be withdrawn or reinvested elsewhere.

The average unclaimed account is now worth £2,310, HMRC said. Young people can trace a lost account for free using the GOV.UK Child Trust Fund locator tool, which asks for a National Insurance number and date of birth and takes around five minutes to complete online. Nearly 500,000 people used the tool in the nine months to August 2026, and most claims are paid out within three weeks of applying.

For clients with children who have recently turned 18, or who are approaching that age, checking for a forgotten Child Trust Fund could be a quick way to release existing savings.

Ask us about your family’s savings.

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

SURPRISE UK GROWTH LINKED TO AI BOOMThe UK economy grew faster than expected in July, with businesses’ growing use of ar...
23/09/2026

SURPRISE UK GROWTH LINKED TO AI BOOM

The UK economy grew faster than expected in July, with businesses’ growing use of artificial intelligence helping to drive the surprise expansion, according to official figures.

Gross domestic product expanded by 0.4% in July, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confounding analysts who had predicted no growth at all. It followed growth of 0.3% in June and no growth in May.

The expansion was driven largely by a strong performance in the services sector, particularly computer programming.

Read more https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/surprise-uk-growth-in-july-linked-to-ai-boom/

Talk to us about your finances

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

HMRC SENDS 1.8m TAX LETTERS FOR 2025/26HMRC has begun sending around 1.8 million Simple Assessment letters for the 2025/...
21/09/2026

HMRC SENDS 1.8m TAX LETTERS FOR 2025/26

HMRC has begun sending around 1.8 million Simple Assessment letters for the 2025/26 tax year, with the exercise running to December 2026 in stages.

The letters, officially known as PA302 notices, are sent to individuals whose income tax cannot be collected automatically through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) or Self Assessment.

Recipients typically include pensioners with unpaid tax on their state or private pension, savers with untaxed interest or dividend income, those with a second source of income, and anyone who received more tax-free allowance than they were entitled to.

https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/hmrc-sends-1-8m-tax-letters-for-2025-26/

Talk to us about your tax position

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

V**E SHOPS FACE DEADLINE FOR NEW DUTY SCHEMEV**e shops, manufacturers and importers have until the end of the month to s...
15/09/2026

V**E SHOPS FACE DEADLINE FOR NEW DUTY SCHEME

V**e shops, manufacturers and importers have until the end of the month to secure HMRC approval before a new va**ng duty and stamp scheme takes effect, or risk civil or criminal sanctions.

The va**ng products duty, announced at Budget 2024, is an excise on all va**ng liquids manufactured in or imported into the UK, regardless of ni****ne content.

From 1 October 2026, the duty will apply at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml, meaning a 2ml pod attracts 44p and a 10ml refill bottle £2.20.

Read more https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/vape-shops-face-deadline-for-new-duty-scheme/

Talk to us about your business

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

FUEL PRICES: UK petrol prices have risen to their highest level since the Iran war began in February, adding further pre...
07/09/2026

FUEL PRICES: UK petrol prices have risen to their highest level since the Iran war began in February, adding further pressure to business running costs.

The average price of petrol reached 163.6p per litre, according to the RAC, with diesel now at 184.99p per litre. Both remain below levels seen in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when petrol hit 191.5p and diesel 199p.

For business owners with fleet vehicles or delivery costs, rising fuel expenses can quickly affect cashflow and profit margins. A planned 5p rise in fuel duty, due in September, has been postponed until the end of December, offering some short-term relief.

Read more https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/fuel-prices-rise-again-as-oil-costs-climb/

Talk to us about your business costs. We're here to help:

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

PUB AND HOTEL BUSINESS RATES REVIEWThe Government has launched an independent review into how pubs and hotels are valued...
01/09/2026

PUB AND HOTEL BUSINESS RATES REVIEW

The Government has launched an independent review into how pubs and hotels are valued for business rates in England and Wales.

The review follows concerns after the 2026 revaluation, which came into effect on 1 April 2026. Median rateable values increased by 32.8% for pubs and 32.2% for hotels, compared with 15.4% across all sectors.

A property’s rateable value is one of the main factors used to calculate its business rates bill. For pubs and hotels, valuations can take into account factors such as trading performance, rents, and how comparable properties are valued.

The call for evidence closes on 16 October 2026.

Read more https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/government-reviews-pub-and-hotel-business-rates/

We're here to help:
📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

LANDLORDS' TAX RECORDS UNDER SCRUTINY HMRC is writing to some landlords after comparing information received from third ...
24/08/2026

LANDLORDS' TAX RECORDS UNDER SCRUTINY

HMRC is writing to some landlords after comparing information received from third parties with taxpayers’ existing tax records.
According to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the letters are being sent during August 2026.

HMRC says it receives information from sources including tenancy deposit schemes and is contacting people where this data appears inconsistent with information already held on their tax affairs.

Read more https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/hmrc-steps-up-checks-on-landlords-tax-records/

We're here to help:

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

UK ECONOMY GROWS: This economy was up 0.4% in the second quarter of 2026, maintaining a relatively solid pace despite hi...
17/08/2026

UK ECONOMY GROWS: This economy was up 0.4% in the second quarter of 2026, maintaining a relatively solid pace despite higher energy prices and wider economic uncertainty.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed growth was in line with economists’ expectations, although it slowed from 0.6% in the first three months of the year. GDP rose by 0.3% in June alone, following no growth in May – revised down from an earlier estimate of 0.1%.

Read more https://www.affordbond.co.uk/resources/blog/pw-news/uk-economy-grows-0-4-in-spring/

Talk to us about your business

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

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MAKING TAX DIGITAL: More than 500,000 self-employed people and landlords had signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for ...
10/08/2026

MAKING TAX DIGITAL: More than 500,000 self-employed people and landlords had signed up for Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax ahead of the first quarterly reporting deadline, according to HMRC.

However, that still left an estimated 364,000 taxpayers, more than 4 in 10 of those expected to be within scope, unregistered before the 7 August deadline.

Need help making the switch to MTD? Get in touch

📞01270 623731 (Nantwich)
📞01625 416380 (Wilmslow)
📞0161 526 1022 (Manchester)
💻Email [email protected]

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31 Wellington Road
Nantwich
CW57ED

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