Guidance
Business Guidance Library
Browse 19 guides across all business topics and sectors.
Tax & Finance 4
Business taxation, accounting, and financial management
Cancel your VAT registration
How to deregister for VAT, including when you must notify HMRC, completing your final VAT return, and accounting for VAT on stock and assets you keep.
Read guide →Close your PAYE scheme
How to permanently close your PAYE scheme with HMRC, including final FPS submission, issuing P45s to all employees, paying outstanding tax and National Insurance, and understanding scheme reopening rules.
Read guide →Corporation tax loss relief
How to use trading losses to reduce your company's corporation tax bill. Covers carry-back, carry-forward, group relief, terminal loss relief, and anti-avoidance rules.
Read guide →File your final Self Assessment return
How to file your final Self Assessment tax return when you stop being self-employed. Covers deadlines, tax calculations, overlap relief, terminal loss relief, capital allowances, and record-keeping requirements.
Read guide →Employment & HR 3
Hiring, managing staff, and employment law compliance
Make employees redundant when closing your business
How to make employees redundant when closing your business. Covers statutory redundancy pay calculations, consultation requirements, notice periods, and what happens if your business becomes insolvent before you can pay employees.
Read guide →Manage redundancies correctly
How to make employees redundant fairly and legally. Covers collective consultation requirements, fair selection criteria, statutory redundancy pay calculations for 2025/26, and Northern Ireland differences.
Read guide →TUPE: protecting employees during business transfers
How the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 protect employees when a business changes hands. Covers when TUPE applies, what rights transfer automatically, information and consultation requirements, ETO reasons for changes, and due diligence for buyers.
Read guide →Compliance & Legal 3
Regulatory compliance, legal requirements, and governance
Avoid wrongful trading as a company director
How directors can avoid personal liability for wrongful trading under section 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Covers the legal test, the "every step" defence, and what to do when your company faces insolvency.
Read guide →Company rescue and insolvency options
Comprehensive guide to insolvency procedures for UK limited companies facing financial distress. Covers rescue options (CVA, administration), solvent closure (MVL), and insolvent liquidation (CVL, compulsory winding up). Includes directors' duties, personal liability risks, and when to seek professional advice.
Read guide →Creditor priority in company insolvency
The order in which creditors are paid when a company goes into liquidation or administration. Covers fixed and floating charges, preferential debts, the prescribed part, and what unsecured creditors can expect.
Read guide →Business Structure 3
Choosing and setting up business structures
Dissolve a business partnership
How to wind up a general partnership, settle debts, notify HMRC, and fulfil your final tax obligations when ending the business.
Read guide →Stop being self-employed
How to close your sole trader business, notify HMRC, and complete your final Self Assessment tax return. Includes deadlines, VAT deregistration, record keeping, and claiming terminal loss relief.
Read guide →Strike off your limited company
How to voluntarily close your limited company using the DS01 form. Covers eligibility requirements, fees, director signatures, notification duties, and what happens to remaining assets. Includes guidance on the Gazette publication process and how to withdraw an application.
Read guide →Premises & Operations 2
Business premises, locations, and operational setup
Leave your business premises
How to end a commercial lease, including break clauses, dilapidations, and ongoing rates liability.
Read guide →Selling property listed as community value
What happens when you want to sell a property that has been listed as an Asset of Community Value. Covers the moratorium process, your rights as owner, exemptions, and how to claim compensation for losses.
Read guide →Growth & Strategy 3
Business planning, marketing, and scaling
Close a solvent company using Members' Voluntary Liquidation
How to close a profitable limited company using Members' Voluntary Liquidation (MVL) to distribute remaining assets to shareholders with tax-efficient capital treatment. Covers the declaration of solvency, liquidator appointment, tax implications, and when MVL is better than strike-off.
Read guide →Director disqualification - what you need to know
How company directors can be disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, the grounds for disqualification (sections 2-10), disqualification periods from 2 to 15 years, and the serious consequences of acting while disqualified.
Read guide →Keep business records after closing
Record retention requirements that continue after your business closes. Covers how long to keep tax records, employment documents, contracts, and company accounts after ceasing trade, with penalties for non-compliance.
Read guide →Other Guidance 1
Guides that span multiple topics or haven't been categorised yet.
Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief for farms
How Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) work for farms and agricultural estates. Understand the thresholds, qualifying criteria, calculate your potential liability, and plan your succession effectively.
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