Free tools and practical UK guidance
Accounting Tools & Resources for Small Businesses
Work out an estimated tax figure, check an HMRC deadline, improve your bookkeeping or understand your next business decision. This resource centre brings Path Accountants' free calculators and plain-English guides together for London and UK business owners.
- 10 free tools
- UK tax-focused
- Clear next steps
Choose your starting point
Find the right accounting resource for the decision in front of you
A calculator is useful when you need an estimate. A guide is better when you need to understand the rules. If the answer depends on your records, business structure or wider circumstances, use the result as a starting point and ask an accountant to review the detail.
Ask a common accounting questionFree accounting tools
Calculate, check and plan with more confidence
Use the filters or search by the task you are trying to complete. Every tool opens on its own page with its assumptions and relevant next steps.
RECORDS & CONTROLS
Bookkeeping Health Check
Answer 10 questions to receive an instant bookkeeping score, category breakdown and prioritised action list.
- No email required
- Handles non-applicable questions
DEADLINES
HMRC Tax Deadline Calendar
Find key UK filing and payment dates for Self Assessment, VAT, Corporation Tax, PAYE and company accounts.
- Filter by obligation
- See what each deadline means
PERSONAL TAX
UK Income Tax Calculator
Estimate Income Tax and National Insurance from your annual earnings, then see the approximate amount left after deductions.
- Plain-English breakdown
- Useful for quick estimates
PAY & SALARY
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Estimate net pay after Income Tax and National Insurance deductions.
Calculate take-home paySOLE TRADERS
Self-Employed Tax Calculator
Estimate tax and National Insurance from self-employed profit.
Estimate self-employed taxLIMITED COMPANIES
Corporation Tax Calculator
Estimate Corporation Tax from a company's taxable profit.
Estimate Corporation TaxVAT
VAT Calculator
Add VAT to a net amount or remove VAT from a gross amount.
Calculate VATDIRECTORS & SHAREHOLDERS
Dividend Tax Calculator
Estimate personal tax on dividend income using the tool's stated assumptions.
Estimate dividend taxPAY & PENSIONS
Salary Sacrifice Calculator
Compare an estimated payslip before and after a salary sacrifice.
Compare salary sacrificeBUSINESS STRUCTURE
Incorporation Cost Estimator
Explore the potential costs involved in forming and running a limited company.
Estimate incorporation costsTry a broader term, browse all tools, or ask us which resource fits your question.
Important: Online results are estimates, not a tax calculation or personalised advice. Check the tax year and assumptions shown on the individual tool before relying on a result.
Small-business accounting guides
Understand the rule before you make the decision
Follow a topic from the basic question to the relevant deadline, cost or accounting service. These guides use UK terminology and are written for business owners rather than accounting professionals.
STARTING & STRUCTURING
Choose how your business will operate
Compare common structures and understand what changes when you form a limited company.
BOOKKEEPING
Keep useful and complete financial records
Learn what good bookkeeping includes, what it may cost and how to improve a weak process.
SELF ASSESSMENT
Prepare for your personal tax return
Find the registration steps, filing deadline and common expenses relevant to self-employed income.
VAT & MTD
Understand VAT registration and digital records
Check the threshold, compare the Flat Rate Scheme and learn how Making Tax Digital affects record keeping.
PAYROLL
Understand the documents behind employee pay
Get plain-English explanations of PAYE, payroll numbers and the records employees receive.
ACCOUNTING DECISIONS
Know when professional support may be worthwhile
Compare costs, warning signs and the practical difference between DIY accounting and using an accountant.
For London business owners
Turn a useful estimate into a better accounting decision
A free tool can tell you what a figure may look like. It cannot check whether every transaction is correctly recorded, whether a relief applies, or whether another route would suit your business better. Path Accountants provides accounting support from its Wembley office and remotely across London.
A simple route to an answer
Use the resource that matches the stage of your question
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01
ESTIMATE
Start with a free tool
Get an indicative figure, score or date without waiting for a call.
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02
UNDERSTAND
Read the related guide
Check the definitions, conditions and common mistakes behind the result.
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03
VERIFY
Compare it with your records
Confirm that the information entered is complete and from the right period.
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04
ACT
Get help when it is personal
Ask an accountant to review decisions that depend on your full circumstances.
Choose support by task
Know the problem but not the service?
Start with the job that needs doing. Each service page explains what is included, who it suits and what information may be required.
Using these resources
Questions about the tools and guidance
The short answer is here. Follow the relevant link when you need the full explanation or want help applying it.
Browse all accounting FAQsAre the accounting tools free to use?
Yes. The calculators, deadline calendar and bookkeeping self-assessment linked on this page can be used without paying a fee. Review the individual tool's assumptions because an online estimate cannot account for every business or personal circumstance.
Can I use a calculator result to file a tax return?
A calculator result is an estimate, not a completed tax calculation or return. Filing normally requires accurate records, the correct tax-year rules and consideration of relevant income, expenses, reliefs and payments. Use the result for planning, then verify it against your records.
Which tool should a new small business use first?
Start with the incorporation cost estimator if you are comparing structures, or the bookkeeping health check if you are already trading. The tax deadline calendar is useful once you know which filing and payment obligations apply to the business.
Do these resources replace an accountant?
No. They help answer general questions, estimate figures and identify next steps. Professional support becomes more valuable when records need checking, several taxes interact, a filing is due, or the decision could materially affect the business.
Are the guides only for businesses in London?
The tax and accounting guides are written for UK readers. Path Accountants is based in Wembley and provides remote support across London and the wider UK, so London business owners can move from a general resource to local accounting help when needed.
How do I know which tax year a calculator uses?
Check the heading, input notes, assumptions or result explanation on the individual calculator page. Tax bands and allowances can change, so do not assume an older saved result applies to a later tax year.
Check current rules before acting
UK tax rules, thresholds and deadlines can change. Use the date and assumptions shown on each Path resource, and confirm current requirements with GOV.UK tax guidance or an accountant before filing or making a material decision.
THE TOOL GAVE YOU A NUMBER. NOW CHECK WHAT IT MEANS.
Get a clear accounting next step for your business
Tell us what you are trying to work out. We will explain the information needed, the likely scope of work and the fee before you decide.