Clarus Accountancy Group — Startup Support
Your first year in business is exciting, stressful, and usually a little chaotic. Between finding customers, setting up systems, and trying to stay afloat, it’s easy to overlook what HMRC expects from you — and that’s where many new businesses accidentally fall into penalties, missed deadlines, or messy financial habits.
At Clarus Accountancy Group, we help startups stay fully compliant from day one, so they can focus on growth instead of paperwork. Here’s everything HMRC wants from you in year one — and how to stay on the right side of the rules.
⭐ 1. Registering Your Business at the Right Time
Before you can trade properly, HMRC expects you to register your business correctly. This depends on your structure:
➡️ Sole Traders
You must register for Self Assessment by 5 October in your business’s second tax year.
➡️ Limited Companies
You must register for:
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Corporation Tax (within 3 months of starting)
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PAYE if employing staff
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VAT if turnover reaches the threshold (£90,000)
Clarus ensures you register on time — no last-minute panic, no missed forms.
⭐ 2. Keeping Accurate Financial Records
HMRC doesn’t just want numbers — they want clean, accurate, traceable records.
That includes:
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Sales invoices
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Purchase receipts
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Payroll records
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Bank statements
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Mileage logs (if applicable)
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VAT records
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Director expenses
Good record-keeping is the foundation of compliance.
Clarus sets you up with cloud accounting that tracks everything automatically.
⭐ 3. Understanding What You Can (and Can’t) Claim
Your first year is full of expenses — some allowable, some not.
HMRC allows claims for:
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Software and subscriptions
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Equipment and tools
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Travel for business
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Office costs
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Professional fees
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Training relevant to your trade
BUT there are rules.
Clarus ensures everything claimed is HMRC-compliant — and that you don’t miss out on legitimate deductions.
⭐ 4. Meeting Key HMRC Deadlines
Your first year includes several unmissable HMRC deadlines:
Limited Companies
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Company tax return (CT600)
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Corporation tax payment
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Confirmation statement
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Payroll submissions (RTI)
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VAT returns (if registered)
Sole Traders
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Self Assessment tax return
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Payment on account (if applicable)
Clarus tracks all your deadlines, submits everything for you, and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.
⭐ 5. Payroll & PAYE (If You’re Hiring)
The moment you employ someone — even part-time — HMRC requires you to:
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Register as an employer
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Run payroll under Real Time Information (RTI)
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Deduct tax and National Insurance
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Issue payslips
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Keep payroll records for 3+ years
We set your payroll up correctly and manage it monthly so you stay compliant without confusion.
⭐ 6. Avoiding Common First-Year Mistakes
Here are the traps we see new business owners fall into most often:
❌ Not separating personal and business expenses
❌ Forgetting to register for Corporation Tax
❌ Missing Self Assessment deadlines
❌ Poor record-keeping
❌ Not saving for tax
❌ Misreporting director’s loans
❌ Not registering for VAT early enough
With Clarus guiding you, you avoid every one of these.
⭐ 7. How Clarus Accountancy Group Keeps You Compliant (and Stress-Free)
We provide complete first-year support for startups, including:
✨ Company formation
✨ Registration with HMRC
✨ Cloud bookkeeping setup
✨ Monthly or quarterly reviews
✨ Tax planning
✨ Deadline tracking
✨ Ongoing compliance
✨ Director advice
✨ Payroll, VAT & CIS support
Your first year shouldn’t feel overwhelming — and with Clarus, it won’t.
Final Thoughts
The first year in business sets the tone for everything that comes after. Staying compliant with HMRC isn’t just about avoiding penalties — it’s about building a confident, organised financial foundation.
Clarus Accountancy Group helps you stay compliant, stay organised, and stay focused on what matters most: growing your business.