Pay the tax you owe. Not a penny more.
There is a fundamental difference between tax evasion — which is illegal — and tax planning — which is not only legal but the mark of a well-advised business and a well-managed personal financial position. Hulljady Chartered Accountants provides proactive, joined-up tax planning that ensures every decision you make — in your business and in your personal finances — is made with full knowledge of its tax consequences, and structured to minimise them wherever the law allows.
WHAT WE DO
Tax planning services for individuals and businesses
From straightforward annual tax reviews to complex multi-party transactions and long-term wealth structuring, Hulljady provides tax planning advice that is always practical, always grounded in your real circumstances, and always coordinated across every tax head.
Business Tax Planning
A proactive annual review of your corporation tax position — identifying opportunities to accelerate deductions, defer income, maximise capital allowances, and structure your profits in the most tax-efficient way. We look at the full picture — not just what happened in the year but what you can do differently going forward.
Personal Tax Planning
Coordinated advice on income tax, National Insurance, and the interaction between your business and personal finances — covering salary and dividend strategy, pension contributions, ISA maximisation, and the timing of any significant personal transactions.
Capital Gains Tax Planning
CGT rates increased significantly in the October 2024 Budget, making planning more important than ever. We advise on the timing of disposals, the use of the annual exempt amount, gift hold-over and rollover reliefs, Business Asset Disposal Relief, and the most tax-efficient way to transfer assets between spouses and civil partners.
Inheritance Tax Planning
With the nil-rate band frozen and estates growing in value, more families than ever are facing IHT bills they could have legally reduced with proper planning. We review your IHT exposure, model the impact of different strategies — gifting, trusts, Business Relief, pension legacy planning — and build a plan that protects your estate for the next generation.
Remuneration Planning
For director-shareholders, the most significant tax planning opportunity is often the structure of their own remuneration — the balance between salary, dividends, pension contributions, and other benefit strategies. We model the optimal structure every year and adjust it as tax rates, allowances, and personal circumstances change.
Transaction & Restructuring Tax Advice
Tax planning for significant transactions — business sales, acquisitions, property deals, group restructurings, and share schemes — where the tax consequences of getting the structure wrong can be substantial and largely irreversible. We advise before the transaction, not after it is too late to change anything.
KEY FIGURES
2025/26 KEY TAX RATES & ALLOWANCES
The rates and allowances that shape your tax planning for 2025/26
Effective tax planning starts with knowing the landscape — the rates, the thresholds, and the allowances that determine how much you pay and where the opportunities lie.
Corporation Tax — 19% to 25% Small profits rate of 19% on profits up to £50,000, main rate of 25% on profits above £250,000, with marginal relief between. The gap between the small profits rate and the main rate — six percentage points — creates a meaningful incentive to manage profit levels within a group or across associated companies.
Income Tax — 20%, 40%, 45% Basic rate of 20% on income between £12,571 and £50,270, higher rate of 40% on income between £50,271 and £125,140, and additional rate of 45% above £125,140. The personal allowance is tapered to zero for income above £100,000 — creating an effective 60% marginal rate between £100,000 and £125,140 that planning can significantly reduce.
Capital Gains Tax — 18% and 24% Following the October 2024 Budget, CGT rates on most assets increased to 18% for basic rate taxpayers and 24% for higher and additional rate taxpayers. Business Asset Disposal Relief remains available at 10% on qualifying disposals up to a lifetime limit of £1 million, though this relief is less generous than it once was.
Inheritance Tax — 40% IHT is charged at 40% on the value of an estate above the nil-rate band of £325,000, plus the residential nil-rate band of up to £175,000 where a main residence passes to direct descendants. A reduced rate of 36% applies where at least 10% of the net estate is left to charity.
Note: The £100,000 to £125,140 band where the personal allowance is withdrawn creates an effective marginal income tax rate of 60% — one of the highest in the developed world and one that relatively few taxpayers are aware of. Hulljady actively plans around this band for all affected clients, typically using pension contributions or other reliefs to reduce income below £100,000 and restore the full personal allowance.
HOW WE WORK
Tax planning built around your circumstances and your goals
Tax planning is not a product — it is an ongoing conversation between you and your adviser about your goals, your current position, and the most efficient route between the two. Hulljady structures its tax planning work around where you are and where you are trying to get to.
Annual Tax Review — All Clients
A structured annual review of your personal and business tax position — identifying planning opportunities for the current and upcoming tax year, reviewing the effectiveness of strategies put in place previously, and adjusting for any changes in tax legislation or personal circumstances. Included as standard for all Hulljady clients on an ongoing engagement.
Remuneration Planning — Director-Shareholders
Annual modelling of the optimal salary, dividend, and pension combination for owner-managed business directors — taking account of the current corporation tax rate, personal tax rates, National Insurance thresholds, and pension annual allowance. Updated every year as rates and circumstances change.
Capital Gains Tax Planning
Pre-disposal planning for significant asset sales — property, business interests, investments, or other capital assets. We advise on timing, structure, available reliefs, and the interaction with your wider tax position before any transaction is entered into. Post-disposal tax return preparation and payment planning included.
Inheritance Tax Review & Planning
A comprehensive review of your IHT exposure - current estate value, available reliefs and exemptions, existing planning in place, and the impact of recent or anticipated legislative changes. Followed by a written IHT plan setting out recommended strategies with projected impact on your estate.
Transaction Tax Planning
Tax structuring advice for specific transactions - business sales, acquisitions, MBOs, property deals, or significant investments. We advise on the tax-efficient structure before the transaction is agreed, coordinate with your solicitor during negotiation, and manage the post-transaction tax reporting.
Trust & Estate Planning
Advice on the use of trusts — discretionary trusts, interest in possession trusts, and bare trusts — as part of an IHT and estate planning strategy. Coordinated with your solicitor for trust deed preparation and with your financial planner for investment strategy within the trust.
WHY HULLJADY
Tax planning that looks at everything at once
The most common failure in tax planning is treating each tax in isolation. An adviser who focuses solely on corporation tax may recommend a strategy that creates a personal tax problem. One who focuses only on IHT may overlook the CGT consequences of a gifting strategy. Planning one tax without considering the others is not planning — it is shifting the problem.
At Hulljady, we plan across every tax simultaneously — corporation tax, income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, VAT, and National Insurance — because the interactions between them are where the most significant opportunities and the most significant risks lie. Our advice is always joined up, always forward-looking, and always grounded in your actual numbers rather than theoretical examples.
- Planning across all taxes simultaneously — no blind spots, no unintended consequences
- Forward-looking advice delivered before decisions are made — not after they cannot be undone
- Personal and business tax planned together — because they are not separate
- All advice grounded in your real numbers — not generic tax tips
- Proactive communication when legislation changes affects your position
- Recommendations in plain language — you understand what we are doing and why
COMMON QUESTIONS
Tax Planning — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between tax planning, tax avoidance, and tax evasion?
Tax planning is the legal arrangement of your financial affairs to minimise your tax liability using reliefs, exemptions, and structures that Parliament has deliberately made available. It is entirely legal and is what every well-advised individual and business does. Tax avoidance refers to arrangements that technically comply with the letter of the law but are contrary to its spirit — typically aggressive schemes that HMRC challenges under the General Anti-Abuse Rule or specific anti-avoidance legislation. Tax evasion is the illegal concealment of income or assets to reduce a tax liability. Hulljady practises and recommends only legitimate tax planning — using the reliefs and allowances that HMRC itself publishes and that Parliament has legislated for.
When is the right time to start tax planning?
The right time is always before a decision is made — not after. A business sale that is structured tax-efficiently from the outset can save hundreds of thousands of pounds compared with one where tax is considered only when the deal is already agreed. A pension contribution decision made in March can save thousands compared with the same decision made in May after the tax year has closed. The earlier planning begins, the more options are available and the greater the potential saving. Hulljady recommends beginning every engagement with a comprehensive tax review so that planning opportunities are identified while there is still time to act on them.
Can Hulljady help reduce my personal tax bill as well as my business tax?
Yes — and this is where the most significant planning typically lies. For owner-managed businesses, the boundary between personal and business tax is not a barrier — it is a planning opportunity. The way profit is extracted from the company, the pension contributions made in the company's name, the assets held personally or corporately, and the timing of capital transactions all affect both the business tax position and the personal tax position simultaneously. Hulljady plans across both — because the optimal strategy for one cannot be determined without considering the other.
How much could tax planning realistically save my business?
This varies enormously depending on your current position and whether previous planning has been carried out. For a new client who has had purely compliance-focused accountancy advice — returns filed accurately but no proactive planning — it is common to identify savings of several thousand to several tens of thousands of pounds per year through a combination of remuneration restructuring, pension planning, capital allowances optimisation, and timing strategies. The first step is always a comprehensive tax review, which Hulljady provides as part of every new client onboarding. We will tell you honestly what we find and what the realistic savings are.
Does tax planning become more or less important as my business grows?
More important — significantly. A sole trader with modest profits has relatively limited planning opportunities. An owner-managed limited company with profits above the small profits rate threshold, significant capital assets, employees on payroll, and a director drawing salary and dividends has a complex tax position where proactive planning consistently produces material savings. As the business grows further — acquiring other businesses, holding property, bringing in shareholders, or planning for sale — the complexity and the opportunity both increase. The businesses that grow most tax-efficiently are those that have had a planning-focused adviser from early in their growth.
What happens when the tax rules change?
Tax legislation changes every year — sometimes significantly, as with the CGT rate increases in October 2024, the corporation tax rate changes in April 2023, and the forthcoming IHT pension changes in April 2027. When legislation changes, Hulljady proactively reviews the impact on every affected client and recommends any adjustments to existing strategies. We do not wait for the annual review — if a change requires immediate action, we contact affected clients as soon as the legislation is confirmed. Staying ahead of legislative change is one of the most valuable aspects of an ongoing tax planning relationship.
READY TO GET STARTED?
Every year you wait is a year of unnecessary tax paid.
Book a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our chartered accountants. We will review your current tax position across your business and personal finances, identify the planning opportunities that are available to you right now, and give you a clear picture of what a properly planned tax strategy could save.