Startup and tech tax, explained.
SaaS and Tech Finance · 7 min read
Founder Salary vs Dividends 2026/27: The Optimal Mix Under the New Rates
Dividend tax is 10.75%, 35.75% and 39.35% for 2026/27. Worked examples of the optimal founder salary and the salary-dividend mix under the FA 2026 rates.
Research and Development · 5 min read
The R&D Claim Collapse: What HMRC's Compliance Clampdown Means for Tech Founders
R&D claims fell 26.4% to 46,950 in 2023-24 as HMRC's clampdown bit. What the collapse means for tech founders claiming relief, with official HMRC figures.
Startup Compliance · 5 min read
UK Tech Companies Are Being Born Faster Than Ever: The Formation Data
New UK software company formations rose 293.9% from 2016 to 2025 and are running 76.8% up year-on-year. The formation and tax-year seasonality data, explained.
Startup Compliance · 6 min read
What Share of UK Tech Startups Survive 5 Years? The Real ONS Numbers
37.0% of UK tech companies born in 2019 survived five years, slightly below the 38.4% all-industry rate. What the ONS cohort data means for founders.
SEIS and EIS · 6 min read
Where UK Startup Equity Money Actually Goes: SEIS and EIS by Sector and Region
HMRC's SEIS/EIS statistics show which sectors and regions raise tax-advantaged equity, dominated by Information and Communication and London/South East.
SEIS and EIS · 5 min read
EIS3 and SEIS3 Certificates Explained: What Founders Issue After the Compliance Statement
After HMRC accepts an EIS1 or SEIS1 compliance statement it issues EIS3 or SEIS3 certificates. What they are and how the company distributes them.
Share Schemes and EMI · 5 min read
EMI Annual Return and ERS Filing: a Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Every EMI scheme must register with HMRC and file an annual ERS return, including a nil return, by 6 July. Walkthrough, tables and filing checklist.
Share Schemes and EMI · 9 min read
EMI Disqualifying Events: The Complete Guide for Founders
A disqualifying event strips EMI tax advantages from future gains. Complete event map, tax-consequence window, and the BADR/CGT interaction explained.
Share Schemes and EMI · 8 min read
EMI Option Valuation and Grant Notification: The Founder's Complete Guide
How to value EMI options, agree AMV and UMV with HMRC Shares and Assets Valuation, and meet the 6 July ERS notification deadline, including nil returns.
Share Schemes and EMI · 8 min read
EMI Qualifying Company Rules: Does Your Company Pass All Six Tests?
EMI requires gross assets under £30m, fewer than 250 FTE and a qualifying trade. All six tests explained, plus the CSOP £60k fallback if you breach one.
Share Schemes and EMI · 8 min read
EMI vs CSOP: The Tax-Advantaged Option Fallback When You Outgrow EMI
EMI is the first-choice scheme for qualifying UK companies. When you outgrow it, CSOP gives up to £60,000 per employee. A plain comparison with trigger map.
Research and Development · 6 min read
ERIS and the 30% R&D Intensity Test: What Loss-Making Startups Need to Know
Loss-making SMEs with R&D spend of at least 30% of total expenditure qualify under ERIS. Worked example, intensity ratio, and 14.5% payable credit explained.
Share Schemes and EMI · 8 min read
Growth Shares and Unapproved Options Explained: Tax, Hurdles and s.431
How growth shares and unapproved options work under UK ERS rules, the hurdle mechanic, s.431 elections, CGT on exit and BADR. Figures sourced from gov.uk.
SEIS and EIS · 7 min read
How to Apply for SEIS/EIS Advance Assurance: A Founder's Walkthrough
Step-by-step guide to preparing and submitting an SEIS or EIS advance assurance application to HMRC. Document checklist, timeline, and common rejection causes.
Research and Development · 7 min read
The Merged R&D Scheme Explained for Software and SaaS Founders
From April 2024 a single 20% R&D expenditure credit replaced the old SME and RDEC schemes. How it works, who qualifies, and what software companies must do.
Share Schemes and EMI · 7 min read
Option Pool Basics for UK Founders: Tax and Compliance Guide
What an employee option pool is, how EMI grants work within it, the HMRC reporting rules and deadlines, and what to do when EMI no longer fits. UK tax guide.
Research and Development · 9 min read
The R&D Additional Information Form: a Step-by-Step Guide for UK Companies
The AIF must reach HMRC before your CT600 R&D claim or the claim is removed. A plain walkthrough of every section, with a worked software project example.
Research and Development · 6 min read
The R&D Claim Notification Deadline: The 6-Month Rule That Voids First-Time Claims
First-time R&D claimants must notify HMRC within 6 months of their accounting period end. Miss it and the claim is void. Timeline, table and worked example.
SaaS and Tech Finance · 7 min read
SaaS Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue: A UK Founder's Guide
How UK SaaS companies recognise subscription revenue, account for deferred income, and apply IFRS 15 or FRS 102. Worked examples included.
Share Schemes and EMI · 8 min read
Section 431 Elections Explained: The 14-Day Deadline Funded Startups Must Not Miss
A section 431 election must be made within 14 days of acquiring restricted securities. Miss it and future growth is taxed as income, not CGT. Worked example.
SEIS and EIS · 8 min read
Does Your Company Qualify for SEIS? The Founder Checklist
Pass/fail checklist for every SEIS company test: £250k raise cap, £350k gross assets, fewer than 25 FTE, 3 years of trade. Worked examples for edge cases.
SEIS and EIS · 5 min read
SEIS vs EIS Explained: Which Venture Capital Scheme Fits Your Raise?
SEIS and EIS compared on every axis: company raise limits, gross assets, employee count, investor relief rates and hold periods. Sourced from HMRC guidance.
SEIS and EIS · 7 min read
SEIS1 and EIS1 Compliance Statements: The Post-Round Filing That Unlocks Investor Relief
After an SEIS or EIS round, the company must file a compliance statement before investors can claim relief. The SEIS1/EIS1 to SEIS3/EIS3 process.
Research and Development · 9 min read
Does Your Software Development Qualify for R&D Tax Relief? An Honest Eligibility Guide
Plain-English guide to software R&D eligibility. The advance-in-science test, technological uncertainty, and what HMRC does not accept.
SaaS and Tech Finance · 7 min read
Startup CFO Pay and the Fractional CFO Question: A Funded Founder's Guide
Full-time vs fractional CFO for funded UK startups: what a CFO does, when you need one, cost drivers, and how tax and equity work fit the finance function.
Research and Development · 5 min read
Startup Grants and R&D Tax Relief: How They Interact
Does a grant cut your R&D tax relief? Under the merged scheme from April 2024 the subsidised-expenditure restriction was removed. What that means.
Share Schemes and EMI · 7 min read
Stock Vesting Explained for UK Founders: Schedules, Cliffs, Leavers and the Tax Angle
What vesting means for UK startup shares and options: cliffs, schedules, the tax at each stage, and where section 431 elections fit.
Startup Compliance · 5 min read
UK Startup Grants: A Landscape Guide for Founders
A clear map of UK startup grant funding: grant types, how grants compare to SEIS/EIS equity, and how grants interact with merged-scheme R&D relief.
Share Schemes and EMI · 5 min read
Agreeing Your EMI Valuation with HMRC: The VAL231 Process Explained
The VAL231 form URL is dead. Here is how to agree your EMI option valuation with HMRC Shares and Assets Valuation today, step by step.
SaaS and Tech Finance · 7 min read
VAT for SaaS: Place of Supply, the £90k Threshold and Overseas Revenue
Does overseas revenue count toward the UK VAT threshold for a SaaS company? Place-of-supply and B2B reverse charge rules explained for scaling founders.
Share Schemes and EMI · 8 min read
What Is an EMI Scheme? The Founder's Complete Guide to Enterprise Management Incentives
EMI scheme explained: what it is, who qualifies, the tax advantage, how to set one up, and how it compares to CSOP, growth shares and unapproved options.
Share Schemes and EMI · 3 min read
What is EMI? Enterprise Management Incentives Explained in Plain English
EMI is a tax-advantaged share option scheme for smaller UK companies. What it stands for, who qualifies, and the tax treatment in plain English.