For Finances Sake (FFS)

How should you really pay yourself as a UK limited company director?
In this episode of FFS For Finance’s Sake, Chartered Accountant and Managing Director Rachael Chadwick-Harrison shares the March Tax Planning Secrets most business owners never hear. 
Rachael explains why March is the most important month in the tax year, how to avoid the brutal 60% tax trap over £100,000, and why extraction planning should be done with precision, not guesswork. She breaks down the four types of company director, from the “lone wolf” to the “fully loaded”, and shows how employment allowance, corporation tax bands, and household income all change the answer.
If you’re wondering whether you’re paying yourself tax efficiently, this episode is your starting point.

If you’ve ever felt like your business has gone from dream partner to high-maintenance nightmare, this episode is for you. 
Rachael is joined by James Brookes, founder of Llumor Systems Ltd, who’s coming up to his first year in business. Together, they get brutally honest about what really happens once the honeymoon phase is over: the 3am wake-ups, the chaos you didn’t plan for, the systems you wish you’d put in place sooner, and the clients that make you question all your life choices. 
But it’s not all doom and gloom. This is also about what changes when you get clearer on your value, your ideal clients, and your why and how that’s often the turning point where businesses (and founders) start to enjoy things again.

Have you ever felt like the business you built no longer feels like yours?
In this episode of FFS, Beth is joined by Managing Director and Chartered Accountant Rachael Chadwick Harrison to talk honestly about falling out of love with your business and how to rebuild it in a smarter, stronger way.
From hiring and delegation to leadership and buying back your time, Rachael shares practical, real-world advice to help business owners step out of overwhelm and back into control.
If your business feels heavy, this episode is for you.

Your first VAT return can set the tone for your relationship with HMRC. In this episode Rachael is joined by accountant Charlie to unpack the myths, mistakes, and scrutiny that often come with a business’s very first VAT submission.
From what you can actually reclaim to why HMRC pays closer attention to first returns, this episode is essential listening for any newly VAT-registered business wanting to get it right from day one!

In this episode things are a little different as Rachael is firmly in the hot seat and is joined by her business coach Emma Slack for a candid conversation recorded live as part of an AVN webinar.
Following a standout year in which Rachael was recognised with the Changing Lives and High Profile Practice awards, alongside the overall title of Most Inspiring Accountant, Emma puts Rachael under the spotlight to unpack what really sits behind that success.
From starting a firm in her back bedroom during a pandemic, to building a 16-strong, award-winning practice, this episode dives into visibility, awards, marketing, culture and the realities of scaling a firm without losing your values. 
If you’re an accountant wondering how to raise your profile, build a high-profile practice, or simply want a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to stand out in today’s profession, this episode is for you.

In this episode of FFS: For Finance’s Sake, I’m unpacking what you can and definitely can’t get away with at Christmas as a business owner. From staff gifts and festive perks to office parties, Prosecco, cash in sparkly envelopes, and those “it’ll be fine, surely?” moments.
We’ll also cover Christmas parties, what’s allowable, what tips it over the edge, and how one extra pound can make the whole thing taxable.
So before you reach for the company card, pour a drink, grab your receipts, and let’s make sure your Christmas generosity doesn’t turn into a January tax headache.

In this new Women at Work miniseries on FFS – For Finances Sake, we’re stripping back the polished LinkedIn gloss and diving into the real experiences women face in the workplace.
In this episode, Rachael sits down with Joanna, Senior Accountant at Chadwick Accountants, who shares her incredible journey whilst navigating male-dominated environments, pay imbalances, childcare pressures, and those subtle (and not-so-subtle) barriers women still face at work.

I’m joined by none other than Shaun Caddick: AAT Rising Star finalist, certified wizard of Dext/QuickBooks/Xero, and one of the sharpest young talents at Chadwick Accountants. Shaun breaks down exactly why bookkeeping is the unsung hero of business, how consistency saves your sanity, and why the right tech can turn hours of admin into a quick snap-and-done moment.

Unless you’ve been living under a tax-free rock, you’ll know the government has finally dropped the Autumn Budget… in November… late, lumpy, leaked and, frankly, not great.
After weeks of warnings that a financial hurricane was coming, what we actually got was heavy rain, a bit of wind and somehow they still managed to steal your wallet while you were looking the other way.
In today’s episode, we’re breaking down the headlines and the hidden traps: frozen tax thresholds disguised as kindness, a pension punch that hits both employers and employees, wage rises that sound supportive but push prices up, a push away from property and pensions toward the stock market, electric-car chaos, customs-duty contradictions, and enough sneaky tax tweaks to make your spreadsheet cry.
This Budget might not have blown your house down, but it is a masterclass in how to mug you with a smile.

Today we’re diving into a topic that many people avoid until it’s too late: pensions! how they work, what’s changing, and how to plan properly for the future.
I’m joined by Tony Ross, Chartered Financial Planner and founder of Velocity Financial Planning. With over 15 years of experience, Tony specialises in guiding people through the major life transitions that shape their financial decisions.
In this episode, we cover the 2027 pension changes, inheritance tax concerns, annuities, drawdown worries, defined benefit transfers, and the mindset shift from saving to spending. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re on track or what “on track” even means, this one’s for you.