Editorial Policy

Independence and purpose

Our recommendations are based on what we believe is genuinely useful for UK small businesses, not on commission rates. Our goal is to provide clear, actionable, and accurate financial guidance for sole traders, freelancers, and limited company directors.

Named authorship and specialist review

Every article on this site is written or reviewed by a named specialist. We assign authors based on subject-matter expertise:

• Tax, Corporation Tax, dividends and limited-company finance: reviewed by a specialist with accounting or tax expertise.
• Banking, credit cards and commercial offers: reviewed by a specialist with product-analysis and financial-services experience.
• Sole-trader, freelancer and business-formation guides: reviewed by an editor with direct UK small-business experience.

You can read full biographies on our Editorial Team page.

Research and sources

We rely on primary official sources for all factual claims:

• Tax and regulation: GOV.UK, HMRC, and Companies House.
• Financial regulation: Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
• Product details: Official provider terms and conditions, fee schedules, and pricing pages.

Where we make claims about rates, fees, thresholds, or eligibility, we link directly to the official source. We do not use third-party comparison sites or marketing summaries as our primary source of truth.

How we review financial products

We evaluate business bank accounts, credit cards, and software based on utility for specific business types. Our review methodology includes checking standard fees, hidden fees (like FX markups and cash deposit charges), eligibility criteria, and regulatory protection. We compare products against their direct competitors to highlight who they suit best, and just as importantly, who they do not suit.

Read our full product review methodology.

How calculators are built

Our calculators use the same central tax-data module that feeds our editorial articles. Tax rates, thresholds, and allowances are stored in a single source of truth and updated whenever HMRC or Companies House announce material changes. Each calculator page shows the tax year it applies to. We do not guarantee accuracy for complex personal circumstances; always verify with a qualified accountant.

Tax-data maintenance

Tax rates and thresholds are updated immediately after a Budget, Autumn Statement, or other material HMRC announcement. We then run a full site-wide data audit at the start of each new tax year to ensure all articles, calculators, and comparison tables reflect the current figures.

Product-data maintenance

Commercial product details (fees, eligibility, FSCS status, promotional offers) are reviewed at least every 30 days. Every product page and offer page carries a "last checked" date so you can see how current the information is.

Review frequency — the full hierarchy

We apply different review cadences depending on content type:

• Commercial offers and product data: every 30 days.
• Tax rates and regulatory data: immediately after material rule changes (Budgets, Autumn Statements, HMRC announcements), plus a full annual review at the start of each tax year.
• High-risk finance content (YMYL): every 3–6 months.
• General evergreen guides: every 6–12 months.
• Critical corrections: implemented immediately upon discovery or verification.

AI-assisted production

Some articles on this site are drafted with the assistance of AI tools. All AI-assisted content is reviewed, fact-checked, and approved by a named human editor before publication. AI tools are used to assist with drafting and structure; they do not determine editorial conclusions, product recommendations, or factual claims.

Affiliate and commercial relationships

We earn a commission when readers apply for certain products via our affiliate links. This is how we keep the site free to use. Our commercial partnerships do not influence our editorial conclusions. We clearly label affiliate links and commercial pages. See our full Affiliate Disclosure.

Conflicts of interest

We write about products with which we have no commercial relationship. Where we do have a commercial relationship, we disclose it clearly. If a product is not suitable for a particular business type, we say so, regardless of whether we earn a commission.

Corrections

If something is wrong, please let us know via our contact page. We investigate all reports promptly. See our full Corrections Policy for details on how we handle material changes and log them publicly.

What we will not do

• Guarantee approval for credit products or accounts.
• Describe financial products as "free money" or "risk-free".
• Tell you to apply — only you can decide what is right for your business.
• Provide regulated financial, tax, or legal advice.
• Use AI-generated content without human editorial review and approval.