The Ledgers blog
Accounting, in plain English.
Straight answers to the money questions every UK founder runs into — and how to keep clean books without becoming a bookkeeper.
Accounting for non-accountants
Plain-English answers to the questions every UK founder eventually asks.
30 guidesRun your books
How to keep clean books — bank feeds, VAT, invoicing, payroll, year-end — without becoming a bookkeeper.
32 guidesManaging investors
Getting investor-ready, surviving the raise, and reporting like a pro afterwards.
21 guidesStart here
Latest
First-cheque compliance: the UK registrations and deadlines a funded startup can't miss
Just incorporated and taken your first cheque? Here are the HMRC and Companies House registrations and deadlines a funded UK startup must not miss — Corporation Tax, PAYE, VAT, confirmation statement and SEIS/EIS.
9 min readJust got funded: setting upJust raised your first cheque? The 30-day finance setup checklist for UK startups
You've graduated the accelerator and the money's landed. Here's exactly what to set up in your first 30 days — bank account, accounting software, registrations and records — so your finances are right from day one.
9 min readJust got funded: setting upOpening your startup's business bank account: UK process, documents, and how to choose
The business bank account is the foundation everything else sits on. Here's the UK process, the documents you need, how long it takes, and how to choose between neobanks and high-street banks for a newly funded startup.
8 min readJust got funded: setting upWhat to look for in accounting software as a funded UK startup
A funded startup needs things a freelancer doesn't — SEIS/EIS records, investor reporting, runway, multi-founder access. Here's the buyer's checklist for choosing accounting software after you raise, for UK startups.
8 min readSwitching / comparisonBest accounting software for non-accountants UK
Most "best accounting software" lists rank tools for bookkeepers. This one ranks them for non-accountants. The criteria that actually matter, an honest look at Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage — and where Ledgers fits.
7 min readGetting paid / invoicingHow to chase late-paying customers (without the awkward email)
Chasing overdue invoices is the job every founder dreads. Here's how automatic payment reminders and statements in Ledgers chase late-paying customers for you — politely, on time, every time.
4 min readVATHow to do a VAT return for the first time
Filing your first VAT return? Here's exactly what to expect, what counts, a box-by-box walkthrough, and the first-return quirks like pre-registration VAT — plus how Ledgers builds the whole thing for you.
6 min readVATHow to file a VAT return (without an accountant)
Filing a VAT return yourself isn't as scary as it sounds. Here's how to do it step by step under Making Tax Digital — and how Ledgers builds the return for you, checks it, and submits to HMRC.
6 min readAfter the raiseHow to keep multiple investors updated (without 12 separate emails)
Raised from a dozen angels and SEIS investors? Here's how to keep them all updated without sending 12 separate emails — one source of truth, scoped access for each.
5 min read