Business Without BS

#UKBudget #Budget2026 #SoleTrader #BusinessWithoutBS #TaxUK

Was this really a budget for the sole trader?

The Budget landed on 28 October, and this is the Budget Without BS. Lots of small tweaks, most starting from April, nothing groundbreaking. But some of those small changes land hard on the people with no one to speak for them.

In this episode, Andy Oury (The Rebel Accountant) and Jemma Hotta (The Lovely Lawyer) break down what actually changed: 4.3 million sole traders facing quarterly filings and tax brought forward, a £3,000 tax-free side hustle for employees, a new Founders' Relief with a long list of hoops, another 2% on landlords and savers, and what the Budget chose not to do.
Why it matters: the headline rates didn't move, but frozen thresholds and earlier payments mean most business owners will pay more, and sooner. If you're a sole trader, a founder or a landlord, this is the bit nobody put on the front page.

A conversation with your accountant and your lawyer, without paying for the meeting. Real experience, practical lessons, no jargon.

🎯 In this episode, you'll hear:

• Our Budget predictions: who got it right?
• "The budget for the worker, the sole trader and the parent at the school gate", and what sole traders actually got
• Payments on account brought forward: an extra £23,000 to find on £100k profit
• The late payment bill: making big businesses pay small ones within 60 days
• ISAs: the full £20,000 back in cash, plus a new starter ISA
• Landlords and savings: +2%, up to 49%
• Founders' Relief: 10% CGT up to £10 million, if you clear the hoops
• R&D relief, BADR and why founders may look overseas
• Employment law and the unintended consequences
• Business rates relief for the high street
• EMI 2.0 and more generous CSOPs
• VAT for overseas businesses supplying the UK
• Your First Home: a 2.5% deposit equity loan, and the small print
• Is it legal to drink at the Budget box?

📌 Meet the hosts

Andy Oury is a Chartered Tax Adviser, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Oury Clark. Through The Rebel Accountant, he helps entrepreneurs understand tax, build better businesses and challenge common misconceptions about the economy.

Jemma Hotta is a lawyer and co-host of Business Without BS, bringing a legal perspective, sharp questions and a refreshingly practical approach to conversations about business.

🔗 Connect with the hosts:
Andy Oury – LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/

Jemma Hotta – LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemma-hotta/

🎧 Listen to Business Without BS wherever you get your podcasts:

▶ Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/business-without-bs/id1528844106
▶ Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6J1YMncmYCLODOKi8A0CFU
▶ Website
https://withoutbs.com

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with the experts you'd normally have to hire.
https://www.youtube.com/@bwblondon

This is general discussion, not professional advice. Many Budget measures are still in consultation and the detail may change. Speak to a qualified accountant or solicitor about your own situation.

Business Without BS is powered by Oury Clark.
Real-world business intelligence. No gurus. No fluff. No BS.

#CarrieJames #Insolvency #HMRC #BusinessWithoutBS #SmallBusiness

What actually happens when a business goes bust? And what should you do before it gets that far?

It's Halloween on Business Without BS, so we're tackling the thing every business owner is frightened of and almost nobody understands: insolvency.

Carrie James is an insolvency partner at Oury Clark. She spends her working life with directors at their hardest moment: rescuing businesses that can be saved, closing the ones that can't, and making sure creditors are treated fairly along the way.

In this episode, Carrie joins Andy Oury (The Rebel Accountant) and Jemma Hotta (The Lovely Lawyer) to take the hocus pocus out of insolvency: why HMRC quietly becomes your lender, what a personal guarantee can really cost you, and why the biggest mistake directors make is not making a decision at all.

Why it matters: most business failures don't start with one disaster. They start with unpaid PAYE and VAT, a director's loan account nobody's watching, or a personal guarantee signed years ago. The earlier you spot the problem, the more options you have.
A conversation with your accountant and your lawyer, without paying for the meeting. Two expert lenses, one business problem, no jargon.

🎯 In this episode, you'll hear:
• Why HMRC becomes a "silent lender", and why PAYE and VAT were never your money to trade with
• When a company is actually insolvent (it's not always when you think)
• What insolvency practitioners really do, and why calling one early can save your business
• The options, from a quiet negotiation to CVAs, pre-packs, administration and liquidation
• Can a personal guarantee cost you your family home?
• The overdrawn director's loan account trap
• Pre-packs and phoenixing: rescue or stitch-up?
• Time to pay with HMRC, and who gets paid first when a company fails
• How sole traders and suppliers can protect themselves when a customer goes bust
• Awake at 3am worrying about your business? What to do first thing in the morning
• Carrie's scariest appointment, and a Halloween round of Business or Hocus Pocus?

⏱ Chapters
00:00 Cold open
00:14 Welcome and meet Carrie James
03:18 Quickfire questions
08:34 The scariest thing in business
10:16 Why HMRC becomes the "silent lender"
13:39 When is a company actually insolvent?
17:05 Statutory demands, wrongful and fraudulent trading
23:08 What an insolvency practitioner really does
26:20 Your options: negotiation, CVAs, pre-packs and liquidation
33:41 Personal guarantees and the family home
40:10 Overdrawn director's loan accounts
45:51 Administration, pre-packs and phoenixing
53:05 HMRC, time to pay and who gets paid first
1:00:27 When your customer goes bust
1:09:14 Carrie's scariest appointment
1:14:48 Awake at 3am? What to do next
1:19:04 Business or Hocus Pocus?

📌 About our guest
Carrie James is an insolvency partner at Oury Clark, working with companies and individuals in financial distress. Her approach: stay calm, look at every option, and don't delay the decision. The sooner directors take advice, the easier the solution.

📌 Meet the hosts
Andy Oury is a Chartered Tax Adviser, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Oury Clark. Through The Rebel Accountant, he helps entrepreneurs understand tax, build better businesses and challenge common misconceptions about the economy.

Jemma Hotta is a lawyer and co-host of Business Without BS, bringing a legal perspective, sharp questions and a refreshingly practical approach to conversations about business.

🔗 Connect with the hosts:

Andy Oury – LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/

Jemma Hotta – LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemma-hotta/

🔗 Connect with the guest:

Carrie James – LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieannjames/

🎧 Listen to Business Without BS wherever you get your podcasts:

▶ Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/business-without-bs/id1528844106
▶ Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6J1YMncmYCLODOKi8A0CFU
▶ Website
https://withoutbs.com

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with the experts you'd normally have to hire.

https://www.youtube.com/@bwblondon

This is general discussion, not professional advice. If your business is in difficulty, speak to a licensed insolvency practitioner, accountant or solicitor about your own situation.

Business Without BS is powered by Oury Clark.
Real-world business intelligence. No gurus. No fluff. No BS.

Is AI about to replace accountants, or are we overlooking what makes human expertise so valuable?

This week on Business Without BS, Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta are joined by Lucy Cohen, co-founder of Mazuma, the youngest-ever President of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT), and a doctoral researcher investigating artificial intelligence in accounting and finance.

Lucy started Mazuma at just 23 with £100, a laptop and an idea that challenged the traditional accounting industry. Nearly two decades later, she's questioning another major transformation: the rise of AI.

But while businesses rush to automate everything, are we creating a bigger problem?

Lucy explores the dangers of AI-generated financial information, what she calls “deep fake accounting”, and why replacing experienced accountants could leave businesses exposed to mistakes they don't even know they're making.

The conversation also covers Making Tax Digital, the realities of running a small business, the challenges of changing established systems and why accountants need to demonstrate their value beyond spreadsheets and tax returns.

In this episode:

• Is AI really killing accounting?
• Why AI-generated numbers could create serious problems for businesses
• What is “deep fake accounting”?
• How Lucy built Mazuma with just £100
• Making Tax Digital: progress or unnecessary complexity?
• Why human judgement and experience still matter
• The future of accountants, entrepreneurs and professional services

Business Without BS brings you real-world business intelligence through honest conversations with people who challenge conventional thinking.

No gurus. No fluff. No BS.

Hosted by Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta.

Powered by Oury Clark.

Connect with the hosts:

Andy Oury: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/

Jemma Hotta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemma-hotta/

🔗 Connect with the guest:

Lucy Cohen – LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucycohen/

Lucy Cohen – Website

https://www.lucycohen.uk

Watch and follow Business Without BS:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bwblondon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwblondon/

Website: https://withoutbs.com

#UKBudget #BudgetPredictions #Tax #BusinessWithoutBS #TheRebelAccountant

What’s actually going to happen in the next Budget, and what’s just noise?

In this special episode of Business Without BS, Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta put the rumours, headlines and tax speculation under the microscope and make their predictions for the upcoming Budget.

From pensions and capital gains tax to wealth taxes, property, inheritance tax and frozen thresholds, they break down what they think could change, what probably won’t, and the consequences those decisions could have for entrepreneurs, business owners and taxpayers.

Think of this as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant, you just don't have to pay for it.Honest opinions, practical insights and no unnecessary jargon.

🎯 In this special episode, you'll hear:

• Why Andy and Jemma think pensions could be targeted

• Could Capital Gains Tax increase again?

• Will the UK actually introduce a wealth tax?

• Why a land value tax keeps entering the conversation

• Could stamp duty and council tax ever be replaced?

• Why frozen tax thresholds matter more than they might seem

• What could happen to dividend taxes and the self-employed

• Could inheritance tax be changed again?

• Why Andy believes the tax system needs long-term reform rather than constant tinkering

🔮 Their predictions?

Andy expects tax thresholds to remain frozen or become less generous, and doesn't expect a wealth tax.

Jemma expects further changes around pensions, but doesn't expect stamp duty land tax to disappear.

Now the question is: how much will they get right?

📌 About the hosts

Andy Oury is a Chartered Tax Adviser, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Oury Clark. Through The Rebel Accountant**, he challenges conventional thinking around tax, entrepreneurship and the economy.

Jemma Hotta brings the legal perspective to Business Without BS, cutting through the complexity behind the rules and what they mean in practice.

🎧 Listen to Business Without BS wherever you get your podcasts:

▶ Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/business-without-bs/id1528844106

▶ Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/6J1YMncmYCLODOKi8A0CFU

▶ Website
https://withoutbs.com

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with the experts you'd normally have to hire.

https://www.youtube.com/@bwblondon

The UK Budget is coming — but what’s actually likely to change, and what’s just speculation?

In this special episode of Business Without BS, Andy Oury and Jemma Hossa break down their predictions for the upcoming UK Budget, looking beyond the headlines at the tax changes that could affect individuals, entrepreneurs and business owners.

From pensions and Capital Gains Tax to wealth taxes, property taxes, inheritance tax and frozen thresholds, Andy and Jemma look at the options available to the government, what they think could realistically happen and the potential consequences.

Could pensions be targeted? Will Capital Gains Tax rise? Is a UK wealth tax realistic? Could stamp duty eventually disappear? And are frozen tax thresholds already functioning like a tax rise?

Think of this as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant — you just don’t have to pay for it.

In this episode:

• What could happen to pensions in the next Budget

• Capital Gains Tax — could rates rise again?

• Why wealth tax remains such a controversial proposal

• Stamp duty, council tax and the case for a land value tax

• Why frozen tax thresholds matter

• Inheritance tax and changing allowances

• The impact tax changes could have on entrepreneurs and SMEs

• Andy and Jemma make their Budget predictions

No political theatre. No unnecessary jargon. Just Business Without BS.

What does it really take to turn an idea into a consumer brand, and convince investors to back you before you've even finished the product?

Maya Bedeau is the founder of 'Onest Energy, a natural energy drink created to bring more transparency to a crowded category. Just eight months after launching, 'Onest won Best Sports & Energy Drink at the UK Soft Drinks Awards, competing against established brands with significantly more history and money behind them.

Maya joins Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta to talk about what building a physical consumer brand actually looks like behind the scenes - from raising £225,000 in early investment and establishing a valuation before launch, to manufacturing, distribution, marketing and finding the right audience.

They also get into the importance of authenticity in founder-led marketing, why your audience needs to see themselves represented in your brand, choosing investors for more than their money, and why listening to too many opinions can sometimes pull a founder away from the original vision.

And, of course, Maya faces Business or BS, with takes on first-mover advantage, revenue vs profit, VC investment, Bitcoin and more.

Think of this as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant, you just don't have to pay for it. Honest opinions, practical insights and no unnecessary jargon.

In this episode:

• Building a consumer brand from scratch

• Raising investment before having a finished product

• SEIS and early-stage startup funding

• How founders value a business before meaningful revenue

• Breaking into a crowded drinks market

• Finding and understanding your target audience

• Authenticity and founder-led marketing

• Building in public and putting your team on camera

• Choosing the right investors

• Why founders shouldn't listen to every opinion

• First-mover advantage and competing with established brands

• Revenue vs profit

• Business or BS

About Maya Bedeau

Maya Bedeau is the founder of 'Onest Energy, a natural energy drink brand focused on transparency and providing an alternative within the traditional energy-drink category. Before launching 'Onest, Maya spent years working inside another drinks startup, where she gained hands-on experience across marketing and the realities of running a small business.

Connect with Maya

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-bedeau-08951a109/

'Onest Energy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drinkonest/?hl=en

Connect with Business Without BS

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bwblondon

Website: https://withoutbs.com

Connect with Andy Oury

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/

What does it really mean to work for yourself?

There are around four million sole traders in the UK, yet they rarely get the same attention as employees, startups or big businesses. No paid holiday. No guaranteed salary. No corporate safety net. You find the work, do the work, chase the invoice — and then do it all again. That's exactly the world this episode explores.

This week, Andy Oury and Jemma Hotta are joined by Giulio Miglietta, a multidisciplinary artist, craftsman and long-time sole trader.

Giulio's route into business was anything but conventional. He arrived in London with around £200, couch-surfed and occasionally slept at Victoria Coach Station while trying to create a life and career for himself. His goal was deliberately to get uncomfortable, find opportunities and learn how to make things work.

That journey eventually took him through graphic design, illustration and lecturing before developing his own multidisciplinary embroidery studio and distinctive creative practice.

The conversation gets into the reality behind self-employment: independence, uncertainty, finding clients, building skills, standing out in a crowded creative market and choosing a career where there isn't always a safety net.

And because this is Business Without BS, there's also plenty that has absolutely nothing to do with sensible business advice — including why an Italian prefers tea to espresso and whether Giulio needs to find himself a vice.

In this episode:

• Giulio's journey from Italy to London with just £200

• Couch-surfing, squatting and deliberately choosing discomfort

• How struggle helped him develop determination and spot opportunities

• Building a career through transferable skills rather than following a traditional path

• Going from graphic design and illustration to becoming a sole trader

• Why independence is such a big part of self-employment

• The reality of having no paid holiday or traditional employee safety net

• Whether social media has made it easier or harder for young creatives to build careers

• Why standing out matters more than ever

• The forgotten role of craftspeople and sole traders in the economy

• Tea vs espresso — and Giulio's questionable status as an Italian

This episode also ties into The Rebel Accountant's Sole Trader Anthem — a rallying cry for the millions of people working for themselves across the UK.

Think of Business Without BS as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant — you just don't have to pay for it.

No unnecessary jargon. No corporate b****t. Just conversations about what running a business is actually like.

Everybody has an opinion on tax havens. But how many people actually understand what they do?

This week on Business Without Bullshit, Andy and Gemma are joined by Tom Dugdale, a lawyer who has led Harneys’ Offshore Funds team in the UK for the last eight years, working across jurisdictions including the BVI, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Jersey and beyond.

Together, they get beyond the headlines and ask what tax havens — or international finance centres, are actually for.

Are they simply places for the wealthy to hide money? Or are they an important piece of the plumbing behind international business, investment funds and the global economy?

They discuss why offshore structures exist, the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion, why “zero tax” doesn’t necessarily mean no tax is ever paid, the role offshore jurisdictions play in investment funds and pensions, and whether tax competition actually puts a useful limit on governments.

They also get into the Panama Papers, offshore secrecy and transparency, regulation and anti-money-laundering rules, America’s unusual position in the system, and the surprising history of Britain’s own offshore territories.

And there’s a bigger question underneath it all:

What would global finance actually look like without tax havens?

No slogans. No easy villains. Just a proper look at how the system actually works.

🎙️ Business Without Bullshit

Featuring Tom Dugdale, Andy and Jemma.

In this special episode of Business Without BS, Chartered Tax Adviser Andy Oury and commercial lawyer Jemma Hotta discuss the policies they hope Andy Burnham will prioritise to help Britain become a stronger place to build businesses, attract investment and drive long-term economic growth.

Think of this as a conversation with your lawyer and your accountant—you just don't have to pay for it. Honest opinions, practical insights and no political spin.

In this episode:

• How can the UK attract more foreign direct investment?
• What incentives should Britain offer entrepreneurs?
• Can Britain compete globally in AI and innovation?
• Should wealth creation be encouraged or taxed?
• How can SMEs become the engine of economic growth?
• What should Andy Burnham's first priorities be?
• What policies would actually encourage businesses to invest?
• How can Britain become more competitive internationally?

Andy Oury is a Chartered Tax Adviser, Chartered Accountant and CEO of Oury Clark. Through The Rebel Accountant, he helps entrepreneurs understand tax, build stronger businesses and challenge common misconceptions about the economy.

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewoury/

Jemma Hotta is a commercial lawyer specialising in corporate law, international business and complex legal structures.

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemma-hotta/

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/business-without-bs/id1528844106

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/6J1YMncmYCLODOKi8A0CFU

Website

https://withoutbs.com

Subscribe for more conversations with the experts you'd normally have to hire.

The focal premise of this podcast episode centers on the pervasive misconceptions surrounding tax havens and their perceived utility for affluent individuals. I elucidate that the notion that wealthy citizens are evading taxes through offshore accounts lacks substantive foundation, as contemporary regulations have significantly curtailed such practices. We explore the historical context of tax havens, tracing their emergence to post-war fiscal policies, and discuss the intricate balance between legal tax optimization and ethical considerations. Furthermore, I emphasize that while there may exist specific scenarios where offshore entities could be beneficial, these instances are exceedingly rare and fraught with complexity. Ultimately, we advocate for a nuanced understanding of taxation, underscoring that the current UK corporate tax framework offers several advantages that should not be overlooked.

Takeaways:

• The common misconception that wealthy individuals exploit tax havens to evade taxes is largely unfounded.
• Tax havens are not as beneficial for individuals and businesses as public perception suggests.
• The increasing regulation surrounding offshore accounts has made it exceedingly challenging to utilize tax havens effectively.
• The UK provides a favorable corporate tax environment, which can serve as an attractive alternative to offshore tax planning.

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Gary Stevenson
• Tom Dugdale
• Jimmy Carr