Spurling Cannon is a forward-thinking firm of Chartered Certified Accountants with three offices across Kent. Founded in 2003, we have grown to become one of the largest independent accountancy practices in the region, supporting individuals, businesses, and not-for-profit organisations across the UK and Europe.

What is the Opportunity?

We are looking for a Semi Senior Accountant to join our Tonbridge office, offering an excellent opportunity to develop your career within a growing and supportive firm. This role will provide exposure to a varied client portfolio and a broad range of responsibilities, allowing you to build both your technical skills and client relationship experience.

The role would suit someone who enjoys working as part of a team, is proactive in their approach, and takes pride in building strong relationships with clients. In return, you’ll join a supportive team that encourages professional development, offers opportunities for progression, and provides study support to help you achieve your professional qualifications.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation of year end financial accounts for limited companies, sole traders, and partnerships across a variety of industries.
• Assist in the preparation of personal tax returns, corporation tax returns, VAT returns and management accounts.
• Undertake bookkeeping duties and maintain client records to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Use a variety of cloud-based and desktop accounting software including Xero, Quickbooks and Sage.
• Support Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA), including digital record-keeping and quarterly submissions.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term client relationships through a professional and proactive approach.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the firm to deliver excellent client service.

Who We’re Looking For

• Actively studying AAT, ACCA or ACA or qualified by experience.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in a UK accountancy practice handling similar assignments.
• Experience using Iris, Sage, Xero or QuickBooks would be advantageous.
• Confident communicating with clients, demonstrating a professional and service-focused approach.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to produce high-quality, accurate work.

What We Offer

• Ongoing professional development and training
• 20 days annual leave + bank holidays (plus your birthday & Christmas Eve off each year)
• Two paid volunteering days for a charity of your choice
• Dress down Friday – the last Friday of each month
• Two staff social events each year (Summer & Christmas)

Spurling Cannon is a forward-thinking firm of Chartered Certified Accountants with three offices across Kent. Founded in 2003, we have grown to become one of the largest independent accountancy practices in the region, supporting individuals, businesses, and not-for-profit organisations across the UK and Europe.

What is the Opportunity?

Following the acquisition of our latest office, we are continuing to grow our team and are seeking a motivated and well‑organised Senior Accountant to join our expanding practice. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced, supportive environment and wants to develop their career within a dynamic and forward‑thinking firm.

This role will provide exposure to a varied client portfolio and a broad range of responsibilities, allowing you to build both your technical skills and client relationship experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Preparing and reviewing financial accounts for limited companies, sole traders, and partnerships across a variety of industries.
• Preparing and reviewing tax computations and returns for corporation tax and personal tax.
• Supporting MTD for ITSA, including digital record-keeping and quarterly submissions.
• Use a variety of cloud-based and desktop accounting software including Xero, Quickbooks and Sage.
• Assisting with VAT returns, CIS, and general bookkeeping.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term client relationships through a professional and proactive approach.

Who We’re Looking For: The Ideal Candidate

• ACCA / ACA qualified, actively studying towards either of these qualifications or qualified by experience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a UK accountancy practice handling similar assignments.
• The ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced environment and manage time efficiently.
• A proactive, client‑focused approach with strong communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and strong organisational skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

What We Offer

• Ongoing professional development and training
• 20 days annual leave + bank holidays (plus your birthday & Christmas Eve off each year)
• Two paid volunteering days for a charity of your choice
• Dress down Friday – the last Friday of each month
• Two staff social events each year (Summer & Christmas)

Since 2019, MTD for VAT has been mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses above the £85,000 threshold, including voluntary registrants.

From April 2026, MTD applies to sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000. Those thresholds will fall further: £30,000 from April 2027 and then £20,000 from April 2028.

HMRC faces a significant challenge persuading smaller businesses and landlords to adopt digital record-keeping and quarterly reporting. The slow registration rate suggests many affected taxpayers may not be prepared for the upcoming mandatory deadlines. For now, customers who miss this deadline will be sent a reminder letter with no penalties for the 2026/27 tax year.

HMRC repaid £44.1m between January and March, with 13,942 approved claims processed in that period. The average repayment exceeded £3,160, up nearly 10% from the previous year.

Emergency tax codes remain the core problem. When they are applied to initial flexible withdrawals, they then continue to cause unexpected and excessive deductions for retirees, taxing the withdrawal as if it were monthly income for the rest of the tax year.

Experts have highlighted a shift in the issue – while fewer people may be affected, those who are caught by the system are losing larger sums up front. The government’s plan to make pensions subject to inheritance tax could push more people to withdraw large lump sums which may increase emergency tax incidents even further.

HMRC has announced an overhaul of emergency pension tax processes, promising faster refunds, but higher-rate charges will still occur.

The Winter Fuel Payment (£200 – £300 depending on age) was paid to everyone, but around two million pensioners who earned above £35,000 must now repay it via tax adjustments.

Pensioners will receive a letter or HMRC app notification when their tax code changes. HMRC will review tax paid versus tax due, and if the full amount cannot be collected, they will issue a tax calculation afterwards.

HMRC will automatically reclaim the payment by adjusting PAYE tax codes for affected pensioners, unless they file Self-Assessment returns. Pensioners cannot repay early; they must wait for HMRC to collect it through future tax codes.

Repayment will occur in the 2026 – 27 tax year, recovering the payment made in 2025 – 26. As an example: a £200 payment will mean roughly £17 extra tax per month until repaid.

HMRC says most repayments will be handled automatically through tax codes, while Self-Assessment users will repay via their tax return.

It still includes a 25% government bonus but will be paid only at the point of buying a property, not annually. There will be no 25% withdrawal penalty if funds are used for non-property purposes. The controversial £450,000 property price cap remains unchanged, despite rising house prices, and the Treasury suggests it is still appropriate.

As had been alluded to previously, HMRC has confirmed that it will tax all interest earned on cash held within a Stocks & Shares ISA at 22%. This closes the long-standing loophole where savers could hold cash inside an investment ISA and still receive tax-free interest.

Investors will no longer be able to hold 100% of a Stocks & Shares ISA in money market funds, which behave similarly to cash.

To be eligible, you must be a business or public body and do less than half your work in the public sector. You can also be a charity or employ a care/support worker. Since April 2025, if your company pays more than £100,000 in Class 1 NI, you can claim. However, you cannot claim if your company only has one director, and they are the only employee liable for secondary Class 1 NI.

You make the claim through your payroll software by stating “yes” in the Employment Allowance indicator field on your Employment Payment Summary (EPS) submission. If successful, HMRC will reduce your Class 1 NI liability once you’ve run your payroll each month, until the £10,500 (or the amount you were eligible for) is used up or the tax year ends (whichever comes sooner).

The Chancellor made this announcement recently and the change has been backdated to 6 April 2026. This is the first increase since 2011 and applies to employees and self-employed workers using their own car or van for work. You cannot claim separately for fuel, tax, MOT, repairs, etc. – the mileage rate is meant to cover all running costs.

If your employer pays less than 55p, you can claim tax relief on the difference (for example, employer only pays 30p, so you claim tax relief on 25p). If your employer pays nothing, you can claim tax relief on the full 55p. Claims are made via HMRC or a self-assessment tax return.

This measure will only last over the summer holidays (25^th June until 1^st September) and is intended to give families “a bit of breathing room to enjoy moments that matter without the same level of financial strain”, according to the Prime Minister, Kier Starmer. It will cost the Government around £300m but is hoped to stimulate spending in the UK’s visitor attraction sector, giving a much-needed boost to the economy.

Formal enquiries are triggered when HMRC believes an IHT return may be incomplete or inaccurate. HMRC can demand documents, valuations, and explanations from families or accountants during these checks. However, only 40% of last year’s checks resulted in amendments, down from 45% the previous year. Still, IHT receipts hit a record £8.5bn last year.

Frozen IHT thresholds, combined with rising property values and inflation, mean more estates are being pulled into the tax net each year. This will increase further in 2027, when pensions are added to the value of estates.