Tax & Admin
A financial checklist for each decade
Different things matter at different stages, and knowing what applies now prevents both premature worry and genuine omissions.
Yuki Tanabe
25 articles by Tanabe
Tax & Admin
Dealing with a tax investigation or enquiry
Most enquiries are routine, the process is defined, and the response determines the outcome more than the underlying position.
Income & Work
Retiring: the money decisions that cannot be undone
Several choices made at retirement are irreversible, and free guidance exists that almost nobody uses.
Income & Work
Starting a small business: the money questions
Cash flow kills more small businesses than lack of profit, and several decisions made at the start are expensive to change.
Income & Work
Employment contracts and what to check
Several clauses have significant financial consequences, and almost nobody reads them before signing.
Tax & Admin
Getting organised: the financial admin day
One structured day converts a permanent low-level anxiety into a maintained system.
Tax & Admin
Tax efficiency without avoidance
Using allowances and wrappers as intended is legitimate and under-used; aggressive schemes are neither.
Income & Work
Buying and selling second-hand
The largest available saving on almost every category, with a specific set of risks and a tax dimension people miss.
Income & Work
Contracts, cancellations and consumer rights
A working knowledge of a few rights resolves most disputes, and most people never invoke them.
Tax & Admin
Property taxes, bands and challenging them
Local property taxes contain discounts, exemptions and errors, and the review processes are free and underused.
Tax & Admin
The annual financial review
One afternoon a year covers everything that needs periodic attention, and most households never do it.
Income & Work
Working abroad and the money side
Tax residence, social contributions, pensions and banking all change, and several of them have consequences years later.
Income & Work
Redundancy and what to do first
The first two weeks determine a great deal, and several entitlements have deadlines.
Tax & Admin
Dealing with a tax bill you cannot pay
Tax debts are priority debts with substantial enforcement powers, and arrangements are available if approached early.
Tax & Admin
Tax on side income and second jobs
Additional income is generally taxable from the first unit, and platforms increasingly report it automatically.
Income & Work
Freelance rates and how to set them
Undercharging is the most common reason self-employment fails financially, and the calculation is straightforward.
Tax & Admin
Claiming what you are entitled to
Take-up of benefits, reliefs and support schemes is consistently below eligibility, largely because people assume they do not qualify.
Tax & Admin
Keeping financial records and for how long
Retention periods vary by document, digital is generally acceptable, and the cost of not having something is asymmetric.
Income & Work
Changing career and the financial side
A career change is a financial project with a cost, a timeline and a break-even point, and treating it that way makes it possible.
Tax & Admin
Filing a tax return without panic
The process is procedural rather than difficult, and the penalties are for lateness rather than for errors made honestly.
Income & Work
Pensions explained without the jargon
The single highest-return financial decision available to most employees, and the one most commonly ignored.
Income & Work
Working for yourself: the money side
The tax, the pension, the sick pay and the cash flow are all your responsibility, and most people discover this in the first year.
Tax & Admin
Understanding your payslip
Errors are common, several deductions are optional or wrong, and almost nobody checks.
Income & Work
Side income that is worth the effort
Most side hustle advice ignores tax, time and the return per hour, which is where the decision actually sits.
Income & Work
Negotiating a pay rise
Salary compounds across a career, most people never ask, and the preparation matters more than the conversation.