Knowledge Portal: Managing Business Finances and more

CHRIS BARNARD February 16, 2026

How to read your accounts like a financial advisor

Most company directors are handed a set of accounts once a year, skim a few numbers, nod politely and move on.

They might check if there is a profit, look at the tax number, and hope the bank balance seems okay. After that, the accounts are filed away until next year.

The truth is that many directors do not really understand their accounts. It is not because they cannot, but because no one has shown them how to read the numbers in a way that helps them run their business.

Financial advisers read accounts differently. They do not just check for compliance. They look for signals, patterns, warnings, and opportunities. Once you know what to look for, your accounts feel less intimidating and much more useful.

Why accounts feel confusing in the first place

For most directors, accounts are given as a finished product, not as a tool to use. They are full of technical terms, old numbers, and formatting that seems made for accountants, not business owners.

Also, accounts look back at what has already happened. They do not tell you what to do next. Without context or explanation, it is hard to link those numbers to real decisions like pricing, hiring, or investing.

This makes many directors lose interest. They rely on gut feeling, checking the bank balance, or just a sense of whether things are going well. The accounts are there, but they are not really used.

The mindset shift: from compliance to insight

Financial advisers do not read accounts to tick a box. They read them to understand the business's story.

Every number is a clue. A profit margin can show if your pricing is strong or weak. A higher debtor balance can mean cashflow problems. Rising overheads might show growth, inefficiency, or both.

If you look at your accounts with curiosity instead of fear, they become much easier to understand. You stop asking if the numbers are right and start asking what they mean.

Start with profit, but don’t stop there

Most directors look straight at the bottom line. Profit is important, but by itself, it does not tell you much.

A good profit can hide cashflow issues, overworked directors, or prices that cannot last. On the other hand, a small profit might be fine if the business is reinvesting or growing on purpose.

Look at profit in context. Compare it to past years and to your turnover. Ask if it matches the effort you have put in. Financial advisers always check if profit is working well for the people running the business.

Understand the difference between profit and cash

A big source of confusion is the gap between profit and cash. You can show a profit on paper but still struggle in real life.

Accounts are made using the accruals method. This means income and expenses are recorded when they happen, not when the money is received or paid. If customers pay late or you spend a lot upfront, your cash can fall behind your profit.

Advisers watch debtors, creditors, and bank balances as well as profit. They know cash is what keeps the business running every day, no matter what the main numbers show.

Read the balance sheet, not just the profit and loss

Many directors skip the balance sheet. This is a mistake.

The balance sheet shows your business’s financial position at a certain time. It tells you what the business owns, what it owes, and what is left. Here you can see retained profits, director loans, and long-term debts.

A financial adviser checks if the business is getting stronger or weaker over time. Growing reserves, manageable debts, and a healthy director loan are signs of stability. If you ignore this page, you miss some of the most important information in your accounts.

Look for trends, not isolated numbers

One year’s numbers rarely tell the whole story. Advisers always look for trends.

Is your turnover growing but profit shrinking? That could mean pricing pressure or higher costs. Are overheads rising faster than revenue? That might show inefficiency or growing pains. Is your tax bill going up faster than expected? That could mean you need better planning.

When you compare your accounts year after year, patterns appear. These patterns are much more useful than any single number on its own.

Pay attention to director pay and rewards

Many directors focus on what stays in the business and forget to think about what the business gives back to them personally.

Advisers look at salaries, dividends, and benefits. They ask if the director is being paid fairly and in a tax-efficient way. They also check if retained profits have a purpose or are just building up with no plan.

Your accounts should help your life, not just your business. If they do not, it is time to make a change.

Use your accounts to inform decisions, not justify them

A common mistake is using accounts to explain decisions after they are made. Financial advisers do the opposite.

They use the numbers to guide choices before making a decision. Can the business afford to hire? What sales level justifies a new cost? How much can you safely take out without causing problems?

When you review and understand your accounts regularly, they become a tool for making decisions, not just a record of the past.

You don’t need to be an expert to be informed

Understanding your accounts does not mean learning all the accounting rules. The trick is knowing what questions to ask and what the key numbers mean for you.

Most directors are more capable than they think. They just have not had the numbers explained in plain language that connects to their real priorities. Once you bridge that gap, your confidence grows quickly.

Reading your accounts like an adviser changes everything

When directors really understand their accounts, conversations change. Planning becomes proactive, not reactive. Tax feels manageable, not scary. Decisions are made with clarity, not guesswork.

Your accounts already have the information you need. The key is in how you read them. If you start using your accounts as a tool for insight instead of just for compliance, you will see your business much more clearly. That is exactly how a financial adviser would want you to read them.

If you would like help understanding what your accounts really mean for your business, please book a call.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Understanding Your Company Accounts

1. How can I understand my company accounts if I’m not financially trained?
You don’t need to be an accountant to understand your accounts - you just need the key concepts explained in plain English. Focus on big-picture items like profit, cash flow, and trends year over year. A good adviser will help you translate the numbers into real-life decisions.

2. What’s the difference between profit and cash?
Profit is what’s left when income exceeds expenses on paper. Cash is the actual money in your bank. Because of things like unpaid invoices and upfront costs, your profit can look healthy even if your bank balance doesn’t. That’s why advisers track both closely.

3. Why should I read the balance sheet? Isn’t the profit and loss report enough?
The profit and loss (P&L) tells you what happened over time, but the balance sheet shows your financial position at a point in time. It tells you what you own, what you owe, and how much you’ve retained. Skipping it means missing vital context.

4. How often should I review my accounts?
Ideally, review your accounts at least quarterly - not just at year-end. Regular check-ins help you spot patterns early, avoid surprises, and make better decisions about hiring, investment, or paying yourself.

5. What do financial advisers look for in business accounts?
Advisers look beyond the numbers. They assess whether your profits are sustainable, if cash flow is healthy, how director rewards are structured, and whether your business is moving in the right direction over time.

< Older Post

Business rates: The most outdated tax in the UK?

By Chris Barnard • January 21, 2026

Few things frustrate British business owners more than business rates. If you ask someone running a shop, café, studio, or office, what they think about business rates, you’ll get the same answer. And it isn’t one we can publish! Almost all owners see business rates as outdated, unfair, and out of touch with how businesses work today. It raises an awkward question. In a country supposedly trying to encourage entrepreneurship, regeneration and innovation, why are we still relying on a tax that seems to actively discourage all three? A tax stuck in the past Business rates have existed in some form for centuries. They started as property taxes in 17th-century England, when most wealth was in land and buildings. Back then, it made sense: if you had valuable property, you were seen as successful and able to help fund local services. Value is now created through digital services, intellectual property, brands and platforms, and not just physical premises. Yet business rates still operate on the same basic principle. Where you are matters more than how you’re actually performing. There have been some attempts at reform but there has been no interest in conceding that the tax is no longer fit for purpose. Rateable values are still based on estimated rents. Revaluations do not happen often, and reliefs are added on top instead of being part of the system. In short, business rates have been adjusted, not redesigned. How much are UK businesses really paying? Many people are surprised by how much businesses pay in rates, especially compared to other business taxes. UK businesses pay more than £25 billion in business rates each year. This is one of the biggest business taxes, second only to employer National Insurance contributions. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility , business rates consistently raise more revenue than corporation tax from SMEs. The way business rates are calculated in England also stands out. For 2024 to 2025, the standard multiplier is just over 51p per pound, so businesses pay about 51p each year for every £1 of rateable value. This is especially controversial because businesses must pay rates even if they are not making a profit. A company can be losing money and still have a large rates bill. In contrast, corporation tax only applies to profits. The British Retail Consortium often points out that business rates hit physical retailers the hardest. Retailers make up about 5 per cent of the UK economy but pay over 20 per cent of all business rates. For many high street businesses, rates are their biggest fixed cost after wages and often cost more than rent. The physical presence penalty Business rates mainly penalise businesses for being visible and having a physical presence. The more established you are in your community, the more you usually pay. Top high street spots, warehouses near transport links, and city-centre offices all have higher rateable values. At the same time, digital businesses can earn a lot in the UK while working from cheaper locations or even abroad. There are some digital services taxes now, but they bring in much less than business rates and only affect a small number of companies. This means the system encourages businesses to keep their physical presence small and discourages investment in high streets, town centres and community spaces. It’s no wonder that our high streets have become like ghost towns. What do other countries do differently? The UK depends more on property-based business taxes than most other countries. In Germany, local authorities levy a trade tax based largely on profits , not property values. France has made big changes to its business taxes by reducing those based on property and focusing more on economic activity and value creation. Many countries check property values more often that the UK, which helps avoid sudden jumps in costs, and they limit yearly increases more strictly. The priority elsewhere is to focus more on what businesses earn, not just where they are. Is reform even possible? Business rates give local authorities a steady and reliable source of income, which makes them hesitant to change the system. However, just because the system is stable does not mean it is fair for those who pay. The current setup puts too much pressure on some sectors that are already struggling, while letting others grow quickly with lower costs. The main obstacle to reform is political. Any real change would shift who pays more or less tax. Some businesses would pay more, others less. It means big decisions which most politicians shy away from. Ignoring this issue has real effects, which we can see on our high streets. Time for a grown-up debate Business rates no longer match how business works in the UK. They discourage investment in physical locations, make competition unfair, and put too much pressure on traditional businesses. Whether the solution is a tax based on turnover or a mix of models, keeping things as they are is getting harder to justify. This is not a question of lowering taxes. The challenge is to find a system that fits a modern economy. Don’t pay too much Business rates might feel immovable, but there are reliefs, exemptions and reductions available. Many businesses either miss them entirely or do not realise they qualify. Small Business Rate Relief, retail and hospitality relief, transitional relief and discretionary local authority support can all make a real difference if they are properly understood and applied. The problem is that the system is complex, inconsistent and rarely explained in plain English. We can look at how much you are paying in business rates and ensure that you are not missing out on possible reductions.