Carleys

Carleys Based in Medway, Kent.

Carleys (formerly The Carley Partnership) are a long established, proactive firm of Chartered Accountants with over 70 years of experience!

Audit season is well underway, and our team has been out visiting clients across the South East over the past few weeks....
03/09/2026

Audit season is well underway, and our team has been out visiting clients across the South East over the past few weeks. There's something to be said for sitting down with a client face-to-face, going through the details together in their own office.

That said, plenty of our audit work now happens remotely too, over Teams or Zoom, and for a lot of clients that flexibility just works better around their schedules. Whichever way it happens, the priority stays the same: a thorough, personal service that fits around you rather than the other way round.

If you need support with your audit requirements, get in touch with the Carleys team.

📧 [email protected]
📞 01634 394045

Growing fast? That's great news, but it can also leave your finances lagging a step behind.As a business expands, what y...
01/09/2026

Growing fast? That's great news, but it can also leave your finances lagging a step behind.

As a business expands, what you need from your financial reporting changes with it. Annual accounts were probably fine when things were simpler, but they only tell you what happened months ago. By the time you see the numbers, the moment to actually do something about them has often passed.

That's where management accounts come in. They give you a much clearer, more current view of how the business is really performing, so you can catch cash flow issues before they turn into problems, make decisions with real confidence, and plan ahead instead of reacting after the fact.

Not sure if you've reached the point where management accounts would make a difference? Get in touch with the team at Carleys. We'll take a look at where you are and give you honest, practical advice on what would actually help.

📧 [email protected]
📞 01634 394045

Taken on extra staff to get through the summer rush? There's a payroll change worth knowing about.Seasonal workers used ...
27/08/2026

Taken on extra staff to get through the summer rush? There's a payroll change worth knowing about.

Seasonal workers used to miss out on Statutory Sick Pay if they earned below the Lower Earnings Limit. That's changed. Eligible seasonal workers are now entitled to SSP from day one of being off sick, with no three-day wait.

What they're owed is whichever is lower: 80% of their average weekly earnings, or £123.25 a week (the SSP rate for 2026/27).

Worth remembering too that payroll records need to be kept for at least six years to stay on the right side of HMRC.

If you've got seasonal staff this summer and you're not sure how this affects you, the Carleys payroll team can talk you through it.

📧 [email protected]
📞 01634 394045

Here's the thing: as a business gets bigger, one set of accounts a year just doesn't cut it the way it used to. You need...
25/08/2026

Here's the thing: as a business gets bigger, one set of accounts a year just doesn't cut it the way it used to. You need to actually see what's happening now, not find out three months later when it's too late to change anything.

Skip regular management accounts, and you're flying a bit blind. Cash flow problems creep up, costs sneak in, and opportunities pass you by before you've even spotted them.

Management accounts fix that. Real-time insight into how things are actually going, so you can make better calls, stay ahead of cash flow, and plan your next move with some actual confidence behind it.

Not sure if you're at that stage yet? That's exactly what we're here for. We'll look at where your business is and tell you straight whether management accounts would make a real difference.

Get in touch with Carleys and let's keep your finances moving at the same pace as your business.

📧 [email protected]
📞 01634 394045

⏰ Not long to go… and we still have a few spaces left!Join us for our Charity Quiz Night at our client and partner, Medw...
20/08/2026

⏰ Not long to go… and we still have a few spaces left!

Join us for our Charity Quiz Night at our client and partner, Medway Rugby Club in Rochester, at 7pm on Friday 11th September.

Our brilliant quizmaster Angela will be putting your knowledge to the test, while Claire hosts an auction and raffle in aid of HOLG.

We’ve got some fantastic prizes up for grabs, including Six Nations tickets at Twickenham in 2027 and a 4-ball at Sittingbourne and Milton Regis Golf Club, plus some brilliant raffle prizes donated by generous local restaurants and hotels.

It’s just £5 per person, with teams of 6–7.

📩 Spaces are limited, so get your team together and email Jenny to secure your place: [email protected]

Can’t make it? We’d also love to hear from anyone who can donate an auction or raffle prize.

Inheritance tax/estate planning for business ownersIf you're a business owner, here's a change worth putting on your rad...
18/08/2026

Inheritance tax/estate planning for business owners

If you're a business owner, here's a change worth putting on your radar now: from April 2027, most unused pension funds will be brought into your estate for inheritance tax purposes.

For years, pensions have sat outside IHT a tax-efficient way to pass on wealth. That's changing. If a large part of your retirement planning has relied on your pension passing to your family free of inheritance tax, this could mean a significant, unexpected bill.

It matters even more if you're also planning to pass on business assets, property, or shares, the changes don't happen in isolation, and how everything fits together matters.

The planning that actually works here restructuring how you draw your pension, reviewing trusts, adjusting your wider estate plan can take time to think through properly, so it's worth starting the conversation well before 2027 rather than closer to the deadline.

At Carleys, we're already helping business owners across Kent get ahead of this. If your estate plan hasn't been reviewed recently, now's the time.

Get in touch: [email protected] | 01634 394045

Payroll & CIS for construction/trades clients...Construction Industry Scheme deadlines don't wait for anyone and as of A...
13/08/2026

Payroll & CIS for construction/trades clients...

Construction Industry Scheme deadlines don't wait for anyone and as of April 2026, the rules got tougher.
CIS returns are due by the 19th of every month, and missing the deadline triggers an automatic £100 penalty. Miss it again, and it's £200. Stay behind for six months, and you're looking at £300, or 5% of deductions, whichever is higher and it only gets worse from there. Multiple late months mean multiple separate penalties, not one combined fine.

What's changed recently makes this even more important to stay on top of. Nil returns are now mandatory again, if you have no subcontractor payments in a given month, you still need to file (or pre-notify HMRC), or that's another automatic £100 hit. HMRC has also introduced a "knew or should have known" standard around subcontractor fraud, meaning contractors can now be penalised for inadequate due diligence even without direct involvement and in serious cases, that liability can extend to directors personally. Gross Payment Status is also harder to get back if it's cancelled: the reapplication ban has jumped from one year to five.

This is exactly the kind of detail that gets missed when you're running a site, not a spreadsheet. Carleys handles payroll and CIS compliance day in, day out verificatios, monthly returns, GPS applications, the lot, so contractors and subcontractors across Medway and Kent can stay focused on the job, not the paperwork.

Behind on CIS or payroll, or not sure if the new rules affect you?

Let's get you sorted before it becomes a costly problem.
Get in touch:

☎️ 01634 394045
📧 [email protected]

Every business owner will eventually exit their business but the route they take can make all the difference.Every busin...
11/08/2026

Every business owner will eventually exit their business but the route they take can make all the difference.

Every business owner's journey is different, and so is the right exit strategy. While there are several ways to exit a business, the best option depends on your personal goals, the structure of your business, and what you want your legacy to be.

You may decide to pursue a trade sale, selling to a competitor or strategic buyer looking to expand. Alternatively, a management buy-out (MBO) allows your existing management team to take ownership, often providing continuity for employees and customers alike.

The most successful business exits don't happen overnight—they're carefully planned, often years in advance. With the right advice, you can maximise the value of your business, minimise tax liabilities, and ensure the transition meets both your financial and personal objectives.

At Carleys, we work closely with business owners to develop tailored exit strategies, helping you prepare for the next chapter with confidence.

📧 [email protected]
📞 01634 394045

Start planning your exit today, because the best time to prepare is before you're ready to leave.

Why Doctors Need Specialist Accountants Accounting for medical professionals is very different from accounting for most ...
06/08/2026

Why Doctors Need Specialist Accountants
Accounting for medical professionals is very different from accounting for most other businesses.

For over 74 years, Carleys has been helping clients navigate complex financial challenges, and our specialist medical team has developed extensive experience supporting doctors, consultants, GP practices and other healthcare professionals. As proud members of AISMA (The Association of Independent Specialist Medical Accountants), we understand the unique financial landscape of the medical profession.

One of the biggest challenges facing doctors is managing multiple income streams. It's not uncommon for medical professionals to receive income from NHS contracts, private practice work and insurance claims, all at the same time. Each source can have different tax implications, reporting requirements and profitability considerations.

What may appear straightforward on the surface can quickly become complex without specialist advice.
When it comes to medical accounting, experience matters.

📞 01634 394045
🌐 carley.co.uk

Still relying on bridging software for your VAT returns? Bridging tools can be a handy short-term solution, acting as a ...
04/08/2026

Still relying on bridging software for your VAT returns?

Bridging tools can be a handy short-term solution, acting as a “bridge” between non-compliant records like Excel, Google Sheets, or older versions of Sage and QuickBooks and HMRC’s systems via an API.

But while they keep you compliant on the surface, they often come with limitations. Many businesses find themselves spending more time on manual processes, with less visibility over their finances and a higher risk of errors creeping in.

As Making Tax Digital continues to evolve, relying on outdated systems may hold your business back.

Upgrading to fully compliant cloud software like Xero and other software can streamline your processes, improve accuracy and give you real-time insights into your numbers.

At Carleys, we’ll support you every step of the way, making the transition simple and stress-free.

Ready to upgrade your systems?
Get in touch today:

📞 01634 394045
🌐 carley.co.uk

Address

The Fitted Rigging House, Anchor Wharf
Chatham
ME44TZ

Opening Hours

Monday 8:45am - 1pm
1:45pm - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:45am - 1pm
1:45pm - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:45am - 1pm
1:45pm - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:45am - 1pm
1:45pm - 5:30pm
Friday 8:45am - 1pm

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