A new initiative has been launched to offer extra support to small plumbing firms when it comes to understanding their tax affairs.
The Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC) has partnered with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) with the aim of making additional guidance available to those who are in need of it.
One example of how businesses could potentially benefit from this is by educating them on what they are able to do with their Employment Allowance - a scheme that was introduced at the start of the current tax year in April.
The Allowance enables firms to claim as much as £2,000 per year back on their National Insurance Contributions and was created to help small businesses in particular. However, early indications show some organisations have yet to take advantage and are losing out as a result.
APHC commercial manager Esther Harries noted this could be because - in the case of plumbers - many are sole traders and simply do not have the time to thoroughly research which schemes they are eligible for.
"Through this new partnership initiative with HMRC, we hope to make tax-related issues easier to understand and to help plumbing and heating businesses to be more aware of the guidance that HMRC can offer to them," she said.
Meanwhile, HMRC spokesman Mark Adams said the body was "looking forward to" working alongside the APHC with the aim of making tax clearer to businesses.
He added that the matter could be particularly complicated for those who were just starting a new venture for the first time or were expanding their operations and taking on their first employees.
The support will be available exclusively to APHC members, with resources including a dedicated YouTube channel, e-learning packages and webinars all on offer for those who want to find out more about the issue.