Posted January 15, 2026

Organising Your Records After the Christmas Period

The festive period is over, and January brings a fresh start. Before you get swept up in the new year, take an hour or two to sort out your financial records from the Christmas rush. Your future self (and your accountant) will thank you.

Why Tackle This Now?

Receipts fade, details get forgotten, and paperwork gets lost. Sort your Christmas expenses now while everything’s still fresh in your mind. Plus, with the Self-Assessment deadline approaching, it’s the perfect time to get your records in order if you haven’t yet submitted your 2024/25 tax return.

Quick Wins for Business Owners

Round up all those receipts. Christmas party expenses, client gifts, seasonal stock purchases-gather everything together. Don’t forget digital receipts sitting in your email inbox or payment app notifications.

Categorize as you go. Split expenses into clear categories: staff entertaining, client gifts, stock, marketing materials, office supplies. This makes life much easier when it’s time to prepare accounts or complete your tax return.

Note what’s allowable. Not everything is tax-deductible. Staff parties are generally allowable (within limits), but lavish client gifts may not be. If you’re unsure, add a note and check with your accountant rather than guessing.

Update your accounting software. If you use cloud accounting, input expenses now while you remember what they were for. That cryptic card payment from mid-December will make perfect sense today but could baffle you in six months.

Tips for Sole Traders and Freelancers

Separate business from personal. The festive period often blurs the line between business and personal spending. A lunch with a potential client is business; lunch with family isn’t. Be honest about what’s genuinely business-related.

Track those home office costs. If you worked through Christmas or caught up on admin during the quiet period, don’t forget to claim your home office expenses for December and early January.

Record any holiday season income. Invoices sent, payments received, or work completed during December all need recording. Some freelancers have their busiest period in December-make sure it’s all documented.

Essential Admin Tasks

Chase outstanding invoices. The new year is a natural prompt to follow up on late payments. Review your December invoices and send polite reminders to clients who haven’t paid yet.

File everything properly. Create a folder (physical or digital) for Christmas 2024 expenses. You’ll need these records for at least six years, so store them somewhere you’ll actually be able to find them again.

Scan or photograph receipts. Thermal receipts fade quickly. Take photos or scan important receipts now before they become unreadable. Most accounting apps let you snap and attach receipts directly to transactions.

Don’t Forget These Common Oversights

• Business mileage for Christmas deliveries, or client visits
• Postage costs for sending seasonal cards or gifts to clients
• Website hosting or online advertising costs that renewed in December
• Professional subscriptions or memberships paid annually
• Bank charges and transaction fees from the busy period

Make It Easier for Next Year

Once you’ve sorted this year’s records, think about how to streamline things for next Christmas. Could you use a business credit card exclusively for company expenses? Would switching to cloud accounting make receipt tracking easier? Small changes now prevent big headaches later.

The Self-Assessment Connection

If you’re completing a Self-Assessment tax return, getting your Christmas records straight now is crucial. You need accurate figures for the full tax year, and December expenses are easy to overlook in the January rush. Don’t let missing receipts cost you legitimate tax deductions.

Need a System That Works?

If your record-keeping feels chaotic, you’re not alone. Many business owners struggle with staying organized, especially during busy periods. The right systems and tools can transform your bookkeeping from a dreaded chore into a quick monthly task.

Drowning in Christmas receipts and unsure what’s deductible? We can help you organize your records, set up systems that actually work, and ensure you’re claiming everything you’re entitled to. Get in touch for practical advice that saves you time and money-contact us today.