Trade credit and insolvency. A personal history of how one causes the other
Trade credit and insolvency are inextricably linked. Often, directors of small businesses are shocked to see what is in front of them when they reach the abyss. Whilst their minds are fixated with creditor pressure, which has its own traction like a snowball down a hill, attention is temporarily lost on what caused the company’s […]
Overdrawn Directors’ Loan Account – why they are still catching directors out in 2026
Many directors only discover they have an overdrawn Directors’ Loan Account when their accountant raises it or when the company starts to struggle financially. What felt like informal drawings or temporary withdrawals can quickly turn into a personal debt that must be repaid, especially if the company enters Liquidation or Administration. At Antony Batty & […]
What a Director needs to know if a company is insolvent
When a company becomes insolvent or is close to it, directors face a set of legal duties and personal risks that are very different from normal trading. This article explains how to recognise when a company is insolvent or it is likely, what duties change, what actions can increase or reduce personal exposure, and what […]
Section 216 Insolvency Act – Did you know The Reuse of a Company Name After Liquidation is Prohibited?
Section 216 – Did you know The Reuse of a Company Name After Liquidation is Prohibited
A reminder of the rules from our Insolvency Practitioners
Insolvency predictions for 2026 show that Zombie Companies that have struggled the last few years are facing insolvency in larger numbers than ever
How can Insolvency Practitioners help Zombie firms in the UK? Many UK businesses are finding it hard to survive in early 2026. Rising interest rates, energy costs and wage pressures are squeezing margins across sectors. But the focus here is on a specific group: Zombie firms. This article explains what Zombie firms are, how many […]
Charity Insolvency: What happens in Administration and Insolvent Liquidations?
A local financial journalist asked us recently to provide him with some information on charity insolvency, as source material for an article he was writing on the subject. It is an area we have a great deal of experience in, so we were happy to oblige. This article is a more detailed version. Charities are […]
Don’t bin the tax letters
Why HMRC tax debt is a director’s blind spot – and a trigger for retrospective scrutiny When companies face cash flow pressure, it’s tempting to prioritise suppliers and defer tax. But as Nitin Joshi, Partner at Antony Batty & Company, explains, that’s a dangerous game. His message to directors: don’t ignore the brown envelopes. Here’s […]
When do Solicitors refer Clients to Insolvency Practitioners?
Solicitors don’t just refer clients to insolvency practitioners when a company is in financial distress. In fact, Antony Batty & Company regularly works with legal teams across multiple departments, often before insolvency becomes a threat. In this article, Jonathan James, Business Development Manager at Antony Batty & Company, Thames Valley explores two legal scenarios where […]
The Personal Financial Risk for Directors Is Increasing: What Do Directors Need to Know?
Why are Directors facing greater personal financial risk? In recent years, both HMRC and Companies House have been granted enhanced powers to pursue directors personally for company-related liabilities. These powers are no longer theoretical. They are being actively used, and directors – especially those of struggling or insolvent companies – are increasingly finding themselves exposed […]
UK insolvency and company rescue in 2025: what’s changing and what Directors need to know
As Insolvency Practitioners, we believe one of our strengths is what we call our ‘bedside manner’, in other words, how we deliver a caring and bespoke personal service to directors whose businesses are facing financial difficulties. Part of this is keeping up to speed with what’s going on with businesses that are struggling to better […]
