Exports already account for around 30% of UK gross domestic product (GDP), and the government wants that share to rise further by helping more small firms sell overseas. In the 2024 Autumn Statement, ministers renewed the goal of lifting UK exports to £1 trillion a year by 2030. Although the headline target often makes the news, the real shift will come from the thousands of owner-managed businesses that decide to quote for an order in Dublin, Dubai, or Denver for the first time.
That decision can feel bold, yet it is rarely speculative. The latest Business Insights survey from the Office for National Statistics shows that 22% of UK firms with 10 or more staff shipped goods, services or both abroad in the 12 months to April 2025. The same dataset suggests that a further 9% expect to start exporting within the next year. Cheap cloud software, predictable customs processes and direct-to-consumer platforms mean that geography limits fewer firms than before.
Of course, every extra customer, currency and border adds work.
Directors must prove product compliance, hold export evidence for VAT, and protect cashflow against longer settlement periods.
This guide focuses on three practical questions:
- Is the business ready?
- What are the tax and compliance rules for 2025/26?
- Which public or private programmes can reduce the upfront costs?
Accountants sit at the centre of your preparation. We translate tax law into practical checklists, sense-check currency scenarios and package the numbers that lenders want to see. By doing so, we help businesses move from interest in exporting to sustainable overseas revenue. Use this guide as a living reference. Update the figures each spring, share the action points at board meetings and remind owners that dataled planning will always beat guesswork.
Talk to us about preparing your business for overseas sales.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the Author and other professionals may express different views. They may not be the views of Lambert Chapman LLP. The material in the article cannot and should not be considered as exhaustive. Professional advice should be sought in connection with any of the issues contained in the article and the implementation of any actions.