Year-end, tax and payroll
Your accounts, filed on time and explained in plain English.
We look after the full compliance calendar for small companies and self-employed people — then tell you what the numbers actually mean before the next deadline arrives.
Fixed monthly fees · No charge for questions between filings
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Personal tax year ends
5 April
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Self Assessment due
31 January
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Company accounts due
9 months
Scope of work
What we handle
Six areas of work, each quoted as part of one monthly fee. If your job sits across several of them, that is normal — most clients use three or four.
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01
Year-end accounts & corporation tax
Annual · Limited companies
Statutory accounts prepared from your bookkeeping, filed with Companies House, with the CT600 and tax computation submitted alongside. You see a draft and a written summary before anything is filed.
- Statutory accounts
- CT600
- Confirmation statement
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02
Self Assessment & personal tax
Annual · Individuals & directors
Returns covering self-employment, dividends, rental income, savings and capital gains. We confirm what you owe and when, so January holds no surprises, and flag the payments on account that follow.
- SA100 & schedules
- Payments on account
- Capital gains
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03
Bookkeeping & VAT returns
Monthly or quarterly
Bank feeds reconciled, purchases coded, and quarterly VAT returns filed under Making Tax Digital. We will tell you honestly whether a flat-rate, standard or cash accounting scheme suits your margins.
- Reconciliation
- MTD submissions
- Scheme review
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04
Payroll & workplace pensions
Monthly · One to fifty staff
Payslips, RTI submissions, starters and leavers, statutory pay, and pension assessment with your chosen provider. Directors' payroll is included where a salary-and-dividend split makes sense.
- RTI filing
- Auto-enrolment
- P60 & P45
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05
Management accounts & forecasting
Quarterly · Growing businesses
A short report on margin, overheads and cash runway, plus a rolling forecast you can take to a lender or landlord. Written as a page of findings, not a forty-tab spreadsheet.
- Margin review
- Cash runway
- Lender pack
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06
Company formation & restructuring
One-off projects
Incorporating, bringing in a second shareholder, changing your year end, or closing a company down cleanly. We model the tax position both ways before you commit to a structure.
- Incorporation
- Share classes
- Closing down
Fit
Who we work with
We are built for owner-managed businesses and individuals with slightly complicated tax affairs. Find yourself below to see where most of the work lands.
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01
Limited companies
One to twenty staff, trading for profit, usually with a director on a small salary and dividends. The year is shaped by your accounting reference date rather than the tax year.
Typically needs 01 · 03 · 04
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02
Sole traders & partnerships
Trades, studios, clinics and consultancies invoicing in their own name. The main questions are what counts as an allowable expense and whether incorporating is worth the extra admin.
Typically needs 02 · 03
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03
Landlords & property
From one let flat to a small portfolio, held personally or through a company. Finance-cost relief, repairs versus improvements and disposals need careful treatment.
Typically needs 02 · 06
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04
Contractors & consultants
Day-rate work through your own company, sometimes alongside employment. Status, expenses and the timing of dividends across two tax years are the recurring issues.
Typically needs 01 · 02 · 04
Switching accountant
Four steps, and we do most of them
You can move to us at any point in your financial year. We write to your previous accountant for the handover, so you are not stuck chasing records yourself.
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Step 01
Intake call
Twenty minutes on what you do, how you invoice, and which deadlines are closest. We confirm the fee in writing afterwards.
You bring: last filed accounts
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Step 02
Records handover
We request professional clearance and your working papers, then set up software access and the authorities we need to act for you.
You bring: one signature
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Step 03
Draft and review
We prepare the figures, list anything that looks unusual, and walk you through the draft before it goes anywhere near a filing.
You bring: answers on queries
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Step 04
File and plan
We file, confirm the payment dates, and diary the next year — including the points where a decision could reduce the bill.
You bring: nothing
Choosing a level
Three service levels
Compare what sits inside each level before you ask for a proposal. Most clients begin on Trading and move to Advisory when they take on staff or borrowing.
| Compared | Essentials Compliance only | Trading Most small companies | Advisory Staff or borrowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Sole traders and dormant or very simple companies. | VAT-registered companies with regular invoicing. | Businesses with payroll, finance or growth plans. |
| Core work | Year-end accounts and one tax return. | Accounts, tax, bookkeeping and VAT returns. | All of Trading, plus payroll and pensions. |
| Reporting rhythm | Once a year, after the year end. | Quarterly figures with the VAT return. | Quarterly management accounts and forecast. |
| Tax planning | A written checklist before 5 April. | An annual salary and dividend review. | Planning meetings twice a year. |
| HMRC contact | We handle filings and routine letters. | We act as your agent across all taxes. | We act as agent and manage enquiries. |
How we work
Three habits that keep the work calm
None of this is complicated. It is mostly a matter of doing the dull parts early and writing things down in language you would actually use.
Deadlines are diarised, not remembered
Every filing date for your business sits in one calendar with two reminders before it. You hear from us first, well before any penalty window opens.
Questions are part of the fee
A quick call about a van, a new contract or a pension contribution is not a billable event. It is the point at which advice is still useful.
Nothing is filed unseen
You get the draft, a plain summary of what changed since last year, and the payment dates — then we file once you are happy.
Questions
The things clients ask first
If your question is not here, put it in the enquiry form — a short answer by email costs you nothing.
Can you take over partway through a financial year?
Yes, and it is the most common way clients join. We request professional clearance and the working papers from your previous accountant, pick up the bookkeeping from the last reconciled date, and keep the same year end unless there is a good reason to change it.
What records do you actually need from me?
Bank statements or a bank feed for the full period, sales invoices, purchase receipts over a trivial amount, loan or finance agreements, and details of anything unusual such as a vehicle, a grant or money introduced by a director. For a first year-end we also need the previous accounts and tax computation.
Which bookkeeping software do you work with?
We work with the main cloud packages and can keep you on whichever one you already use. If you are starting from spreadsheets, we will set up the simplest option that satisfies Making Tax Digital rather than the one with the most features.
How do fees work, and when do they change?
One fixed monthly fee, quoted in writing after the intake call and held for twelve months. It changes only if the scope does — taking on staff, registering for VAT, or adding a second company. Ad hoc projects such as an incorporation are quoted separately before we start.
Will you deal with HMRC on my behalf?
Once agent authorisation is in place we file your returns, receive copies of correspondence and handle routine queries directly. For a formal enquiry we explain the scope first, agree how to respond, and manage the correspondence from there.
I have filed late or missed a deadline — can you help?
Usually, yes. The first step is to establish exactly what is outstanding and what penalties or interest have been charged, then bring the filings up to date in the order that stops the position worsening. Where there is a reasonable excuse we will say so and put the case forward.
Should I move from sole trader to a limited company?
It depends on your profit level, how much you need to draw, and whether you want outside investment or contracts that expect a company. We model both positions on your own figures, including the extra filing obligations, and give you the difference in cash terms before you decide.
Next step
Request a fee proposal
Tell us what you run and which deadline is closest. We reply within two working days with a fee and a short note on what we would do first.
- A written fee before any work starts — no hourly surprises.
- We say no if another firm is a better fit for your situation.
- Nothing to cancel if you decide the timing is wrong.