Chartered Accountants for Small Businesses
ICAEW-regulated accountants for UK owner-managed businesses. Based at 30 Churchill Place in Canary Wharf, working with clients across the country.
Who we work with
We work with owner-managed businesses: the limited company with two directors and a handful of staff, the consultant who has outgrown sole trader status, the agency approaching the VAT threshold, the landlord with a growing portfolio. Businesses where the person reading this is also the person who signs the accounts.
That focus matters, because the advice an owner-managed business needs is different from what a large corporate needs. How you pay yourself, whether to incorporate, when to register for VAT, what the business is worth and how to keep more of it, these are the questions we answer, and they rarely appear in a compliance checklist.
What "chartered" actually means
Anyone in the UK can call themselves an accountant. The title is unprotected, and a great deal of poor advice is given by people who are entirely entitled to call themselves accountants. Chartered is different: it means regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, with mandatory qualifications, continuing professional development, professional indemnity insurance and a complaints process that sits above the firm.
Our team is drawn from the Big Four, including EY alumni, so the technical standard is the one large companies pay for. Read more about the firm and what ICAEW Chartered Accountant actually means.
Canary Wharf based, working nationwide
Our office is at 30 Churchill Place in Canary Wharf, and clients in London are welcome to meet us there. But cloud accounting has made geography largely irrelevant to the quality of the service: your records live on Xero or QuickBooks, we work in the same file you do, and a video call achieves what a meeting used to.
We act for businesses from Cornwall to Scotland, and for overseas founders running UK companies. If you want an accountant you can sit across a table from, we are in E14. If you would rather never visit an office again, that works too.
What we do for SMEs
Most clients take a fixed monthly package covering the compliance cycle, with advisory layered on where it earns its keep:
- Bookkeeping — Keep your books in order with our professional bookkeeping services.
- Payroll — Hassle-free payroll management for your team.
- VAT Returns — VAT compliance made easy for UK businesses.
- Annual Accounts — Year-end accounts preparation and filing.
- Tax Planning — Minimise your tax liability legally and effectively.
- Business Advisory — Expert guidance to help your business scale.
- Self Assessment — Personal tax returns handled professionally.
- Director Verification — Mandatory ACSP checks and verification.
- Business Process Outsourcing — Streamline operations with outsourced finance and back-office.
- UK Company Formations — Complete UK company setup and registration.
- UAE Company Formations — Setup your business in Dubai and across the UAE.
Fixed monthly fees, not surprise invoices
We quote a fixed monthly fee based on your turnover, transaction volume and the services you need. Two reasons: you can budget, and you can ask us a question without wondering what it will cost. An accountant you avoid calling is an expensive accountant, whatever the hourly rate.
Switching is easier than people expect
The most common reason business owners stay with an accountant they are unhappy with is the assumption that leaving is difficult or confrontational. It is neither. We write to your current accountant for professional clearance and your records, review the opening position before we take responsibility for it, and tell you if we find anything that needs correcting. You do not need to have the conversation yourself.
Where to start
If you are weighing up incorporation, start with sole trader vs limited company. If you are already running a company, profit extraction and the most tax-efficient director salary are usually where the money is. If you are approaching £90,000 of turnover, VAT registration is the next decision.
Or skip the reading and book a free consultation. We will tell you honestly whether we can improve on what you have.
Common questions
- Do I need a chartered accountant for a small business?
- Legally, no, anyone can call themselves an accountant. Practically, "chartered" means ICAEW-regulated, qualified, insured and subject to a complaints process. For anything involving a limited company, HMRC correspondence or a transaction, that protection is worth having.
- Do you only work with businesses in London?
- No. Our office is in Canary Wharf and we meet clients there, but we work with owner-managed businesses across the UK. Cloud accounting means your location makes no practical difference to the service.
- How much does an accountant cost for a small business?
- We work on fixed monthly fees rather than hourly billing, so you know the cost in advance. The fee depends on turnover, transaction volume and which services you need. We quote after a short conversation, not from a price list.
- What size of business do you work with?
- Mostly owner-managed companies, from pre-revenue startups through to established SMEs with several million in turnover. If you are a sole trader considering incorporation, that is a common starting point for us.
- Can you take over from my current accountant?
- Yes, and it is straightforward. We handle professional clearance, obtain your records and review the opening position before we take responsibility for it. You do not need to have an awkward conversation first.
- What is included in a fixed monthly fee?
- Typically bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll, year-end accounts, the corporation tax return and your Self Assessment, plus access to us during the year. The point of the fixed fee is that asking a question does not generate an invoice.
- How quickly can you get started?
- Usually within a week. We need identification for anti-money-laundering purposes, an engagement letter, and access to your existing records or software. Company formations can complete within 24 hours.
- Do you help with more than compliance?
- Yes. Filing on time is the baseline. The work that changes outcomes is proactive: profit extraction, forecasting, management accounts and planning before your year end rather than reporting after it.