Frequently asked questions
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General
Do you only work with startups, or can scaleups and SMEs use your services too?
Our sweet spot is early-stage and growing startups but we also support scaleups and ambitious SMEs. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll happily point you in the right direction.
What’s included in your monthly accountancy package?
All packages include bookkeeping, VAT, Year-end accounts, Corporation tax return, payroll, standard companies house filings and a registered office address. The only difference is the scale: transaction volume, team size, and reporting frequency.
Do you offer one-off services?
Yes. While most clients work with us on an ongoing basis, we can help with one-off services like SEIS/EIS compliance, company formation, or catch-up bookkeeping if you need it. Just let us know what you’re looking for.
Can I easily switch from my current accountant to you?
Yes — switching is simple. We’ll coordinate directly with your old accountant and handle the handover to keep things smooth.
How do you differ from a traditional accountant?
Our real difference is context. We run startups ourselves. We’ve managed finance teams, raised funding, built forecasts, and sat in boardrooms. You won’t get stock advice. You’ll get real-world insight.
Do you only work with startups, or can scaleups and SMEs use your services too?
Our sweet spot is early-stage and growing startups but we also support scaleups and ambitious SMEs. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll happily point you in the right direction.
What’s included in your monthly accountancy package?
All packages include bookkeeping, VAT, Year-end accounts, Corporation tax return, payroll, standard companies house filings and a registered office address. The only difference is the scale: transaction volume, team size, and reporting frequency.
Do you offer one-off services?
Yes. While most clients work with us on an ongoing basis, we can help with one-off services like SEIS/EIS compliance, company formation, or catch-up bookkeeping if you need it. Just let us know what you’re looking for.
Can I easily switch from my current accountant to you?
Yes — switching is simple. We’ll coordinate directly with your old accountant and handle the handover to keep things smooth.
How do you differ from a traditional accountant?
Our real difference is context. We run startups ourselves. We’ve managed finance teams, raised funding, built forecasts, and sat in boardrooms. You won’t get stock advice. You’ll get real-world insight.
Do you only work with startups, or can scaleups and SMEs use your services too?
Our sweet spot is early-stage and growing startups but we also support scaleups and ambitious SMEs. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll happily point you in the right direction.
What’s included in your monthly accountancy package?
All packages include bookkeeping, VAT, Year-end accounts, Corporation tax return, payroll, standard companies house filings and a registered office address. The only difference is the scale: transaction volume, team size, and reporting frequency.
Do you offer one-off services?
Yes. While most clients work with us on an ongoing basis, we can help with one-off services like SEIS/EIS compliance, company formation, or catch-up bookkeeping if you need it. Just let us know what you’re looking for.
Can I easily switch from my current accountant to you?
Yes — switching is simple. We’ll coordinate directly with your old accountant and handle the handover to keep things smooth.
How do you differ from a traditional accountant?
Our real difference is context. We run startups ourselves. We’ve managed finance teams, raised funding, built forecasts, and sat in boardrooms. You won’t get stock advice. You’ll get real-world insight.
Tax & Compliance
Do you file company tax returns and VAT returns?
Yes — we handle both your Corporation Tax and quarterly VAT filings as standard.
Can you help me register for VAT?
Yes — we’ll handle the VAT registration for you and submit everything to HMRC. We’ll just need a few details to get started.
Will I ever need to deal with HMRC directly?
In most cases, we’ll speak to HMRC on your behalf — we’re authorised to handle filings and correspondence. Occasionally, for things like agreeing a payment plan, HMRC might want to speak to the company director directly. If that happens, we’ll guide you through what to say.
What deadlines do I need to be aware of as a startup founder?
There are several tax and compliance deadlines every founder should keep on their radar including VAT, year-end accounts, CT600, and payroll submissions. We’ll flag them for you, and we’ve also summarised them in our blog. Start with: What taxes do we need to file and when? Are we complying with Companies House and HMRC requirements? You’ll find both in our resources section for a more detailed breakdown.
Can you help with SEIS/EIS advance assurance and filing?
Yes — we support both SEIS and EIS advance assurance and filings.
Do you help with R&D tax credits?
Plenty of accountants will handle R&D claims themselves — and they’re allowed to. But with HMRC tightening the rules and challenging more submissions than ever, we think it’s smarter to bring in a specialist. We don’t do R&D claims in-house, but we work with trusted experts and can connect you with someone who’ll get it right.
Do you file company tax returns and VAT returns?
Yes — we handle both your Corporation Tax and quarterly VAT filings as standard.
Can you help me register for VAT?
Yes — we’ll handle the VAT registration for you and submit everything to HMRC. We’ll just need a few details to get started.
Will I ever need to deal with HMRC directly?
In most cases, we’ll speak to HMRC on your behalf — we’re authorised to handle filings and correspondence. Occasionally, for things like agreeing a payment plan, HMRC might want to speak to the company director directly. If that happens, we’ll guide you through what to say.
What deadlines do I need to be aware of as a startup founder?
There are several tax and compliance deadlines every founder should keep on their radar including VAT, year-end accounts, CT600, and payroll submissions. We’ll flag them for you, and we’ve also summarised them in our blog. Start with: What taxes do we need to file and when? Are we complying with Companies House and HMRC requirements? You’ll find both in our resources section for a more detailed breakdown.
Can you help with SEIS/EIS advance assurance and filing?
Yes — we support both SEIS and EIS advance assurance and filings.
Do you help with R&D tax credits?
Plenty of accountants will handle R&D claims themselves — and they’re allowed to. But with HMRC tightening the rules and challenging more submissions than ever, we think it’s smarter to bring in a specialist. We don’t do R&D claims in-house, but we work with trusted experts and can connect you with someone who’ll get it right.
Do you file company tax returns and VAT returns?
Yes — we handle both your Corporation Tax and quarterly VAT filings as standard.
Can you help me register for VAT?
Yes — we’ll handle the VAT registration for you and submit everything to HMRC. We’ll just need a few details to get started.
Will I ever need to deal with HMRC directly?
In most cases, we’ll speak to HMRC on your behalf — we’re authorised to handle filings and correspondence. Occasionally, for things like agreeing a payment plan, HMRC might want to speak to the company director directly. If that happens, we’ll guide you through what to say.
What deadlines do I need to be aware of as a startup founder?
There are several tax and compliance deadlines every founder should keep on their radar including VAT, year-end accounts, CT600, and payroll submissions. We’ll flag them for you, and we’ve also summarised them in our blog. Start with: What taxes do we need to file and when? Are we complying with Companies House and HMRC requirements? You’ll find both in our resources section for a more detailed breakdown.
Can you help with SEIS/EIS advance assurance and filing?
Yes — we support both SEIS and EIS advance assurance and filings.
Do you help with R&D tax credits?
Plenty of accountants will handle R&D claims themselves — and they’re allowed to. But with HMRC tightening the rules and challenging more submissions than ever, we think it’s smarter to bring in a specialist. We don’t do R&D claims in-house, but we work with trusted experts and can connect you with someone who’ll get it right.
Pricing
How much do your services cost?
Plans start from £345/month. Your price depends on your stage, team size, and transaction volume. See our pricing section for full details.
Are there any hidden fees or extra charges?
No surprises here. Your monthly fee includes all the core services in your plan — accounting, tax, payroll, and support. If you ever need something outside of that — like SEIS support, historic clean-ups, or HMRC investigations — we’ll always quote you first and get your sign-off. But day to day? It’s all in.
How does my plan change as I grow?
Your plan will adjust automatically based on your stage — like team size or transaction volume. We’ll always flag this in advance and give you as much notice as possible before anything changes.
Is there a minimum contract or commitment period?
We ask for one month’s notice to cancel, and there are no long-term lock-ins.
How much do your services cost?
Plans start from £345/month. Your price depends on your stage, team size, and transaction volume. See our pricing section for full details.
Are there any hidden fees or extra charges?
No surprises here. Your monthly fee includes all the core services in your plan — accounting, tax, payroll, and support. If you ever need something outside of that — like SEIS support, historic clean-ups, or HMRC investigations — we’ll always quote you first and get your sign-off. But day to day? It’s all in.
How does my plan change as I grow?
Your plan will adjust automatically based on your stage — like team size or transaction volume. We’ll always flag this in advance and give you as much notice as possible before anything changes.
Is there a minimum contract or commitment period?
We ask for one month’s notice to cancel, and there are no long-term lock-ins.
How much do your services cost?
Plans start from £345/month. Your price depends on your stage, team size, and transaction volume. See our pricing section for full details.
Are there any hidden fees or extra charges?
No surprises here. Your monthly fee includes all the core services in your plan — accounting, tax, payroll, and support. If you ever need something outside of that — like SEIS support, historic clean-ups, or HMRC investigations — we’ll always quote you first and get your sign-off. But day to day? It’s all in.
How does my plan change as I grow?
Your plan will adjust automatically based on your stage — like team size or transaction volume. We’ll always flag this in advance and give you as much notice as possible before anything changes.
Is there a minimum contract or commitment period?
We ask for one month’s notice to cancel, and there are no long-term lock-ins.
Onboarding
How quickly can I get started?
We can usually get you live within 7–10 working days — faster if your handover is clean.
What does your onboarding process look like?
We’ll get your systems connected, obtain access to what everything we need and gather any historic data. You’ll get to meet your Partner and have an initial deep dive into the business so we can hit the ground running.
Will I have a dedicated accountant?
Yes — you’ll have a dedicated Partner, supported by our wider team.
How quickly can I get started?
We can usually get you live within 7–10 working days — faster if your handover is clean.
What does your onboarding process look like?
We’ll get your systems connected, obtain access to what everything we need and gather any historic data. You’ll get to meet your Partner and have an initial deep dive into the business so we can hit the ground running.
Will I have a dedicated accountant?
Yes — you’ll have a dedicated Partner, supported by our wider team.
How quickly can I get started?
We can usually get you live within 7–10 working days — faster if your handover is clean.
What does your onboarding process look like?
We’ll get your systems connected, obtain access to what everything we need and gather any historic data. You’ll get to meet your Partner and have an initial deep dive into the business so we can hit the ground running.
Will I have a dedicated accountant?
Yes — you’ll have a dedicated Partner, supported by our wider team.
Payroll & Employees
Do you run payroll and submit it to HMRC?
Yes — we run payroll each month, submit it to HMRC, generate payslips, and handle your workplace pension submissions too. You’ll just need to confirm your team’s pay details each month — we’ll send a reminder so nothing gets missed.
Can you help me set up a PAYE scheme?
Yes — we’ll register your business for PAYE with HMRC and get your payroll set up once that’s in place. We’ll let you know what details we need and handle the admin.
Do you handle pensions and auto-enrolment?
Yes — we’ll set up and manage your workplace pension, including auto-enrolment and monthly submissions.
Do you run payroll and submit it to HMRC?
Yes — we run payroll each month, submit it to HMRC, generate payslips, and handle your workplace pension submissions too. You’ll just need to confirm your team’s pay details each month — we’ll send a reminder so nothing gets missed.
Can you help me set up a PAYE scheme?
Yes — we’ll register your business for PAYE with HMRC and get your payroll set up once that’s in place. We’ll let you know what details we need and handle the admin.
Do you handle pensions and auto-enrolment?
Yes — we’ll set up and manage your workplace pension, including auto-enrolment and monthly submissions.
Do you run payroll and submit it to HMRC?
Yes — we run payroll each month, submit it to HMRC, generate payslips, and handle your workplace pension submissions too. You’ll just need to confirm your team’s pay details each month — we’ll send a reminder so nothing gets missed.
Can you help me set up a PAYE scheme?
Yes — we’ll register your business for PAYE with HMRC and get your payroll set up once that’s in place. We’ll let you know what details we need and handle the admin.
Do you handle pensions and auto-enrolment?
Yes — we’ll set up and manage your workplace pension, including auto-enrolment and monthly submissions.
Advisory & Growth
Do you provide CFO-level support?
Yes — just not directly through Startup Accountancy. We have a partner team that provides CFO-level insight, board reporting, and fundraising support specifically for startups and scaleups. If you need this level of support, we’ll connect you with them so it's seamless for you.
Can you help me create a financial forecast or cash flow model?
We don’t build forecasts in-house — and that’s a deliberate choice. A good forecast needs someone close to your business, truly embedded in the detail. That’s why we partner with a dedicated finance team for startups that handles financial modelling and investor-ready forecasting. If you need this, we can connect you, ensuring it feels like one team supporting your business.
Do you support funding rounds and investor reporting?
We keep your core numbers clean, up to date, and investor-ready. If you need pitch support, investor packs, or someone in the room with you for a funding round, we partner with a dedicated finance team for startups that can help. When the time’s right, we’ll connect you.
Do you provide CFO-level support?
Yes — just not directly through Startup Accountancy. We have a partner team that provides CFO-level insight, board reporting, and fundraising support specifically for startups and scaleups. If you need this level of support, we’ll connect you with them so it's seamless for you.
Can you help me create a financial forecast or cash flow model?
We don’t build forecasts in-house — and that’s a deliberate choice. A good forecast needs someone close to your business, truly embedded in the detail. That’s why we partner with a dedicated finance team for startups that handles financial modelling and investor-ready forecasting. If you need this, we can connect you, ensuring it feels like one team supporting your business.
Do you support funding rounds and investor reporting?
We keep your core numbers clean, up to date, and investor-ready. If you need pitch support, investor packs, or someone in the room with you for a funding round, we partner with a dedicated finance team for startups that can help. When the time’s right, we’ll connect you.
Do you provide CFO-level support?
Yes — just not directly through Startup Accountancy. We have a partner team that provides CFO-level insight, board reporting, and fundraising support specifically for startups and scaleups. If you need this level of support, we’ll connect you with them so it's seamless for you.
Can you help me create a financial forecast or cash flow model?
We don’t build forecasts in-house — and that’s a deliberate choice. A good forecast needs someone close to your business, truly embedded in the detail. That’s why we partner with a dedicated finance team for startups that handles financial modelling and investor-ready forecasting. If you need this, we can connect you, ensuring it feels like one team supporting your business.
Do you support funding rounds and investor reporting?
We keep your core numbers clean, up to date, and investor-ready. If you need pitch support, investor packs, or someone in the room with you for a funding round, we partner with a dedicated finance team for startups that can help. When the time’s right, we’ll connect you.
Bookkeeping & Accounts
If I already have my bookkeeping sorted can you do my year-end accounts only?
Yes, we can. We’re happy to handle your year-end accounts and corporation tax filing as a standalone service. If your records need any clean-up before we file, we’ll flag it and can sort that for you too.
What software do you use for bookkeeping and accounting?
We’ve designed the way we work to be as seamless as possible, using tech wherever it makes life easier for you. Xero sits at the heart of our bookkeeping and reporting, paired with integrated tools for receipt capture, payroll, and reconciliations. It means less admin on your side, and clear, real-time numbers when you need them.
If I already have my bookkeeping sorted can you do my year-end accounts only?
Yes, we can. We’re happy to handle your year-end accounts and corporation tax filing as a standalone service. If your records need any clean-up before we file, we’ll flag it and can sort that for you too.
What software do you use for bookkeeping and accounting?
We’ve designed the way we work to be as seamless as possible, using tech wherever it makes life easier for you. Xero sits at the heart of our bookkeeping and reporting, paired with integrated tools for receipt capture, payroll, and reconciliations. It means less admin on your side, and clear, real-time numbers when you need them.
If I already have my bookkeeping sorted can you do my year-end accounts only?
Yes, we can. We’re happy to handle your year-end accounts and corporation tax filing as a standalone service. If your records need any clean-up before we file, we’ll flag it and can sort that for you too.
What software do you use for bookkeeping and accounting?
We’ve designed the way we work to be as seamless as possible, using tech wherever it makes life easier for you. Xero sits at the heart of our bookkeeping and reporting, paired with integrated tools for receipt capture, payroll, and reconciliations. It means less admin on your side, and clear, real-time numbers when you need them.