Consulting & Professional Services Accounting & Tax in the UK

Our accounting services are tailored for knowledge-based businesses operating as Limited Companies in the UK:

• Independent Consultants & Contractors: Solo professionals who need to manage their finances efficiently, optimize their tax position (e.g., salary vs. dividends), and comply with IR35 legislation.
• Boutique Consulting Firms: Small firms with a handful of consultants that need to track project profitability and manage payroll and expenses.
• IT & Software Development Consultants: Tech experts who must track billable hours, manage software expenses, and potentially claim R&D tax credits for innovative work.
• Marketing & PR Professionals: Individuals and small teams managing client retainers and project-based work, requiring clear financial reporting to demonstrate value.
• Non-Resident Consultants with a UK Company: Foreign experts using a UK Ltd company to contract with UK or European clients, who need to navigate cross-border VAT rules.

From the first client engagement, professional accounting is beneficial. It becomes absolutely critical at these key moments:

• When You Register for VAT: Once your turnover exceeds the £90,000 threshold, you must start charging VAT and filing MTD-compliant quarterly returns, a process that requires meticulous bookkeeping.
• When You Hire Your First Employee/Contractor: This triggers PAYE payroll obligations for employees and requires an IR35 assessment for contractors to determine their employment status for tax purposes.
• When You Want to Take Profits Tax-Efficiently: Deciding on the optimal mix of salary and dividends to minimize Income Tax and National Insurance contributions requires professional tax planning.
• At Year-End: For preparing and filing your statutory annual accounts with Companies House and your CT600 Corporation Tax return with HMRC.

Investing in outsourced accounting is a high-ROI decision for consultants, freeing up billable hours and ensuring tax efficiency.

• Solo Consultant / Freelancer: £300 - £600 per month. This typically includes bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll for one director, and annual accounts/tax return.
• Small Firm (2-5 people): £600 - £1,500 per month. This service level often adds payroll for more employees and more detailed management reporting.
• Growing Firms (5+ people): Custom pricing starting at £1,500+, which can include more advanced forecasting and virtual CFO services.

Consultants and service firms in the UK face several specific compliance risks:

• IR35 Misclassification: Incorrectly operating as a contractor "outside IR35" when HMRC deems you a "disguised employee" can lead to a significant bill for back taxes and penalties.
• VAT Errors: Incorrectly applying VAT rules, especially for services to international clients (which may be zero-rated), can lead to penalties from HMRC.
• Missed Deductions: Failing to claim all allowable business expenses (e.g., use of home as office, travel, professional subscriptions) results in a higher Corporation Tax bill.
• Late Filing Penalties: Companies House and HMRC both issue automatic, and often substantial, penalties for filing annual accounts or tax returns late.

As a consultant, your primary focus should be on delivering value to your clients, not on deciphering UK tax code. Outsourcing your accounting to YourLegal provides a dedicated team of UK finance professionals who understand the nuances of the service industry.

We handle all your compliance needs, from MTD-compliant VAT returns to your annual statutory filings. More importantly, we provide proactive tax planning to ensure you are structured in the most efficient way possible, optimizing your salary and dividend strategy to reduce your overall tax burden. By taking the financial administration off your plate, we free you to do more billable work, making our service a direct contributor to your bottom line. Our services integrate seamlessly with our core tax compliance and company formation solutions.