Fintech Accounting & Tax Services in the UK

Our UK fintech accounting services are designed for companies across this dynamic sector:

• E-Money Institutions (EMIs) & Payment Institutions (PIs): Companies that need to manage segregated client funds, safeguard capital, and report to the FCA.
• Lending Platforms: Peer-to-peer and direct lending businesses that must manage loan books, credit risk, and comply with consumer credit regulations.
• Digital Wealth Managers & Robo-Advisors: Platforms handling client investments that must adhere to strict FCA rules on asset custody and reporting.
• Cryptocurrency Exchanges & Custodians: Companies in the digital asset space needing to comply with the UK's crypto-asset registration and AML requirements.
• Reg-Tech & Sup-Tech Providers: Companies building compliance solutions who must themselves demonstrate exemplary financial controls to their clients and regulators.

Specialized fintech accounting is required from the moment you decide to pursue a regulated activity. It is not something that can be added later. It becomes critical at these key stages:

• During FCA Application: Your application for authorisation must include detailed financial projections and a comprehensive description of your compliance and control framework.
• When Handling Client Money: The moment you hold or control client funds, you fall under the CASS (Client Assets Sourcebook) rules, which require daily reconciliations and reporting.
• Before Your First Financial Audit: UK fintechs are subject to mandatory annual audits. Preparing for this requires months of work and an audit-proof set of books from day one.
• During a Fundraising Round: Investors in the fintech space conduct deep due diligence on your regulatory compliance and financial controls. Any weakness can kill a deal.

The cost of fintech accounting reflects the high level of expertise, risk, and regulatory engagement required.

• Early-Stage Fintech (Pre-authorisation): £2,500 - £6,000 per month. This covers building the financial models for application, setting up the compliant chart of accounts, and initial policy drafting.
• Authorised Growth-Stage Fintech: £6,000 - £15,000+ per month. This involves a dedicated team for daily reconciliations, CASS reporting, management accounts, and ongoing audit and regulatory liaison.
• Virtual CFO for UK Fintech: Often integrated into higher-tier services, this provides strategic guidance on regulatory capital, risk management, and board-level reporting.

In the UK fintech market, compliance failures are existential threats.

• FCA Enforcement Action: The FCA can impose enormous fines, restrict business activities, or revoke authorisation entirely for breaches of its rules, effectively shutting down the company.
• CASS Breaches: Failure to properly segregate and protect client money is one of the most serious offenses and can lead to severe penalties and reputational ruin.
• AML Failures: Weak anti-money laundering controls can result in massive fines and, in serious cases, criminal prosecution of directors under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
• Failed Audits: A qualified audit opinion can trigger regulatory investigation and destroy the trust of investors, banking partners, and customers.

Building an in-house finance team with the deep, specific expertise in FCA regulations, CASS, and fintech auditing is a multi-hundred-thousand-pound annual investment. Finding talent with this rare combination of skills is extremely difficult.

Outsourcing to YourLegal's fintech finance partners provides immediate access to a seasoned team that understands the UK regulatory landscape inside and out. We provide the institutional-grade controls, policies, and reporting frameworks that the FCA and "Big Four" auditors expect to see. We don't just "do the books"; we build and manage the entire compliant financial infrastructure for your business. For a fintech startup, this isn't a cost-saving measure—it's the only viable path to launching and scaling a regulated business in the UK.