13 Tech Startup and SME Friendly Accountants
2021 Update: Just published a new list of 25+ tech, startup and SME friendly accountants and bookkeepers.
Unless you have a penchant for number crunching and government-related form-filling, tax returns, VAT returns, cashflow forecasts, balance sheets are probably tasks that you’d like to delegate. Let us not forget the UK’s record-breaking 17,000 page tax code.
To run a successful business, or just to keep your personal tax affairs in some kind of order, it’s re-assuring to have some professional help on-hand. But, how do you find an accountant? Simple…ask the #lazyweb and tap up your friends on Facebook and Twitter.
13 Small business and tech startup friendly accountants
- Double Seven Square – London
- Durrants – Crowthorne
- Hillier Hopkins – London & SE (Multiple)
- iHorizon – London
- InTouch Accounting – Bournemouth
- JF Financial – London / Bromley
- Kingston Smith – London
- MicroBusinessTeam – London
- Nimble Jack Accounting – London (multiple)
- Pomfrey & Co – Bexley
- Proactive – London (Old St area) / Kent
- Roy Pinnock & Co – St Albans
- Stephenson Smart – King’s Lynn
Hiring an accountant
There’s some great advice around on when and how to hire an accountant, here’s some tips I’ve found useful:
- Get recommendations – the list above is a starting point and came from my network, but that’s a tech and media-centric bunch. It’s worth asking friends and other business owners who they’re using and what their specialities are. There seem to be a large number of ex-HMRC accountants who now do a great job on the other side of the fence.
- Gather your files – tax returns, annual returns, cashflow forecasts and possibly access to your accounting system. After your initial chat with a potential new accountant, you’ll want them to cast an eye over your books so you can get an idea of cost/time.
- Be clear about your requirements – one way or another you’re going to be charged by the hour, make sure the time counts and be clear what you want. The clock is ticking and it’s your wallet attached to the second hand. Some things to consider: annual return, annual accountants, quarterly VAT returns, payroll, P60 (end of year tax for employees), personal tax return, quarterly/monthly cashflow reports, book-keeping (invoices/receipts/general expenditure) for starters. Get an estimate before you say ‘yes’.
I hope that’s a useful starting point if you’re on the hunt for your first or a new accountant for your self or your business. Please do share recommendations or tips in the comments.
Updated 14 March 2017 – included JF Financial, MicroBusinessTeam
Updated 2 June 2021 – created a new list of startup, SME and tech friendly accountants and bookkeepers
Pic (cc) 401kcalculator.org on Flickr.
About Sam Michel
Inquisitive. Hopeful. Jovial. Cantankerous. Digital marketer. Event organiser. Long-time fan of tech, collaboration and innovation. Exploring digital, social, business, technology, society, psychology & startups. Founder Chinwag, Digital Mission, Pitch NYC, ChinwagPsych. Former Exec Dir, Social Media Week London. More short stuff @toodlepip on Twitter.
You do need to know what’s out there… Don’t just be tempted to think you have to use a traditional high street accountant. You need to find one that operates in a way that suits your lifestyle and doesn’t charge you every time you pick up the phone.
InTouch offer clients access to an online portal so they know where they are at any time plus they get unlimited access to the personal accountant when they need them, all included in a set monthly fee.
So make sure you know what you’re getting for your fee… some providers will offer tiered levels of service so make sure you’re not caught by any nasty bills for things you need help with!
I guess we were no 12 on the list!
But we were in the top 10 according to Enterprise Nation for 2014 and featured in the Sunday Telegraph last week as Top Rated 🙂
http://www.approved-accounting.co.uk
iHorizon and Micro Business Teams are not at all reliable and have bad reputation. Did you use any of these before to come up with such recommendations?
I checked on a bunch of different forums and through my own connections and they both had multiple recommendations. I haven’t used either myself.
[…] I asked friends and on the socials, I got a great list of recommendations and pointers to some very useful advice on how to find the right accountant for your business – a kind of […]