Accounting Help & Guidance
View All Help Guides
Need some guidance about your business accounting? Check out our help guides.
Browse our FAQs
Browse the most frequently asked questions that we are asked about accounting.
Ask a Tax Question
Not able to find the answer you need in our guides or FAQs? Ask us directly!
Accounting Help Guides
Whether you are starting a new business or simply looking to improve your accounts team, you should find some useful words of wisdom here. In order to help you find the right accountant for your business, we’ve put together the following help guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here at Cheap Accountants we want to help your business save time and money. We’ll share information about cheap accountancy services to help you find the most reliable online accountants at the most affordable prices. Use our blog page to stay up to date, or ask an accountant a tax question, for free!
Having an accountant is incredibly helpful for any stage of business, but for start-ups it can seem like an unwanted expense. We answer some of the most commonly asked questions about why an accountant can be a necessary expense.
Running a business can be complicated and time-consuming enough without the added burden of managing the finances. Hiring the services of an accountant and/or bookkeeper will certainly help with the administrative load.
Your accountant will have a wide range of experience beyond accounting, including payroll, bookkeeping, VAT and tax returns, and possibly some legal services.
Unless you have solid accounting experience yourself, using an accountant will also give you peace of mind. You’ll be able to focus on the work, knowing that your finances are being reported correctly.
Accountancy isn’t just about performing calculations and HMRC reporting, though that’s reassuring enough.
The cost of hiring an accountant can vary depending on several factors. For example, an online accountancy may be considerably less expensive than using an accountant based in Central London.
It also depends on your situation too, for example, accountants will factor in things like your business structure, your annual turnover and additional things like whether or not you have employees.
Small business accountant fees typically start from around £30-£50 per month for basic packages.
We’ve done some of the research for you – compare the cost of accountancy packages here.
Yes, accountants offer paid consultations, and in some cases, you can hire them as a one-off – for example, to file your Self Assessment.
One-off consultation fees vary depending on the accountant’s experience and the complexity of your requirements. Many firms offer a free initial enquiry, allowing you to ask a question before committing to a paid consultation.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to finding an accountant. You need to decide between things like whether an online accountant service is suitable or if you need someone on the high street that you can visit. It’s useful to think about the other services you’ll need too, and whether your accountant can offer all of these in one place, or if you’ll need to look around. All of these things come into play when making your decision.
We know it’s hard – so we’ve created a guide to finding the right accountant.
There usually isn’t a lot of spare cash available if you’re newly self-employed and just starting up in business, we get it. But, an accountant can offer valuable insight into your business model, as well as helping you maximise every resource available to you!
There is plenty of accounting software out there to try including free versions such as Pandle, so it’s worth doing your research. If your needs are likely to be particularly niche, such as certain integrations, then it could be wise to consider a bookkeeping system which will support that.
It really comes down to what matters most to you.
If you value face-to-face meetings and building a relationship in person, a local accountant might be the better fit. On the other hand, if you’re comfortable with video calls and prefer a more affordable, tech-driven approach, an online accountant could be the ideal choice.
Check out our guide to finding the right accountant to help you decide.
Ask a Tax Question
Here at Cheap Accountants we want to help your business save time and money. We’ll share information about cheap accountancy services to help you find the most reliable online accountants at the most affordable prices.
Use our blog page to stay up to date, or ask an accountant a tax question, for free!