Essentials · Accounting · United Kingdom
Accounting Essentials
The finance services a growing UK company needs, from clean books and on-time tax to cash forecasting and a part-time CFO.
Search all 19 Essentials or filter by stage. Each one explains the problem it solves, what to expect, and the UK rules and deadlines that apply.
Three stages
Finance that grows with the business
Most companies need these services in order: first the foundations that keep you compliant, then reporting that lets you run on real numbers, then senior input for the big decisions.
Stage 1
Finance foundations
Stay accurate and compliant, with every deadline met.
- Bookkeeping and payroll
- VAT and Self Assessment
- Year-end accounts and Corporation Tax
- Company formation and software set-up
Stage 2
Finance operations
Run the business on timely numbers and healthy cash.
- Management accounts
- Cash flow and credit control
- Financial controller oversight
- R&D tax relief, SEIS and EIS
Stage 3
Strategic finance
Make the big decisions with senior finance input.
- Fractional CFO
- Forecasting and modelling
- Board and investor reporting
- Share options and KPIs
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Type a word such as VAT, payroll or forecasting, or filter by stage and how the service is delivered.
Finance foundations
Bookkeeping
Accurate, up-to-date books, so you always know what has been earned, spent and owed, and every tax return starts from clean numbers.
Finance foundations
Payroll
Employees paid correctly and on time, with PAYE, National Insurance and workplace pension duties handled every pay run.
Finance foundations
Year-end accounts and Corporation Tax
Statutory accounts filed with Companies House and your Corporation Tax return filed with HMRC, on time and correctly.
Finance foundations
VAT returns
VAT registration, returns and payments handled correctly under Making Tax Digital, so you never pay more VAT than you should.
Finance foundations
Self Assessment tax returns
Personal tax returns for directors and shareholders, with salary, dividends and other income reported correctly and on time.
Finance foundations
Company formation
A new limited company set up correctly from day one, with Companies House, HMRC and your bank in place.
Finance foundations
Cloud accounting set-up
Accounting software set up properly and connected to your bank and apps, so the numbers flow in automatically.
Finance operations
Management accounts
A clear monthly picture of profit, cash and performance against budget, with commentary on what it means.
Finance operations
Fractional financial controller
Senior oversight of your finance function, its controls and its month-end, for a few days a month instead of a full-time salary.
Finance operations
Credit control
A steady, polite process for getting invoices paid on time, so profit turns into cash.
Finance operations
Cash flow management
A rolling cash forecast that shows the low points ahead, so you can plan payments, hiring and investment with confidence.
Finance operations
SEIS and EIS support
Help to qualify for the UK's investor tax reliefs, so your company is more attractive to angel investors.
Finance operations
R&D tax relief claims
Help to identify and claim R&D tax relief on innovative work, with the evidence HMRC now expects.
Finance operations
Finance systems integration
Sales, billing, payroll, expenses and banking tools connected to your accounting software, so data flows without re-keying.
Strategic finance
Fractional CFO
Senior finance leadership for strategy, funding and big decisions, part-time and without a full-time executive salary.
Strategic finance
Budgeting, forecasting and modelling
A budget and financial model that shows where the business is heading, and what happens if you change course.
Strategic finance
Investor and board reporting
Clear, consistent reporting for your board and investors that builds trust and speeds up decisions.
Strategic finance
EMI and share option schemes
Tax-advantaged share options that help you hire, keep and reward key people without raising salaries.
Strategic finance
KPIs and strategic finance
The right KPIs and analysis to understand what drives profit, so every big decision is backed by evidence.
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Essentials are general information for UK businesses, not financial, tax or legal advice. Tax rules and thresholds change, so each Essential shows when its facts were last checked.
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