Accountant recommendation threads inc local requests

[Hawkeye]

Resurrecting this post if I can please. Am getting back into outside contracting after quite a few years away. I am looking at different options on whether I do my own accounts or whether to get an accountant.

Any recommendations for 2025? I've been looking at Inni accounts. Their basic package looks to be good. Had some horrific experiences when leaving SJD a while back.

[hobnob]

I've been looking at Inni accounts. Their basic package looks to be good.

I haven't dealt with them personally, and I only found one discussion (from 2015) when I searched the forum:
inniaccounts & vendor lock-in? - Contractor UK Bulletin Board
At that point, they were using proprietary software (rather than FreeAgent). I don't know whether that's still the case, but it might influence your decision.

[Hawkeye]

I spotted that too but then somewhere I read you can download your data and move away. I feel confident enough to do my own accounts but I am balancing the time spent when I could use a very good accountant that could take some of my workload away.

[northernladuk]

I spotted that too but then somewhere I read you can download your data and move away. I feel confident enough to do my own accounts but I am balancing the time spent when I could use a very good accountant that could take some of my workload away.

From personal experience if you want a bigger setup I'd say Gorilla (I was a customer up to going inside). For a smaller more personal approach I'd be going to Paper Rocket. If none of them suit you could speak to BI Accounting, Clarity Accounting or Aardvark and see how you gel.

[woody1]

At that point, they were using proprietary software (rather than FreeAgent).

That might be a risk factor for an HMRC MSC raid.

[Hawkeye]

From personal experience if you want a bigger setup I'd say Gorilla (I was a customer up to going inside). For a smaller more personal approach I'd be going to Paper Rocket. If none of them suit you could speak to BI Accounting, Clarity Accounting or Aardvark and see how you gel.

I have a call this afternoon with BI. They look like a good way to go and have been really good with responsiveness and wanting a conference call to discuss all my needs.

[rocktronAMP]

From personal experience if you want a bigger setup I'd say Gorilla (I was a customer up to going inside). For a smaller more personal approach I'd be going to Paper Rocket. If none of them suit you could speak to BI Accounting, Clarity Accounting or Aardvark and see how you gel.

Bright Ideas Accountancy
https://biaccountancy.com/
£109+VAT per month

Clairty Account Limited
https://www.clarityaccounting.co.uk/home
((is this related to Clarity Umbrella?) Is this even the website? 2017!)


Paper Rocket Accounting
https://paperrocketaccounting.com/ourservices/

Aardvard Accounting
https://www.aardvarkaccounting.co.uk...or-accounting/
£89+VAT per month

Gorilla
https://gorillaaccounting.com/
£119 + VAT per month

Thanks Sir
Are there any more recommendations for contractor accountants?

[GregRickshaw]

Genuinely asking for a friend here, my friend certainly does not want any advice from me!

We seem to be down to a list of 5 (above) are all of these 'safe' I have looked at them and really can't actually distinguish them from any of the rules which brought down CK and Boox apart from the apparent absence of the self made portal.

Which of the five do we feel is the safest for a PSC/Ltd

Cheers

GR

[jamesbrown]

No idea about Clarity Accounting. Clarity Taxation, perhaps? This is run by Clare and Craig Szeto, formerly of In Touch, and they are highly recommended.

Regarding the MSC legislation, who knows, but you should probably avoid accountants that maintain a portal and do a lot of hand holding. The smaller the better and you are probably safer using them for annual filings only, like CT and SATR, and not intra-annual filings, like VAT and PAYE RTI. Think more like a traditional high-street accountant and less like an online contractor accountant that offers a cookie-cutter package and pricing policy and advertises things like "we do everything for you" as part of an "all in" package

[jamesbrown]

More specifically w/r to avoiding custom online portals, you should work with FreeAgent or similar and ensure you have full control over your accounting/book keeping software (so, in FA terms, Level 8 access or whatever).