Reply to: SJD fee rise. Is £1512 p/annum a reasonable fee?

[Iron Condor]

I do my own VAT and self assessment.

They are dead easy.

My accountant does the year end ltd accounts and corp tax return, he charges me £300+VAT.

It is just a half a days work for him, to take the spread sheets i give him and generates those two documents, of course he checks everything against my bank statements too.. but its all dead simple for him.

Paying £1300 a year is about £1000 too much.

[ratewhore]

Always provided a decent service.

To you maybe, but that's not everybodys experience...

[backrubber]

I've just had Brooksons on the phone trying to sell me their service, but in fact he might have succeeded in convincing me I don't need an accountant at all. Can anyone recommend software to make things easier?

You could always try:

MyBookkeepingManager
Bookkeeping Software for Contractors, freelancers, and other Micro Businesses

or

EarningsTracker
Earnings Tracker - Free Bookkeeping Software, Free Accounting Software for Contractors and Freelancers

Both these tools are fine for contractor/freelancer bookkeeping activities. I use Earnings Tracker (have done for three years), and am happy with it.

[Lewis]

every little helps.

Exactly. I'm with Nixon Williams, best service I've had in 12 years of contracting and with the price difference between SJD and NW, I can buy an iPad 2 hehehe. I know which I prefer

[tyut4669]

every little helps.

[saptastic]

£75 x 12 = £900
£105 x 12 = £1260
£1260 - £900 = £360
£360 * 21% = £75.60
£360 - £75.60 = £284.40
£284.40 / 240 working days a year = £1.19 per day

So how much do you earn a day....?

Well put. And Ltd (excuse the pun) hassle. Always provided a decent service.

[Old Greg]

The nice people at SJD share their spreadsheet for free. You need to register (for free).

Downloads - Accountants UK - SJD Accountancy

[diaz101]

yes please

i'd like a copy of that spreadsheet

[tyut4669]

you pay £126 a month for what exactly?

How complex are your affairs?

You get money in - revenue.
You pay Money out - expenses.

Obviously that is the extremely simple version... but it aint hard... software puts it all in order...

Corp Tax online is deady easy to do. You can also now do a joint submission to Companies House and HMRC on the same form.

By all means use professionals for advice, but IMHO they add no value to the day to day year to year processes.

I completely agree. I am an IT professional, I have sort of developed a nice spreadsheet which I am using for 3 years now, that has all the formulas needed. If any like to have, I am quite happy to share it obviously free of cost.

[Sockpuppet]

About half of what you guys are quoting for me a year. Circa £50 a month.

I do all my VAT, PAYE they just do my year end.

[Lewis]

I seem to be getting this now with SJD.

Plus I'm sick of checking my accountant's figures and then finding out that because I did something the way my last (SJD) accountant told me, the new (SJD) accountant didn't understand it...

Any good alternatives? I quite like doing the spreadsheet because at least then I know what they are basing decisions on.

Nixon Williams are great. Best accountants I've ever had
£75+VAT per month

[Old Greg]

Mate look at my join date (2009!). I just didn't have anything to post before... must be a sad life to be so cynical...

edit: I've used SJD since early 2008 and was always "happy enough" but lately I've been getting more issues, and I think I've had enough.

Just making a general comment. Still suspicious, as a lot of it goes on.

[ozzage]

Hmmmm - it's amazing how many known posters on these boards use SJD and are positive of the service, and how many posters (trolls?) join the board just to do SJD down.

Mate look at my join date (2009!). I just didn't have anything to post before... must be a sad life to be so cynical...

edit: I've used SJD since early 2008 and was always "happy enough" but lately I've been getting more issues, and I think I've had enough.

[Old Greg]

I seem to be getting this now with SJD.

Plus I'm sick of checking my accountant's figures and then finding out that because I did something the way my last (SJD) accountant told me, the new (SJD) accountant didn't understand it...

Any good alternatives? I quite like doing the spreadsheet because at least then I know what they are basing decisions on.

Hmmmm - it's amazing how many known posters on these boards use SJD and are positive of the service, and how many posters (trolls?) join the board just to do SJD down.

[ozzage]

Except when your accountant puts a selection of poor juniors onto your admin tasks who make mistake after mistake, and you're paying £1500 per annum...

I seem to be getting this now with SJD.

Plus I'm sick of checking my accountant's figures and then finding out that because I did something the way my last (SJD) accountant told me, the new (SJD) accountant didn't understand it...

Any good alternatives? I quite like doing the spreadsheet because at least then I know what they are basing decisions on.