Running your business solo shouldn't mean facing HMRC alone.
Looking for an accountant for sole traders who actually understands self-employment? Zmartly gives sole traders a named, ACCA-qualified accountant on fixed monthly pricing, no hourly surprises, no jargon. From your Self Assessment and Class 4 National Insurance to the Making Tax Digital changes landing in April 2026, we keep your figures right and your tax bill as low as it legitimately can be.
You get one ACCA-qualified accountant who knows your trade, your margins and your van, not a different stranger each time you ring. For a sole trader whose business is you, that continuity is the difference between advice that fits and box-ticking. Every query gets a reply within 72 hours, and we work on rolling monthly terms so you are never locked in.
Sole traders run on tight, lumpy cash flow, so a surprise hourly invoice is the last thing you need. Our pricing is fixed at £99, £199 or £499 a month depending on what you need, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You will always know what your accountant costs before the work starts.
Most sole traders overpay tax simply because nobody told them what they could claim, use of home, the 55p-per-mile flat rate, the right capital allowances. We go through your actual costs line by line, so your profit (and your tax bill) reflects what you genuinely owe, not a guess.
From April 2026, sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital records and file quarterly. We get you onto Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or Sage now, so the switch to MTD for Income Tax is a non-event rather than a panic the week before a quarterly deadline.
Your tax return is the heart of being a sole trader, and a late or sloppy one costs you. We prepare and file your Self Assessment to the 31 January online deadline, reconcile it against your records, and tell you exactly what to pay and when, including the payments on account that catch out so many first-year self-employed people.
Self-employment National Insurance is widely misunderstood. We calculate your Class 4 contributions (6% on profits between roughly £12,570 and £50,270, then 2% above) and handle Class 2 at £3.65 a week, including the voluntary route to protect your State Pension if your profits are low. No more guessing what the NI line on your bill actually means.
We claim what you are entitled to: the 55p-per-mile simplified mileage rate for the first 10,000 business miles (25p thereafter), the use-of-home flat rate, the £1,000 trading allowance where it beats real costs, and capital allowances on tools and equipment. We also pick the right method, cash basis (now the default) versus traditional accruals, for your situation.
Cross £90,000 of turnover and VAT registration becomes compulsory, but plenty of sole traders benefit from registering voluntarily, or from the Flat Rate Scheme. We monitor your rolling 12-month turnover, warn you before you trip the threshold, and handle registration and returns so it never sneaks up on you.
MTD for Income Tax starts in April 2026 for sole traders over £50,000, dropping to £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028. We get your records digital in your chosen software, then prepare and submit the quarterly updates and the final year-end declaration so you stay compliant without it eating your evenings.
Because we work monthly and keep your books current, we can plan ahead: setting money aside for the bill, advising on the pension and Gift Aid reliefs that cut it, and flagging when incorporating into a limited company would genuinely save you tax rather than just adding admin.
Understanding your business needs.
Crafting your custom accounting strategy.
Quick and easy integration.
Consistent monitoring and reporting.
Plain-English explainers, kept current with the latest HMRC rules.
Register for Self Assessment by 5 October after the end of the tax year you started trading. The online filing and payment deadline is 31 January following the 5 April tax year-end, so your 2025/26 return is due by 31 January 2027. If your bill is over £1,000, you will also make payments on account on 31 January and 31 July. We track all of these for you.
You pay Class 4 National Insurance at 6% on annual profits between the lower limit (around £12,570) and £50,270, then 2% on profits above that. Class 2 is £3.65 a week for 2026/27. If your profits are low, paying Class 2 voluntarily can still protect your State Pension entitlement, we will advise whether that is worth it for you.
Allowable business expenses reduce your taxable profit: business mileage at 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles (25p after), a use-of-home flat rate, stock, tools, software, professional fees and more. Alternatively, the £1,000 trading allowance covers everything if your costs are tiny. We compare methods and claim whichever leaves you better off.
VAT registration is compulsory once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 over any rolling 12-month period, or if you expect to exceed it in the next 30 days. Below that it is voluntary, and sometimes worthwhile, for example via the Flat Rate Scheme. We watch your turnover and tell you before you hit the threshold, so you never register late.
From 6 April 2026, sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000 must keep digital records and send HMRC quarterly updates through compatible software, plus a final year-end declaration. The threshold falls to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. We get you on Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or Sage and handle the quarterly filings.
It depends on your profit level, how much you draw, and your appetite for admin. Incorporating can save tax once profits are higher, but it adds Corporation Tax (19% up to £50,000, rising to 25% over £250,000 with marginal relief), payroll and Companies House filings. We model both for your actual numbers before you decide, no one-size-fits-all answer.
Fixed monthly pricing of £99, £199 or £499 depending on the support you need, on rolling monthly terms with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You get a named, ACCA-qualified accountant and replies within 72 hours. No hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
Thirty minutes with an ACCA-qualified accountant. Most owners uncover £1,000-£3,000 in annual savings on the first call. If we are not the right fit, you walk away with a free tax review on the house.
