VAT registration, MTD returns, and scheme planning that cuts what you actually pay. One fixed monthly fee, from a named, qualified accountant.
VAT is where most accountants quietly cost you money. The wrong scheme, a missed reclaim, or a slip on partial exemption, and you overpay every quarter without knowing. We are VAT accountants who plan it, not just file it. Our VAT services cover the lot: registration, your Making Tax Digital returns, and the scheme and reclaim work that lowers your real bill. You get a named, qualified accountant (ACMA, CGMA, ACCA, FCCA), replies within 72 hours, and fixed pricing from £99 a month. No surprises.
Not sure when you have to register? You must register once your turnover passes £90,000 over any rolling 12 months, or if you expect to pass it in the next 30 days. We watch the date and register you on time, so HMRC cannot backdate it and bill you for VAT you never charged. Below the line, we check whether registering voluntarily saves you money, and handle deregistration if you drop under £88,000.
Newly registered and worried about the software? Every VAT-registered business now has to keep digital records and file through HMRC's VAT online services. We file your quarterly returns straight from Xero, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent. No spreadsheets, no bridging bodges, no missed deadlines.
On the wrong scheme, you overpay every quarter. Flat Rate, Cash Accounting (turnover up to £1.35m), Annual Accounting or standard, the right one can save you thousands. We model each on your real numbers, and watch for the 16.5% limited-cost trader rate that catches labour-only businesses.
In construction and confused by the reverse charge? On most CIS-covered work, you do not charge VAT to a VAT-registered contractor; they account for it instead. Get it wrong and you either overcharge your customers or under-declare to HMRC. We set your invoicing up right so neither happens.
Make some sales that are exempt? Then you cannot reclaim all your input VAT. The partial exemption rules, and the de minimis limit that lets small amounts through, decide how much you keep. We run the calculation, plus the second-hand margin and TOMS schemes (you pay VAT on your margin, not the full price) for dealers, retailers and travel firms.
Worried about an HMRC check, or a mistake on a past return? We handle VAT compliance checks from start to finish. We fix old errors the right way, through your next return where allowed, or by disclosure where not, to keep you out of the penalty-point regime and cut the interest.
You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period, or if you expect to cross it in the next 30 days alone. The test looks back over the last 12 months, not your accounting year. Miss the date and HMRC can backdate your registration and charge the VAT you should have collected.
You can also register voluntarily below the threshold. That often pays when your customers are VAT-registered or you carry a lot of input VAT to reclaim. If your turnover later drops below £88,000, we handle deregistration too.
We register sole traders, limited companies and partnerships, apply online with HMRC, and pass you your VAT registration certificate and number as soon as they arrive. Not sure which side of the line you are on? We check it for you before it becomes a problem.
On the wrong scheme, you hand HMRC more than you need to every quarter. The right one depends on your margins, your costs, and how quickly your customers pay you. We model each option on your real numbers before you commit, then review it as you grow.
| Scheme | Best for |
|---|---|
| Standard accounting | Most businesses; reclaim all your input VAT in full |
| Flat Rate Scheme | Lower-cost businesses under £150,000 turnover, but watch the 16.5% limited cost trader rate |
| Cash Accounting | Turnover up to £1.35m; pay VAT only once your customer pays you |
| Annual Accounting | Turnover up to £1.35m; one return a year with instalments to smooth cashflow |
See also: how we keep your bookkeeping straight
A generalist leaves money on the table. We claim back the VAT on pre-registration costs (goods up to 4 years back, services up to 6 months), fuel, mixed-use assets, and bad debts your customers never paid. It often pays for a chunk of your first year's fees.
The right scheme is money back in your pocket, not paperwork. We model Flat Rate against standard on your real numbers so you pay the lower amount, then review it as you grow.
Miss a return and the points stack up. Hit 4 points as a quarterly filer and you get a £200 penalty, plus interest on late payment. We track every deadline and file early, so your record stays clean.
From £99 a month, rolling monthly, with no lock-in and no per-return surprises. You get one named, qualified accountant (ACMA, CGMA, ACCA, FCCA) who knows your business, not a call centre.
We reply within 72 hours and back the work with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If we have not earned our fee in the first month, you do not pay it.
Just registered and unsure how to file? Making Tax Digital is now mandatory for every VAT-registered business. You must keep digital records and file through HMRC's VAT online services, not the old portal that closed in 2022. We file your quarterly returns straight from Xero, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent, with the digital links HMRC expects kept intact.
Your return and payment are due one calendar month and seven days after each quarter ends. We file ahead of that date every time, so an HMRC delay never becomes your problem.
Sell through Amazon, Shopify or eBay? Online selling brings VAT headaches that catch most accountants out. Marketplaces collect the VAT on some of your sales and leave the rest to you, so it is easy to double-count or miss output VAT.
If you sell abroad, the One Stop Shop (OSS) and Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) decide where the VAT is due. We register you for the right schemes, reconcile your marketplace reports, and reclaim the import VAT you are owed. Ecommerce VAT is one of the areas our VAT accountants know best.
See also: try our ecommerce tax calculator
Think your VAT bill looks high? It often is, because reclaims get missed. Output VAT is what you charge; input VAT is what you claim back, and a generalist leaves money on the table. We reclaim the input VAT on pre-registration costs (goods up to four years back, services up to six months), on fuel and mixed-use assets, and through bad debt relief on invoices your customers never paid.
If you import goods, we use postponed VAT accounting so you account for import VAT on your return instead of paying it at the border. Every new client gets a backdated reclaim review, and it often covers a chunk of the first year's fees.
If you work in construction, the domestic reverse charge changes how you invoice. A VAT-registered subcontractor does not charge VAT to a VAT-registered contractor. The contractor accounts for it instead. It applies to most supplies covered by the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS).
Get it wrong and you either overcharge your customers or under-declare to HMRC. We set your invoicing and bookkeeping up so the reverse charge is applied correctly on every job.
Sell a mix of taxable and exempt things? Then you cannot reclaim all your input VAT. The partial exemption rules, and the de minimis limit that lets small amounts through, decide how much you keep, and they are easy to get wrong. We handle the calculation and the annual adjustment for you.
We also run the second-hand margin scheme and the Tour Operators Margin Scheme, where you pay VAT on your margin rather than the full sale price. For dealers, retailers and travel businesses, that can mean a much smaller bill.
HMRC can open a VAT compliance check at any time. We deal with it from start to finish, and we correct past errors the right way: through your next return where the rules allow, or by formal disclosure where they do not. Late returns now work on a points system rather than an automatic fine.
| What happens | Cost |
|---|---|
| Each late return | 1 penalty point |
| Points threshold reached (4 for quarterly filers) | £200 penalty |
| Every further late return at the threshold | Another £200 |
| Late payment | Interest, plus a penalty that grows the longer you leave it |
VAT is easy to file and easy to get wrong. The wrong scheme, a missed reclaim, or a partial-exemption slip quietly costs you money every quarter, and late returns now add penalty points. A VAT accountant makes sure the return is right, the scheme is the cheapest one you qualify for, and every reclaim is actually claimed.
Our VAT services give you a named, qualified accountant (ACMA, CGMA, ACCA, FCCA) who knows your business, files on time, and answers in plain English. Whether you are a sole trader, a contractor or a limited company, we take the whole job off your plate.
See also: if you also file a Self Assessment
Our VAT services start at £99 a month on a rolling basis. No lock-in, no per-return charges, no surprise bills. Your fee covers your quarterly MTD returns, scheme and reclaim planning, and a named accountant on hand between filings.
| What you need | From |
|---|---|
| VAT returns and MTD filing | £99 a month |
| Registration or deregistration | Included |
| Scheme review and reclaim planning | Included |
See also: see full pricing
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You must register within 30 days when your rolling 12-month taxable turnover exceeds £90,000, or when you expect to exceed it in the next 30 days alone. Registration is also compulsory if you take over a VAT-registered business as a going concern. Voluntary registration below the threshold can make sense if your customers are VAT-registered and you have meaningful input VAT to reclaim, we'll model both before you decide.
Possibly, if your VAT-bearing costs are low and your turnover is under £150,000. You pay a fixed percentage of gross turnover (typically 10-16.5% depending on trade) and don't reclaim input VAT on most purchases. The 16.5% 'limited cost trader' rate introduced in 2017 killed the benefit for many consultancies. We compare both schemes against your last 12 months before recommending.
All VAT-registered businesses must keep digital records and file returns via MTD-compatible software, typing numbers into HMRC's portal hasn't been allowed since November 2022. We file directly from Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, or Sage so there's no copy-paste step and digital links are preserved end-to-end. Late MTD filings now attract points-based penalties: hit 4 points and a £200 fine kicks in.
Mobile and broadband used partly for business, mileage VAT on fuel scale charges, pre-registration VAT on goods (up to 4 years back) and services (6 months back), staff entertaining (subject to limits), and VAT on construction services under the reverse charge. We do a backdated reclaim review on every new client, it usually pays for a chunk of the first year's fees.
Once your bookkeeping is up to date, which we manage if you're on a bookkeeping plan, the return is reviewed and filed within 5 working days, comfortably before the 7th of the second month after period end. You always see the return and the calculation before we submit. Included in Premium plans (from £199/month); standalone VAT-only filings start at £75 per return.
You can deregister once your taxable turnover falls below £88,000, or if you stop making taxable supplies altogether. We handle the application and your final VAT return so nothing is left open with HMRC, and we check first whether deregistering actually helps or quietly costs you reclaimable input VAT.
For standard quarterly returns, both the return and the payment are due one calendar month and seven days after the end of your VAT period. Annual Accounting and monthly filers run to different dates. We file ahead of your deadline every quarter so an HMRC delay never becomes your problem.
Under the construction domestic reverse charge, VAT-registered subcontractors do not charge VAT to VAT-registered contractors; the contractor accounts for it instead. Get the invoicing wrong and you either over-charge customers or under-declare to HMRC. We set your invoices and bookkeeping up so the reverse charge is applied correctly on every CIS-covered supply.
The standard rate is 20%, the reduced rate is 5% (for example domestic fuel and power), and some goods are zero-rated at 0%, such as most food and children's clothing. Exempt supplies, like some financial services and insurance, are different again and affect how much input VAT you can reclaim. We make sure every sale is coded to the right rate.
You sign in through your HMRC online services account (the Government Gateway) on gov.uk, then open the VAT section to see your returns, payments and registration details. Since Making Tax Digital, you can no longer type figures straight into that portal, your return has to come from compatible software. We file yours from Xero, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent and send you a copy, so you can check everything without logging in yourself.
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.
