This guide provides a more detailed guide to our fee quotations.
Overriding Aim
Our overriding aim is to give you and your business a first class service at a predictable and affordable price.
Routine Services
Our accountancy quotations are designed to include within one annual fee all the routine services which you are likely to need during the course of a year.
Our intention is that most of our clients should only receive one annual invoice, and our quotation builds in an allowance for ad hoc queries and advice so that we do not have charge for this separately.
We are an internet based practice, working predominantly by email with telephone back up, and our business is structured to work that way; if you consider regular face to face contact with your accountant essential, then we may not be the right firm for you.
Subject to any specific agreement between us the quotation includes:
- Preparation of your annual accounts.
- Preparation of tax computations on the accounts and submission to HMRC.
- Preparation of annual tax returns for the proprietor, partners or directors, and where necessary their spouse – we may charge separately for spouse returns if they have separate income streams, depending on complexity.
- Dealing with tax assessments as they are raised, including appeals and subsequent correspondence.
- Dealing with routine queries raised by HMRC on your accounts or tax returns.
- Dealing with routine Tax, VAT or NIC advisory issues – but not specialist areas, or those which require research or investigation.
- Ad hoc queries, requests for advice, telephone calls or correspondence from you.
- Corporation Tax return and iXbrl formatted accounts (companies only).
- Registered office service (companies only).
- Monthly Directors only payroll (companies only).
Normally our fees are fixed for two years, and are then subject to indexation. They will also be subject to review if there is a major change in the nature or size of your business or the services you require.
- Fee Indexation – explains Indexation to fees after two years
- Fee Policy – explains how we set fees and circumstances in which they may change
Unless agreed otherwise our quotation does not include:
- Regular periodic bookkeeping, vat accounting or invoicing
– we can price this separately for you. - Provision of software for day to day accounting and bookkeeping
– we recommend FreeAgent but are open platform and will work with your choice of software where possible. - Preparation and submission of VAT returns or quarterly Making Tax Digital returns
– this is included however in our Continuous Service pricing - Preparation of regular payroll calculations for staff
– directors payroll is normally included
– we can price payroll for staff monthly or weekly for you as a separate service - Tax enquiries (including Self Assessment enquiries, VAT inspections and PAYE/NI inspections)
– simple and quick issues are covered
– we recommend Fee Protection to cover costs from Tax Enquires - Income confirmations for mortgage, borrowing or tenancy purposes
- Applications for Tax Credits, Universal Credit or similar benefits administered through the tax system
- Companies House annual Confirmation Statements and other ad hoc Companies House filings
– we have a separate tariff for these
We are, of course, happy to provide a quotation to encompass the above.
Invoices are raised on completion of your accounts, or tax return where we don’t prepare accounts, and are due for payment within fourteen days by cash, bank transfer or card. The majority of our clients pay by direct debit to spread the cost, and this is recommended.
Non Routine Services
From time to time many business need some extra assistance, and non routine work of this nature is subject to a separate charge. Typical examples of non routine issues are:
- Buying or selling a business
- Raising business or personal finance
- Preparation of business plans or forecasts
- In depth tax enquiries
- More complex Tax, VAT or NIC advisory issues which require research or investigation
- IHT and CGT work
We would stress that occasional telephone calls, requests for advice, etc, do not incur a separate charge – separate charges only arise where a significant amount of extra work is called for.
We will always tell you if the work we are doing for you is outside of the quoted annual fee for routine services and therefore incurring extra charges, and where at all possible we will give you a quotation for the non routine work.
- Fee Policy – explains the circumstances in which we may charge separately for non routine services
Our hourly rates (all exclusive of vat) for non routine work are currently:
- £250 Principal/Director
- £125 Manager grade staff
- £50 Technician grade staff
Generally all work is however quoted on a fixed price, and most of our clients simply pay one annual fee in line with our quoted tariffs.
Invoices for non routine work are raised either on completion of the work or on a periodic basis and are due for payment within thirty days by cash, cheque or credit card.
We have a Professional Fee Protection Scheme available to cover the risk of additional fees resulting from tax enquires and disputes.
Fair Use
Our fixed fee packages are priced to cover the typical service level a client needs. In any given year some clients will need more support or service, others less, and our fees balance this.
However occasionally a clients service needs, or the complexity of their requirements, will go beyond that anticipated. Rather than have a long list of exceptions or small print, we operate on a fair use basis. Where services cannot be accommodated in the fixed fee:
- We will endeavour to let clients know at the start of the engagement, or if not as early as possible.
- We will avoid unreasonable suspension or withdraw of services at short notice.
- We will avoid incurring any material additional charges for clients without authorisation.
- We will work collaboratively with clients to resolve the issue.
Under our Terms of Business, either party can cancel the contract between us with no notice.