per month
Fixed-Price Bundle Includes:
Not VAT Registered
MTD ITSA Self Assessment
Reconciliations
per month
Fixed-Price Bundle Includes:
VAT returns
Reconciliations
Xero sync
Profit Tracking
per month
Fixed-Price Bundle Includes:
VAT returns
High Volume Transactions
Multi-platform
Foreign currency
We get it. Hiring a bookkeeper feels like an extra cost, and how hard can it really be?
But ask yourself this: Would you service your own car? It’s probably not a good idea unless you’re a trained mechanic.
One of our clients decided to go it alone to save a bit of money. She spent a few hours every week doing it herself. When we finally got under the bonnet at the end of the year, the books were a mess. The clean-up cost her over £2,000 in one hit. If she’d gone for a monthly bookkeeping package with us it would have cost her £1,800 for the entire year. She spent all that time, extra stress, and still ended up paying us anyway.
The thing is, people often think they’re saving money - but it’s a false economy. We will do your books faster than you will, and we'll do them right. That's not a boast — it's just what happens when you've done something professionally for years.
Hand it over and go and grow your business. That's what we're here for.
→ Our packages start from £150 per month for Sole-traders and £200 per month for VAT Registered Limited Companies.
Bookkeepers are like the nurses of the finance world; accountants are the doctors.
Your bookkeeper keeps everything organised day to day — recording transactions, reconciling your bank account, filing VAT returns, and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. They understand accounting principles deeply, including when an expense should be capitalised and how to apply depreciation.
Your accountant then takes that clean data and uses it for tax calculations, year-end statutory accounts, and Companies House filings.
Both are important and work in union together.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't want your doctor doing your blood pressure checks every day — that's what the nurse is for.
→ We work alongside your accountant so both roles are covered seamlessly.
HMRC says six years. That sounds like a lot until you realise it goes by quickly — and HMRC can investigate any of those years if they feel like it.
This includes invoices, receipts, bank statements, payroll records, and VAT returns.
The good news is that storing everything in cloud software like Xero means it's all searchable, secure, and ready to go if anyone ever comes knocking.
→ We set up digital record-keeping systems that so you don’t have to worry about where you put that shoe-box of receipts.
It depends on the size and complexity of your business, but to give you a real-world idea: a small limited company with straightforward finances might pay around £150 to £300 per month.
A growing ecommerce business with VAT, multiple platforms, and higher transaction volumes might be closer to £500 to £700 per month.
At Fox Clever, our packages are fixed-price — no surprises, no hourly rate horror stories.
Most clients find that the cost is easily offset by the time they save, the mistakes they avoid, and the lower accountancy bills at year end.
→ View our full pricing here and get in touch for a tailored quote.
You really don't need someone local anymore. Honestly, some of our most organised clients are ones we've never met in person.
Cloud accounting software like Xero means your bookkeeper can see exactly the same data you can, in real time, from anywhere in the UK.
Receipts get uploaded via an app, reports land in your inbox, and catch-up calls happen over video.
We're based in Cornwall and Devon but work with businesses from London to Glasgow — the distance makes zero difference to the quality of the work.
You must register for VAT once your taxable turnover (that’s your total sales, not profits) hits £90,000 or more in any rolling 12-month period. That's not your financial year — it's any 12-month window, so it can creep up on you.
Missing the registration deadline is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes growing businesses make, because you'll owe backdated VAT whether or not you collected it from your customers.
You can also register voluntarily below the threshold, which can be worth doing if your suppliers are VAT-registered and you want to reclaim that VAT.
A quick chat with us can help you figure out which approach is right for you.
Since 2023, HMRC uses a points-based penalty system — a bit like penalty points on a driving licence, except the consequences are financial rather than losing your car.
Each late submission earns you a point, and once you reach four (for quarterly filers), you get a £200 fine plus £200 for every late submission after that. You'll also pay interest on any VAT that’s paid late.
The system is designed to be lenient for one-off slip-ups but tough on persistent late filers.
The simplest solution? Have a bookkeeper manage your VAT deadlines so they never become your problem.
→ We can manage all VAT deadlines for our clients as standard. So you don’t have to wake up at 3am worrying if you forgot to do it.
Let's use a real example. Say you're making £45,000 taxable profit as a sole trader. Here's how the two scenarios compare.
As a sole trader: HMRC takes around £9,700 in income tax and National Insurance. You take home roughly £35,300.
As a limited company: You pay yourself a small salary plus dividends, which are taxed more efficiently. Your total tax bill drops to around £8,400. You take home roughly £38,200 — about £2,700 more for doing the same work.
The catch? Running a limited company costs more in accountancy and admin fees — typically £1,000–£2,000 a year extra. So at £45,000 profit, you're roughly breaking even or marginally better off. The real gains kick in as profits grow beyond £50,000, where the gap widens considerably.
At £45,000 you're right on the cusp. Tax alone might not clinch it — but if you factor in limited liability (your personal assets are protected if things go wrong) and the credibility it can add with larger clients, many people decide it's worth making the move.
Otherwise known as ‘MTD for ITSA’, this is HMRC's plan to replace the annual Self Assessment tax return with quarterly digital updates. Instead of doing everything in one mad January rush, you'll report your income and expenses to HMRC four times a year using approved software — then submit a final declaration at year end to wrap things up.
It's being rolled out in phases based on your income:
From April 2026, it applies to sole traders with qualifying income over £50,000. From April 2027, the threshold drops to £30,000. From April 2028, it drops again to £20,000.
One thing worth noting: qualifying income means your combined self-employment and property income – so if you're a sole trader who also earns rental income, those figures are added together when working out whether you're in scope.
The good news is that HMRC won't issue penalty points for late quarterly updates in your first year – so there's a grace period while you find your feet.
The bad news is that the annual deadline and any tax you owe still stands, so it's not a complete free pass.
If you're already using cloud software like Xero, you're likely closer to being ready than you think.
But if you're still using spreadsheets or a shoebox, now is a very good time to sort that out.
Honestly? Sooner than you think. The classic signs are:
One of our clients came to us after spending 15 hours trying to reconcile a years worth of transactions themselves. We did it in three hours. The cost of getting things wrong with HMRC — penalties, backdated tax, interest — almost always outweighs the cost of getting it right from the start. A free consultation costs nothing and usually answers a lot of questions.
→ We offer a free consultation to help you understand what support your business needs.
