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Accountancy & Tax in Chippenham

Key start-up information and list of local accountants

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Chippenham Business Category

Chippenham Accountants

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Having a good firm of accountants on your side will ensure that you have all the information and support that you need to help your business grow and flourish.

They can offer advice and help you comply with accounting and tax requirements.

If you are self employed or run a small enterprise in Chippenham, it makes sense to use an Accountant or Bookkeeper who is keen to help small business and new business start ups rather than struggle with the task yourself.

Recommended Local Partner

AMS Accountancy Ltd

AMS Accountancy Ltd

We are a firm of Chartered Accountants based in Swindon. We work with all small and new businesses in the local area and with Freelance Contractors throughout the UK.

We are approachable and technically up to date so you can rely on us for good practical advice that is jargon free.

Good luck with your business and we hope to meet you.

Mobile icon 01793 818400

Local partners

We are happy to promote anyone who is prepared to offer friendly support to local start-ups.

Our local partners have been kind enough to help us and are keen to help you too.

Main Accounting Considerations

Sole Trader or Limited Company

One of the first decisions you will need to make is which legal structure is likely to suit your new business and this will affect your accountancy obligations.

You can read a detailed article about your various options at: Sole Trader or Limited Company?

The information below primarily relates to self-employment but if you decide to trade as a limited company, you can read more here: Running a Limited Company.

Becoming Self-Employed

You should tell HMRC as soon as you start self-employment, otherwise you may face a penalty. You are considered to have started self-employment when you have something to sell and either have a customer for your goods or services, or you are actively marketing your business.

You can let HMRC know about your self-employment by registering online for business taxes. A Self-Assessment Online account will automatically be set up at the same time. This allows you to send your Self-Assessment tax returns online. You will receive an Activation Code. You need to activate the service within 28 days. If you don’t, you will have to ask for a new Activation Code.

You can register online at https://www.gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services/register

National Insurance

As a self-employed person, you pay a fixed amount of Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NIC). If your profits are above a certain limit, you may also have to pay Class 4 National Insurance contributions.

See Self-employed National Insurance rates for full details.

Statutory Records

It is very important that you set up a record keeping system and keep all records and supporting documents. Records for the current tax year must be retained until 31 January 2022.

You must keep records of all money coming into and going out of your business. This includes all cash, cheques and credit card transactions.

Your records should be adequate to allow you to complete an accurate Self Assessment return. You will be expected to keep a full record of:

  • All sales made and other business income, as it is earned.
  • The cost of all business expenses and purchases as you pay them, no matter how little they cost.
  • All purchases of business stock, goods and raw materials.
  • Mileage records.
  • Capital expenditure; keep a separate record of all purchases and sales of business equipment, machinery and vehicles, together with the receipts.
  • Keep a record of the market value of equipment or vehicles introduced into the business that you owned before starting your business.

See Business records if you're self-employed for full details.

Key Dates

There are key dates that you need to be aware of during the financial year. These relate to reporting and payment of any monies due. A list of dates and full explanation can be found here.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

You must register for VAT if:

  • Your taxable turnover exceeds the VAT threshold in any 12 month period
  • you expect your taxable turnover to exceed the VAT threshold within the next 30 days
  • you take over an existing VAT registered business as a going concern

You have 30 days from the date you meet any of these criteria to register.

Usually, VAT registration can be completed online and if you apply online, you will be enrolled automatically so that you can submit your VAT return online (there is no longer a paper version).

The current VAT threshold is £85,000; if your turnover is below the registration limit, you can choose whether to apply for voluntary registration. The standard rate of VAT currently is 20%.

See the official VAT website for full up to date details.

Chippenham Accountants

Summ-It Up Accountancy Services
Providing Services as Individual as You are For every client we look at your individual needs, what you want to get from your accounts and bookkeeping and, we build our services and fees around this. Whether fixed or flexible, we don’t have a standard tariff for most of our services, the fees are designed around your needs. No two people are the same, and the same goes for businesses so with just a handful of clients, Summ-It Up Accountancy was started in 2009 offering a personalised bookkeeping, payroll and accountancy service for small businesses. With on site visits in our local area of Martock, Somerset, or with the use of technology, like Skype or FaceTime, we can meet face to face for regular updates and make sure you keep in control of your business. Why use Summ It Up Accountancy? I set out to offer a personalised bookkeeping and accountancy service for small businesses, and with just a handful of clients, Summ-It Up was started in 2009. No person is the same so I decided to apply that theory to businesses; what accounting needs one business has are not necessarily the same as its neighbour. So that’s what I did, and still do to this day. For every client, we look at your individual needs, what you want to get from your accounts and bookkeeping and we build our services and fees around this. Whether fixed or flexible, we don’t have a standard tariff for most of our services, the fees are designed around your needs. Give me a call to see how I can help.
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AMS Accountancy Ltd
We are a firm of Chartered Accountants based in Swindon. We work with all small and new businesses in the local area and with Freelance Contractors throughout the UK. We are approachable and technically up to date so you can rely on us for good practical advice that is jargon free. Good luck with your business and we hope to meet you.
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Gooding Accounts Ltd
Gooding Accounts Ltd is run by myself, Sam Gooding, a fully qualified Accountant with over 17 years experience within the Practice Accountancy Profession. I have spent all of my career previous to Gooding Accounts Ltd working at a local Chartered Accountant firm, dealing with every aspect of the clients affairs meaning that I have the necessary skill set to deal with any of your Accountancy and Tax requirements. I enjoy dealing with clients and am happy to work on a fixed fee or monthly payment basis should you prefer. I am more than happy to meet for a no obligation discussion regarding your requirements at any time so please feel free to contact me. My ethos is to offer transparency to my clients and agreeing all work and costs to be undertaken before the work happens. Nobody needs or wants the surprise of a large bill falling through their letter box, this isnt something that needs to take place in todays business society. I am a fully fledged member of and regulated by the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), ATT (Association of Taxation Technicians) and the IAB (International Association of Bookkeeping).
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Excel Payroll Solutions Ltd
Excel Payroll Solutions Ltd was established in 2011 and is based in Swindon, Wiltshire, although deal with companies across the UK. With experience in Accounts Practice, Charities, NHS, Local Government & Construction Industry our knowledge & experience is vast. We believe that training and updating knowledge is a key to a successful payroll company and payroll can be quite complex. Our staff are members of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) and are regulary kept up to date with all employmentlegislation changes. We manage your payroll & you manage your business FREEPHONE 0800 566 8239
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RiverView Portfolio Ltd
Accountants that provide a proactive service that will manage your tax bills, and help you make your business all that you want it to be.
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Balance Your Books UK
Bookkeeping Service in the wiltshire,somerset,avon area from sales ledger to trial balance,profit and loss reports,were put your books in order so you can put your business first for more profit and growth.Payroll service coming soon.
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Excel Payroll Solutions Ltd
A professional and affordable payroll service for all small to medium sized UK companies. Free set up and free payroll advice. An out of hours service. Further discounts should you opt for secure e-payslips.
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Karen Sayers Limited
I am a small, local chartered accountant. I specialise in owner managed businesses and start up businesses. I can offer a full range of services, including self assessment tax returns, payroll, limited company statutory accounts and corporation tax returns, VAT returns, business plans and general business advice. I aim to offer an efficient cost effective service based on the amount of assitance required. I understand that the first years of being in business are daunting and I aim to make the financial side as worry free as possible.
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Rebeccas Bookkeeping Services
Bookkeeping and accounting for sole traders and small businesses. Affordable and reliable bookkeeper. ICB qualified.
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Rebeccas Bookkeeping Services
Bookkeeping and Accounting for Sole traders and small businesses. Affordable packages available. Swindon based but can work remotely also. ICB qualified bookkeeper.
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RiverView Portfolio Ltd
Accountants that provide a proactive service that will manage your tax bills, and help you make your business all that you want it to be.
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Rosemary Bookkeeping - Chippenham
Rosemary Bookkeeping provides bookkeeping services to small and medium sized businesses throughout the UK delivered by a reliable and expert team of local Franchise Partners
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Local help for startups

There is plenty of help for startups in Chippenham but where can it be found?

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