Your Accounting Questions Answered

Choosing an accountant is an important decision, particularly when your tax or business situation is not completely straightforward.

Some clients come to us with well-organised records and simply want their annual accounts or tax return taken care of. Others contact us because something has become complicated: records are behind, HMRC has written to them, a business is changing or closing, income comes from more than one country, or they simply are not sure what they should be doing next.

Whatever brings you here, we believe in clear advice, clear fees and a clearly agreed scope of work.

Here are some of the questions people commonly ask before working with Friendly Assist Accountancy.

Do I really need an accountant?

Not necessarily, and we are happy to tell you if we think you can reasonably deal with something yourself.

An accountant becomes particularly useful when you want reassurance that something is being handled correctly, your circumstances are becoming more complicated, or the time and uncertainty involved in dealing with it yourself are becoming a burden.

We help people with everything from straightforward Self Assessment returns and bookkeeping to limited company accounts, VAT, payroll, HMRC problems and more unusual tax situations.

If you are unsure whether professional help would be worthwhile, your initial 15-minute phone consultation is free.

I’m not sure what I need. Can I still contact you?

Absolutely. You do not need to diagnose your own accounting or tax problem before speaking to an accountant.

Tell us what has happened, what you are concerned about and, where relevant, what you have received from HMRC or Companies House. We can then establish what help may actually be required.

Sometimes that means a straightforward tax return. Sometimes we first need to review the position before deciding on the right approach. If we think you do not need a particular service, we will tell you that too.

What happens when I first contact you?

You can contact us by phone, email or through our website and tell us a little about your situation.

If a conversation would be useful, we can arrange a free initial 15-minute telephone consultation. The purpose is to understand the issue, establish whether we can help and explain the likely next step.

Some enquiries can be dealt with initially by email instead.

Where professional work is required, we will explain the proposed service, what is included and the fee before you decide whether to proceed. There is no obligation to appoint us simply because you have spoken to us.

The initial consultation is intended to understand your situation and discuss your options. Detailed calculations, document reviews, technical research and substantive tax advice may require a separate engagement.

What can Friendly Assist Accountancy help with?

We provide accounting and tax support to individuals, sole traders, landlords and limited companies.

Our work includes Self Assessment, bookkeeping and accounts, limited company accounts and Corporation Tax, VAT, payroll, Making Tax Digital, tax planning and business support, HMRC correspondence and certain international or cross-border UK tax matters.

We also regularly speak to people whose circumstances do not fit neatly into a standard box. That might involve overdue records, an unexpected HMRC letter, tax debt, penalties, a business that has changed direction, residence questions, overseas income or historic matters that need to be put back in order.

You do not need to have everything organised before contacting us.

My accounts or tax affairs are messy. Is it too late to contact you?

No.

In fact, this is often when having someone look at the position properly becomes most useful.

You might have missing records, several years to deal with, an old business that was never properly closed, tax you cannot currently afford to pay, conflicting information from HMRC, or circumstances that simply do not seem to fit the usual guidance.

We will first establish what has actually happened and what needs to be dealt with. From there, we can agree a practical way forward.

More complicated or historic work can require additional investigation or reconstruction, so we will explain the scope and fee before substantial additional work is undertaken.

I’ve received a letter from HMRC. Can you help?

Yes. An HMRC letter does not necessarily mean that something has gone seriously wrong, but it should not be ignored.

We can review the correspondence, explain what HMRC is asking for and help determine the appropriate response. Depending on the circumstances, this could involve correcting a return, responding to HMRC, challenging a penalty, dealing with an enquiry or considering payment options.

HMRC matters can range from a simple letter to a substantial investigation, so we do not automatically include HMRC enquiries or disputes within the price of preparing a normal tax return. We will explain what work is required and agree the scope with you.

The earlier you contact us, the more time there usually is to understand the position properly.

Can you help if I have already spoken to HMRC myself?

Yes.

Speaking to HMRC yourself does not prevent you from appointing an accountant later. If you have already contacted HMRC, let us know what was discussed and provide any relevant correspondence or notes you have.

Occasionally, different HMRC advisers can give different explanations of a complicated issue. We will consider the applicable rules, published guidance and your individual circumstances rather than simply relying on a telephone conversation.

If you continue communicating directly with HMRC while we are acting for you, please keep us informed so that both sides are working from the same information.

I’m starting a business. When should I contact an accountant?

Ideally, before important decisions have already been made.

A conversation at the beginning can help you understand whether to operate as a sole trader or limited company, what needs to be registered, what records you should keep and what tax or reporting obligations may arise.

But if you have already started, that is fine too. We can look at where things currently stand and help you put the appropriate accounting arrangements in place.

I’m closing or changing my business. Can you help with that too?

Yes. Accountants are not only there when businesses are growing.

Sometimes the sensible decision is to change structure, reduce activity, make a company dormant, deal with outstanding accounts or close a business altogether.

There can still be accounting, tax and Companies House obligations to deal with before everything is finished. We can help establish what remains outstanding and agree the work required to bring matters to an appropriate conclusion.

Do you work with international clients?

Yes. We work online and can assist clients who live outside the UK or whose circumstances involve the UK and another country.

UK tax can become more complicated where someone moves into or out of the country, works overseas, receives foreign income or needs to establish their UK tax residence.

Our engagement will make clear which UK tax work we are undertaking. Unless specifically agreed, we do not provide foreign-country tax or legal advice, although we can work alongside an overseas adviser where appropriate.

Do you work online?

Yes. Most of our work can be handled securely by email, telephone, video call and accounting software, so you do not need to live in Newcastle to work with us.

We work with clients across the UK and with people living overseas who still have UK accounting or tax obligations.

If you are local to Newcastle upon Tyne, in-person meetings can also be arranged where appropriate.

Do I need perfectly organised records before contacting you?

No.

Please do not put off contacting an accountant simply because your records are not yet perfect. Part of our job may be establishing what information is available and what is still missing.

Our normal fixed fees assume that records are reasonably complete and usable. If substantial reconstruction, correction, data conversion or historic bookkeeping is required, we will identify that separately because it can involve considerably more work than normal accounts preparation or bookkeeping.

The important thing is to tell us what you have. We can work out the next step from there.

What if my bank feed or accounting software does not work?

Bank feeds and accounting software are useful, but they do sometimes fail or provide incomplete information.

Where bookkeeping is included in your service, normal reconciliation forms part of the agreed work where applicable. If a bank feed is unavailable, you can usually provide transaction data through bank statements or an appropriate digital export instead.

If records need substantial extraction, conversion, correction, restructuring or manual preparation before they can be processed, that additional work may fall outside the normal bookkeeping package. We will explain this where it becomes relevant.

How much does it cost?

We believe you should understand what you are paying for before professional work begins.

Most of our services are provided for an agreed fixed fee or monthly price. The exact amount depends on the work required, the complexity of the position and the condition of the records.

Your quotation or Letter of Engagement will explain the service and what is included. If something genuinely falls outside that agreed scope, we will normally discuss the additional work and fee with you before undertaking substantial extra work.

For additional work where a separate fixed price has not been agreed, our normal rates are £50 + VAT per hour for routine additional accounting, bookkeeping and support, and £95 + VAT per hour for complex tax, investigative, forensic or substantial reconstruction work.

You can also view our standard starting prices here: Services and Pricing.

Can I pay by instalments?

For larger one-off fees, we may be able to agree an instalment arrangement.

Individual instalments are normally at least £100, and the payment schedule is arranged so that the main agreed fee is paid before the next relevant filing, submission or completion deadline.

This gives clients some flexibility without allowing professional work and important deadlines to become disconnected from the agreed payment schedule.

For ongoing accounting services, monthly payments may already form part of the agreed package.

What exactly does a fixed fee include?

A fixed fee covers the work specifically described in your quotation or Letter of Engagement.

For example, paying us to prepare a tax return does not automatically include an HMRC investigation, amendments to previous years, detailed tax planning or unrelated advice. Likewise, a bookkeeping package does not automatically include substantial historic reconstruction or unlimited software support.

This does not mean we charge for every small question. Where routine support is included, reasonable questions directly connected with that service are part of the relationship.

The distinction matters when a question turns into a separate piece of professional work involving research, calculations, investigation, substantial correspondence or a new issue.

If that happens, we will normally explain it before undertaking substantial additional work.

What if something unexpected comes up after you start?

That happens, particularly with historic or complicated cases.

An apparently straightforward tax return may reveal an undisclosed income source. Bookkeeping may uncover missing transactions. An HMRC letter may develop into a wider enquiry. International circumstances may require a residence analysis that was not apparent when we first spoke.

We will not pretend that every possible eventuality can be included in one initial price.

Instead, we agree a clear starting scope. If something materially different emerges, we explain what has changed and, where additional professional work is required, agree an appropriate way forward.

What happens if I’m late providing information?

Please send requested information as early as reasonably possible.

We will use reasonable efforts to meet statutory deadlines, but we need sufficient time to review the records, ask questions, prepare the work and obtain your approval.

If important information arrives very close to a deadline, we may need to charge for urgent work or, where there is insufficient time to complete the work properly, decline to guarantee that deadline.

We would rather tell you this clearly than rush professional work that should be properly considered.

What makes Friendly Assist Accountancy different?

We combine straightforward pricing and professional standards with a willingness to look at situations that are not always straightforward.

For some clients, that means an affordable tax return completed properly and on time. For others, it means working through years of messy records, dealing with HMRC correspondence, understanding an unusual business situation or working out where UK tax obligations begin after an international move.

We will not make a simple problem complicated just to justify a fee. Equally, we will not pretend that a complicated problem is simple when it needs proper professional work.

Our approach is based on clear communication, defined fees and scope, practical advice, professional judgement and treating clients fairly.

Steffen Kemmerzehl is an AAT Licensed Accountant.

What happens if I decide to leave?

You can end the engagement by giving us written notice, subject to your Letter of Engagement and any outstanding matters.

Fees for professional work already undertaken remain payable. We will deal with disengagement professionally and provide reasonable cooperation to a successor accountant in accordance with our professional obligations.

We do not believe changing accountants should be made unnecessarily difficult.

Where can I read your Terms of Business?

Our Terms of Business explain the general basis on which we work, including fees, additional work, instalments, client responsibilities, records, deadlines, software issues, confidentiality and ending an engagement.

Your individual Letter of Engagement then sets out the specific services and fees agreed with you.

We encourage clients to read both documents because clear expectations protect both sides.

How do I get started?

Simply contact us and tell us a little about what you need help with.

You do not need to know the correct accounting terminology, have perfectly organised records or know exactly which service you need before contacting us.

If a short conversation would help, your first 15-minute telephone consultation is free. We can listen to what has happened, explain the likely next step and let you know what it would cost if you decide to proceed.

There is no obligation.

Friendly Assist Accountancy
Helping you stay on top of your accounts and tax
Clear advice. Friendly support. Practical help when you need it.

Let’s talk

Whether you have a question, need some guidance, or want to talk things through, there’s friendly, practical support here for you

Your first phone consultation is free.

Steffen Kemmerzehl is an AAT Licensed Accountant.