Accounts · Tax · Payroll
The books, kept
straight. The tax,
filed on time.
Lark Vale is a small practice for sole traders, partnerships and owner-managed limited companies — the people who would rather be running the business than reconciling it.
- ComplianceYear-end accounts, corporation tax and self-assessment
- RoutineVAT returns, bookkeeping review and payroll runs
- AdvicePlain-English answers before you make the decision
01 — Where we help
Five things we do, and what each one actually involves
Most clients take the whole set. You can also take one line of it — the year-end, say — and keep your own bookkeeping running as it is.
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01
Year-end accounts
Limited companies · Sole traders · Partnerships
We take the year’s records, resolve the loose ends — director’s loan movements, unexplained transfers, fixed asset additions — and prepare statutory accounts for filing. You get a short summary of what the numbers say before anything is submitted, not after.
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02
Self-assessment
Directors · Sole traders · Landlords · Side income
Personal returns prepared from a checklist we send you, covering employment, dividends, rental profit, savings and anything sold during the year. We tell you the amount due and the payment dates in the same message as the draft return.
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03
VAT returns
Standard rate · Flat rate · Registration advice
Quarterly returns prepared from reviewed bookkeeping, with a check on the scheme you’re on and whether it still fits. If you are approaching the registration threshold we will say so early, while there is still a choice to make.
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04
Payroll
Monthly runs · Starters and leavers · Pension uploads
Payslips prepared on a fixed monthly date, submissions made on the day of payment, and pension contributions uploaded to your provider. Starters, leavers and changes to hours go in by a cut-off we agree with you at the outset.
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05
Advice when it matters
Salary and dividends · Incorporation · Buying equipment
The short conversations that change the outcome: how to draw money from the company, whether incorporating is worth it yet, what a piece of equipment costs after tax relief, and what to put aside before the bill arrives.
02 — The year in order
Key dates we work backwards from
The filing calendar is fixed; the pressure is not. Here is the rhythm we keep clients to, so nothing lands in the last fortnight of January.
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5 April
Tax year ends
Records close for personal tax. We ask for your self-assessment pack from mid-April so the return can be drafted while the year is still fresh in your memory.
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Late May
Employee P60s issued
If we run your payroll, P60s go out to everyone on the payroll at year end without you needing to ask for them.
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6 July
Benefits and expenses reported
Company cars, private medical cover and anything else provided to directors or staff is reported for the year just ended.
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31 July
Second payment on account
Due for anyone in the self-assessment payment-on-account system. We flag the figure in June so it is never a surprise.
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31 October
Our internal filing cut-off
We aim to have every personal return drafted by the end of October. It is three months early by design — it leaves room for questions.
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31 January
Self-assessment deadline
Return filed and balancing payment due, alongside the first payment on account for the new year.
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Rolling
Company deadlines
Company accounts, corporation tax and confirmation statements run from your own year end rather than the tax year. We map yours onto this calendar when you join.
Quarterly VAT and monthly payroll dates sit on top of the above and are agreed per client.
03 — How we work
From first message to first filing
Four steps, usually across two to three weeks. Nothing is signed until you have seen what the work covers and what it costs.
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Step 01
A conversation
Half an hour on what the business does, how the records are kept now, and which deadlines are closest. If we are not the right fit we will say so in that conversation.
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Step 02
A written scope
You get a short letter listing exactly which returns and filings we take responsibility for, what we need from you and when, and a fixed monthly or annual fee.
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Step 03
Handover
We deal with your previous accountant, collect the prior-year figures and set up the software access. For most clients this is the only part that takes any of your time.
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Step 04
The routine starts
Bookkeeping review, then returns prepared to the calendar above. You hear from us on a schedule you already know, and always before a deadline rather than after it.
04 — Choose your rhythm
Monthly, quarterly or annual — which one fits
The work is the same at year end. What changes is how often the records are reviewed, how early problems surface, and how much of the bookkeeping stays with you.
| Consideration | Monthly | Quarterly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits | Companies with staff, stock or VAT and a need to see profit as it happens | VAT-registered businesses with steady, uncomplicated trading | Sole traders and landlords with a low volume of transactions |
| We review | Bookkeeping, payroll and bank reconciliation every month | Bookkeeping and VAT position four times a year | The full year once, after the year end |
| You send | Receipts and payroll changes as they happen | A quarter of records before each VAT deadline | One pack of records after 5 April or your year end |
| You’ll know your tax | Estimated and updated through the year | Reviewed at each quarter | Once the return is drafted |
| Fee shape | Fixed monthly, everything included | Fixed monthly, lighter | Single fixed fee for the year |
05 — Questions
What people ask before they move
If yours is not here, it is a fair question to put in the enquiry form — we answer it before talking about fees.
Can I switch accountants mid-year?
Yes, and it is the most common way clients join. We write to your current accountant for the handover information, and they pass over the prior-year figures and tax records. You do not need to have an awkward conversation first — a short note saying you are moving is enough.
Which bookkeeping software do you work with?
The mainstream cloud packages, and spreadsheets where the volume genuinely does not justify software. We would rather adapt to what you already use than make you migrate in your first month. If your current setup is causing the errors we keep correcting, we will say so and explain what changing would involve.
How are fees worked out?
A fixed fee agreed in advance, based on the work in the scope letter: which returns we file, how many transactions there are, whether payroll and VAT are included, and how the records arrive. It is monthly or annual, your choice. If something outside the scope comes up, we quote it before starting rather than adding it to an invoice.
What happens if I’m already late?
Say so in the first message. Late filings are dealt with first: we establish what is outstanding, get the overdue returns in to stop penalties accruing, and only then set up the routine. Bringing several years up to date is ordinary work, not a reason to be turned away.
Should I be a sole trader or a limited company?
It depends on profit level, how much you need to draw personally, whether you want the liability protection, and who your customers are. There is a point where incorporating starts to make sense and a point below it where it only adds admin. We will run your own figures both ways and show you the difference rather than give a general rule.
What records do you actually need from me?
Bank statements for every business account, sales invoices raised, purchase receipts, loan or finance agreements, and details of anything bought or sold that lasts more than a year. For personal returns, add dividend vouchers, rental income and expenses, and interest received. We send a checklist so you are not guessing.
Will I be dealing with the same person each time?
Yes. Every client has one named accountant who prepares the work and answers the email. The practice is deliberately small, which is the reason that is possible.
06 — Enquire
Tell us where things stand
A few lines is enough. We reply with either a time to talk or a straight answer, usually within two working days.
- No obligation, and no fee quoted before we understand the work
- Urgent or overdue filings are read first
- Your details are used only to answer this enquiry