“I’m afraid I’ve missed something.”
Check registrations, records and upcoming dates, then put the most important work in order.
Working for yourself shouldn’t mean working it all out yourself.
What can you claim? How much should you keep for tax? Is the paperwork right? Get clear answers from a dedicated accountant who takes time to understand how you earn your living.
Swift helps UK sole traders with Self Assessment, bookkeeping, tax planning and Making Tax Digital—with fixed monthly fees for agreed support.
A completely free first conversation. No obligation to join.
5.0 on Google · Read our reviews ↗
Your business.
Our support.
You might be fitting invoices around appointments, sorting receipts after a day on site, or wondering whether a busy month has left enough for the bills.
Some months are steady. Others bring a late payment, an unexpected cost or a letter you are unsure how to answer. That uncertainty takes time and attention away from the work you enjoy.
We start by listening. Bring your questions and the records you have; we’ll help you see what needs doing and agree who will do it.
Check registrations, records and upcoming dates, then put the most important work in order.
Look beyond the bank balance to costs, tax and the commitments your next payment needs to cover.
Have a person to contact when the question is small, as well as when a decision feels big.
From a first self-employed year to staying in touch and organising the books, these are moments that matter.
“have made the process very simple”Olivia Grant
“kept in touch with me”Sharon Parry
“streamlined our bookkeeping and tax processes”Sarah K.
Selected excerpts from client feedback published on our website. Follow the Google link to explore the full reviews.
You do not need to translate your situation into accounting language. Tell us about the work, the paperwork or the decision that is on your mind.
A short introduction and your main question are enough.
info@swift-accountants.co.ukPhone, video or an office meeting in Tattenhall, by arrangement.
Contact & meeting details →Office hours: Monday–Thursday, 9am–6pm. Friday, 9am–4pm.
If a deadline is close, please call during office hours and tell us the date.
A dedicated accountant, with contact arrangements and the support included in your service agreed from the start.
Plain-English explanations of the figures, the choices and what we need from you.
A new income stream, a big purchase or a plan to employ someone is a good reason to get in touch.
Whether you have one regular client or a different job every day, a clear starting plan makes the responsibilities easier to understand.
Tell us when you started, what you do and any other income. We check the registrations and reporting that apply.
Agree how to record sales and costs, keep receipts and separate business spending from personal spending.
Review what you are earning and your likely payments, so the first tax bill can be part of your budget.
Prepare the agreed return work, explain the figures and obtain your approval before submission.
You can be employed and self-employed at the same time. Your personal tax position may need income from several sources brought together, including tax already deducted through PAYE or CIS.
We’ll ask for the relevant records and agree what your service covers. Freelancers, tradespeople, online sellers, creatives and independent professionals are all welcome to start a conversation.
Explore our freelancer support →Registration usually becomes necessary when total gross trading income exceeds £1,000 in a tax year; other circumstances can also require it. If you are unsure or have missed a date, ask us promptly. HMRC registration guidance ↗
Some people need help with the return. Others want regular bookkeeping and a closer view of their tax position. We make the scope clear before work begins.
Bring the relevant income and costs together, prepare your return and explain the result and payment dates.
Tax return support →Agree a manageable way to organise invoices, receipts and bank transactions, with responsibilities made clear.
Build a regular routine →Review the costs relevant to your work, the business-use share and the evidence needed to support a claim.
Explore common questions →Discuss likely tax, National Insurance and payments on account in the context of your income and plans.
Tax planning services →Check whether you are in scope and agree software, digital records, quarterly updates and annual-return work.
Understand your start date →Review registration, return preparation and digital reporting where needed, including the effect on records and pricing.
VAT return services →Reconcile income before deductions, allowable costs and CIS statements. Establish whether tax is still due or a refund is available.
CIS accounting help →Review missing information, overdue periods or correspondence, then agree the work and timing needed to move forward.
Help with HMRC enquiries →A bank balance does not tell the whole story. Some money may be needed for materials, regular bills, VAT if applicable, or tax that has not yet fallen due.
We help you connect your records with your wider income and upcoming commitments. The amount to reserve depends on your circumstances; a single percentage will not fit every sole trader.
Taking money out for yourself is called drawings. It is not a business expense, and it does not reduce your taxable profit.
Keep track of business receipts, with tax already deducted and VAT treated correctly where relevant.
Identify allowable expenses and the business share of mixed-use costs.
Review a tax estimate, payment dates and any payments on account before deciding what is spare.
Adjust the plan when income, costs or personal circumstances change.
Some sole traders pay a balancing amount for the previous year and an advance instalment towards the next bill in January. A second advance instalment normally follows in July. These payments on account are not an extra tax, and not everyone has to make them.
Understand payments on account →It is a sensible question. We look at what the cost was for, how it was used and the accounting method that applies.
| Common costs | What needs checking |
|---|---|
| Phone, software & subscriptions | The business purpose, any private use and the supporting bills. |
| Travel & vehicle costs | Which journeys qualify, the records kept and whether actual costs or simplified expenses are appropriate. |
| Working from home | A reasonable business-use calculation or eligible simplified expenses, with the relevant conditions checked. |
| Tools, equipment & materials | How the item is used and whether its tax treatment depends on your accounting method or capital-allowance rules. |
Personal costs are not deductible. Claiming the trading allowance generally replaces a deduction for actual expenses. HMRC’s self-employed expenses guidance ↗
Already using accounting software? Bring it into the conversation. Still working with spreadsheets or a folder of receipts? We can review the starting point and what your reporting requires.
Agree how to capture income and costs, how often records are checked and when you need to approve work. Your portal keeps documents and conversations organised.
Cash basis is the standard method for eligible sole traders: records normally follow money received and paid. Traditional accounting is an option, and some businesses are excluded from cash basis. We check the method that fits.
Read HMRC’s cash-basis guidance ↗The first eligible sole traders and landlords entered MTD in April 2026. The threshold normally uses combined gross self-employment and property income before expenses, rather than profit. Salary, dividends and pensions do not count.
| Qualifying income | Tax year used | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Over £50,000 | 2024/25 | 6 April 2026 |
| Over £30,000 | 2025/26 | 6 April 2027 |
| Over £20,000 | 2026/27 | 6 April 2028 |
Detailed rules and exemptions apply. Agree compatible software, digital records, quarterly updates and annual-return responsibilities. Quarterly updates are not four full tax returns or four quarterly tax payments.
Check HMRC’s MTD guidance ↗For a UK-established business, VAT registration is generally required when VAT-taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 over the rolling previous 12 months, or is expected to exceed £90,000 in the next 30 days alone.
This test uses turnover, not profit, and does not wait for your year-end. Talk to us as your sales approach the threshold.
MTD for VAT has separate rules. VAT-registered businesses generally need digital records and compatible software unless exempt. Software subscriptions and submission responsibilities belong in your quote.
Check HMRC’s VAT guidance ↗A few invoices a month and tidy records need a different level of support from several income streams, VAT or overdue bookkeeping.
We offer fixed monthly fees for agreed ongoing work. Your quote sets out what is included, what you need to provide and any separate work or software costs.
The introductory chat is completely free. We agree paid work with you before it begins.
Tell us what you would like to keep doing yourself, and where you would value help.
Our standard switching support is free. We agree the timing around your deadlines; overdue work and any fees owed to your previous accountant are separate.
Share your setup, concerns and next deadline. Start with the information you have.
Review the service, fee and any catch-up work before deciding.
With your authority, we contact your previous accountant for records and professional clearance.
Confirm access, records and approvals, with a dedicated person to contact.
Work with Swift by phone, email, video and your client portal, or arrange a meeting at our Tattenhall office near Chester.
You can run your business from a workshop, a van or the kitchen table. We’ll agree a way of keeping in touch that fits.
First return or familiar routine, it is always reasonable to ask.
Talk to the Swift team →You do not have to appoint an accountant simply because you are a sole trader. You remain responsible for accurate records and returns. An accountant can help you understand your obligations, check allowable expenses, prepare returns and plan for tax. The right level of help depends on your time, confidence and circumstances.
The fee depends on your records, income sources and the work involved. Swift offers fixed monthly fees for agreed ongoing support. Your quote explains the returns, bookkeeping, MTD work, software and contact arrangements included, together with any separately priced catch-up work. Your first chat is completely free.
You generally need to register when total gross trading income exceeds £1,000 in a tax year, although other circumstances can require it. You normally tell HMRC by 5 October after the year when a return is first needed. For 2025/26 that date has passed; the usual online filing and payment deadline is 31 January 2027. Paper returns normally reach HMRC by 31 October 2026. Late registration can change the filing deadline, but not the normal tax-payment date. Ask promptly if you are unsure.
Qualifying costs may include materials, software, business travel, equipment and relevant home-working costs. The rules depend on what the expense was for and your accounting method. Mixed-use costs need a business/private split; personal drawings are not deductible. We review the appropriate treatment and evidence, including whether simplified expenses or the trading allowance are relevant.
Yes. We can bring your self-employed figures together with relevant employment information and other income within the agreed scope. This may include tax already deducted through PAYE, CIS or other sources. Tell us about every income stream so we can understand your personal tax position and the records needed.
There is no single percentage that suits everyone. The amount depends on profits, other income, allowances, National Insurance and tax already paid. Payments on account can also affect January and July bills. We can help you estimate and review a suitable reserve as your figures change; an estimate is not your final liability.
It applies to eligible sole traders and landlords above the relevant qualifying-income threshold, subject to detailed rules and exemptions. The April 2026 group has already started. Further groups start in April 2027 and April 2028. The threshold normally combines gross self-employment and property income before expenses. We check your position and agree the digital-record, software, quarterly-update and annual-return work.
Keep income records, receipts, invoices, bank information and evidence of relevant costs. The format depends on your reporting obligations, including any MTD requirements. Self-employed tax records usually need to be kept for at least five years after the relevant 31 January filing deadline. We review your current method and confirm any software subscription costs in your quote.
Yes, we can discuss both the handover and any catch-up work. Tell us about missing records, overdue periods and approaching deadlines so we can agree realistic priorities. Standard switching support is free; historical work is scoped separately. With your authority, we request relevant information from your previous accountant.
We compare your income, how you use the money, administration, liability and future plans. Incorporation does not automatically save tax. A company is a separate legal entity with different reporting and director responsibilities. Sole traders can also employ staff, so taking someone on does not by itself require a company.
You started working for yourself for a reason. Let’s talk about the accounting support that could make the day feel more manageable.
Bring the question you have been putting off. We’ll listen, explain how we can help and agree the next step with you.
Your first conversation is free. Any paid work is agreed with you.
info@swift-accountants.co.uk
Listening,
Understanding,
Advising
Tell us what you need help with. We’ll call you to understand your situation, explain how we can help and agree the next steps.
