Startup Accounting Services
Start your business on the right footing, from day one.
Most new business owners figure out the accounting side as they go, which tends to create problems that are entirely avoidable. Edward Harris works with startups and new companies across the UK, covering everything from company formation to your first year-end accounts. Fixed monthly fees, ACCA-qualified, and questions answered the day you ask them.
- Company formation handled correctly from the outset
- Your tax position understood before the bill arrives
- Cloud bookkeeping set up so your numbers are always current
- Proactive advice throughout the year, not just at deadline time
No long-term contract. If it is not working after three months, you leave with clean books and nothing owed.
Get a free quote
Fixed pricing. Same-day reply.
What our clients say
★★★★★
Patient With First-Time Business Owners
“Hasan has been amazing and extremely helpful he has been very patient with me being new to running a business, he had given me some great advice”
★★★★★
WhatsApp Access for Day-to-Day Queries
“We have been working with Hasan for almost a year. He’s been very helpful providing us with knowledge as new business owners. It’s great we can WhatsApp for general queries, making communication more efficient.”
★★★★★
Proactive Advice, Not Just Compliance
“Hasan at Edward Harris has been superb for us. He has organised our books, compiled documentation for HMRC and been proactive with advice. Best accountant I have used.”
★★★★★
Responds the Same Day, Every Time
“He always responds to messages and calls so quickly, has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is absolutely trustworthy.”
Sound familiar?
Starting a business is involved enough without the accounting catching you out.
New business owners routinely underestimate how quickly financial obligations accumulate. VAT registration thresholds, payroll obligations, corporation tax deadlines, confirmation statements — each one carrying a penalty for getting it wrong or missing it. Most founders are bright people who simply have not done this before. The gap between not knowing and knowing tends to be costly.
- Not sure which structure to use — sole trader, limited company, or something else
- No system in place for bookkeeping, so records are already falling behind
- No clear idea of what the first tax bill will look like or when it falls due
What starting right looks like
The right structure chosen before you register. Cloud bookkeeping running from week one. Your first deadlines mapped out and no surprises when they arrive. That is the difference between reacting to your finances and understanding them.
- Structure chosen correctly at the start, with the reasoning explained in plain English
- Bookkeeping set up on day one — records current from the moment you begin trading
- Your corporation tax and self assessment dates mapped out before they become urgent
- Fixed monthly fee covering compliance, so there are no unexpected invoices alongside the tax bill
What new business owners say about working with us
A consistent theme from clients is the patience and plain-English guidance that helps new founders get comfortable with their finances quickly.
We have been working with Hasan for almost a year. He’s been very helpful providing us with knowledge as new business owners. It’s great we can WhatsApp for general queries, making communication more efficient.
Hasan has been amazing and extremely helpful he has been very patient with me being new to running a business, he had given me some great advice and I will continue to use Edward Harris & Hasan
Everything a new company needs, from setup onwards
Startup accounting at Edward Harris covers the full range of early-stage obligations and planning — not just the filing, but the understanding behind it.
Company Formation and Setup
Your company is registered correctly with Companies House, with the right structure for your situation. Director responsibilities, record-keeping obligations, and your first deadlines are explained from the outset, so you are not piecing it together as you go. Cloud accounting software is configured before you start trading.
Included as standardFirst-Year Accounts and Corporation Tax
Your statutory accounts and CT600 are prepared accurately and filed on time. Your tax liability is calculated well in advance of the payment deadline, so there are no last-minute surprises. Where reliefs apply — including the Annual Investment Allowance or R&D credits for eligible companies — these are identified proactively.
Year-round supportOngoing Bookkeeping and Tax Planning
Monthly bookkeeping keeps your records current and your numbers readable throughout the year. Regular management information means you understand what the business is earning, spending, and owing at any given point. Tax planning runs alongside compliance, not as a separate afterthought.
Proactive and year-roundRated 5.0 on Google across every review
Clients range from sole traders in their first year to growing limited companies — all rating the combination of responsiveness, expertise, and plain-English guidance.
Complex Concepts Made Easy to Understand
“I had the pleasure of working with Hasan for our business’s financial needs, and I couldn’t be more satisfied. They provided exceptional service, demonstrating a deep understanding of accounting principles and tax regulations. Hasan is always prompt in responding to my inquiries and made complex financial concepts easy to understand.”
Organised Books and Proactive HMRC Advice
“Hasan at Edward Harris has been superb for us. He has organised our books, compiled documentation for HMRC and been proactive with advice. Best accountant I have used.”
Swift, Hassle-Free Accounts From Day One
“Excellent service! Hasan took over and sorted out my accounts with a swift and hassle free service. I would highly recommend for your accounting needs.”
What sets us apart for startups and new companies
Most accountants will file what needs filing. Fewer will explain why, flag what is coming, and make sure you leave each conversation actually understanding your numbers.
Built for businesses starting out
A significant portion of the clients at Edward Harris are new to running a company. Hasan has worked with founders who have never filed a return, never run payroll, and never dealt with HMRC correspondence. The explanations are patient and plain-English because that is what is actually useful at this stage.
Deadlines tracked, not chased
New companies accumulate filing obligations quickly — confirmation statements, corporation tax, VAT, self assessment — each on its own schedule. Your key dates are mapped out and managed proactively, so nothing is urgent until it genuinely needs to be, and you are never caught out by a deadline you did not know about.
Questions answered the same day
Starting a business generates a steady stream of questions, most of which feel too small to warrant a formal meeting. At Edward Harris, contact is available by phone, email, and WhatsApp, with same-day responses as standard. You do not wait a week to find out whether something needs doing.
Up and running in four straightforward steps
The process is designed to be low-effort on your side. Most new clients are set up and their first obligations understood within a matter of days.
Get in touch
Call, email, or complete the contact form. The initial conversation is free and without any pressure. You will get a same-day reply and a clear sense of whether we are the right fit before anything else happens.
Free initial conversation
Hasan will discuss your situation — what stage the business is at, what structure you are using or considering, and what needs to happen first. No jargon, no sales pitch. You will leave knowing exactly what the next steps are.
We handle the setup
Company formation or registration, cloud accounting software configured, and your compliance calendar mapped out. The parts that take most new founders weeks to piece together are handled quickly and correctly. You carry on with the business.
Focus on building the business
Your books are current, your deadlines are tracked, and your tax position is visible. There are no surprises waiting at year-end and no frantic searches for receipts when a deadline appears. Which is, frankly, the way it should be from the start.
“I cannot rate this company highly enough. I started off with an incredible expensive company who I could never reach or get good advice from – then THANKFULLY found Hasan who has been our accountant ever since. He always responds to messages and calls so quickly, has a wealth of knowledge and experience and is absolutely trustworthy. He’s kind, response, easy to deal with, and really a great member to make up your team. 10/10 recommend.”
Things new business owners usually ask us
Do I need an accountant from day one, or can I wait until closer to my first year-end?
Getting the structure right at the start — whether that is a limited company or sole trader arrangement, how you draw income, and how VAT registration works — tends to be significantly cheaper than correcting it later. The first year of trading also sets precedents for record-keeping and expenses that are much easier to establish correctly from the outset than to unpick retrospectively.
What does startup accounting typically cost, and what is included?
Fees are fixed monthly rather than hourly, so there are no unexpected invoices for asking a question. The scope depends on the complexity of your business — a straightforward limited company with modest turnover sits at a different level to a company with payroll, VAT, and CIS obligations. The free initial conversation will give you a clear, itemised quote before any commitment is made.
My books are already in a bit of a state — is that a problem?
It is more common than most new founders expect, and it is not a barrier to getting started. A catch-up bookkeeping exercise brings records up to date and identifies anything that needs correcting. The cost of doing so is transparent and agreed upfront. Most clients find that once the backlog is cleared, keeping records current is considerably less work than they anticipated.
Is there a long-term contract or a minimum commitment?
There is no long-term contract. If the arrangement is not working after the first three months, you leave with clean, organised records and nothing outstanding. The aim is to be worth staying with, not to make leaving difficult.
Which cloud accounting software do you use, and do I need to buy it separately?
Edward Harris works with Xero, QuickBooks Online, and FreeAgent, and is certified across all three. The software is configured as part of the onboarding process, and the cost is built into the service where applicable — you will not be handed a separate subscription invoice on top of your accountancy fee. Which platform is used depends on what suits the size and nature of your business.
How far in advance will I know what my tax bill is?
Corporation tax is calculated well ahead of the payment deadline — typically months, not days. The intention is that you know the number with enough notice to set funds aside without it disrupting cash flow. There should be no situation where the bill arrives before you have had a conversation about what it is likely to be.
Get your new business started properly.
A free, no-pressure conversation with Hasan will give you a clear picture of what needs doing, in what order, and what it will cost. No commitment required to have that conversation.