Accountants for small businesses: what should you put aside each month?
Accountants for small businesses should tell you what to put aside, handle VAT, payroll and year end, and answer before decisions cost you.
Can’t recommend these guys enough, saved the day when our previous accountant hadn’t been filling properly and we were facing fines. Worth their…Regent Barbers · Read the reviews
Get a free quote
A few quick questions, then a fixed monthly fee in writing and the free VAT and structure check. About two minutes, no tie in.
Your bank balance will not warn you about VAT, payroll or corporation tax. The costly part is usually the decision nobody checked before you made it.
Concrete Accounts is a Liverpool accountancy practice for owner-managed trade and service limited companies across the UK. A fixed monthly fee with software included covers agreed work, with quarterly reports and a free review of the books on joining.
Limited companies
The tax bill arrived before anyone warned you
- Rated 5.0 on Google
- Fixed monthly fees, software included
- VAT, CIS, payroll and year end handled
- Liverpool, Wirral and Cheshire, UK-wide
What changes when someone plans ahead
Know what to put aside monthly
VAT, corporation tax and personal tax stop competing with wages, suppliers and drawings.
Make hiring decisions before payroll starts
Know what an employee or subcontractor means for payroll, pensions and CIS before agreeing the start date.
Get an answer before committing
Ask Barnaby before changing your pay, buying a van or signing a new contract.
The decisions your bank balance cannot answer
These are the moments when filing the forms is no longer enough.
- VAT
“We passed £90,000 months ago, but nobody checked the rolling turnover or told me when to register.”
Late registration can mean backdated VAT and penalties. Quotes already agreed may leave nowhere to recover the cost.
- Hire
“I agreed the start date before checking payroll, pensions or whether the subcontractor came under CIS.”
The first payment creates duties the owner may never have handled. Missed deductions and filings remain the company’s problem.
- Tax bill
“The year went well, but the tax money went on suppliers, wages and what I paid myself.”
A healthy bank balance can include money owed elsewhere. Without monthly planning, the bill competes with the next payroll.
- Day 90
What changes once the advice is in the room?
VAT is watched before registration becomes late. Payroll and CIS run alongside the work. Each quarter shows what to put aside before the next bill lands.
Quick check · no email
If they cannot check your VAT scheme, forecast tax before it lands and reply this week, you have the wrong accountant
Answer three questions about the accountant looking after your company now.
Question 1 of 3
Could they tell you this week whether your VAT scheme is right?
Could they estimate your next tax bill before your year ends?
Could they reply this week when a supplier, hire or tax letter changes the plan?
The gaps are real because each one affects a decision or deadline. The set-up review is the sensible next step.
Some important work is already covered. Check the remaining gap, especially if nobody has reviewed the VAT returns closely.
Three yeses mean you are well served. Keep asking those questions and use the guides when a new decision comes up.
What changes beyond year-end filing
A filing service can complete the return while leaving decisions during the year with you.
A filing-only service
Accounts prepared after the year closes.
Tax confirmed once most choices are fixed.
VAT and payroll handled as separate jobs.
Questions addressed when a return is due.
Ongoing monthly support
Books updated during the year.
Upcoming tax included in quarterly reports.
VAT, CIS, payroll and year end handled together.
Barnaby answers on WhatsApp, phone or email.
Check whether the basics are actually covered
Eight yes or no answers show where the next surprise could come from.
- 01
Is rolling turnover checked before VAT registration becomes late?
It should be monitored throughout the year.
- 02
Is the VAT scheme reviewed as the company changes?
The scheme should still fit your sales and costs.
- 03
Are payroll and pension duties covered for every employee?
Each pay run should include the required filings.
- 04
Are subcontractors checked before CIS deductions begin?
Their status and verification should be handled first.
- 05
Is your salary and dividend mix reviewed during the year?
It should reflect the company’s current position.
- 06
Do you know what tax to put aside each month?
The amount should come from current bookkeeping.
- 07
Is cloud software included in the monthly scope?
Concrete Accounts includes it in the agreed service.
- 08
Would your accountant answer before a major purchase?
Advice should arrive before the decision is fixed.
What gets handled each month and year
The agreed scope brings the company’s recurring work into one monthly service.
Bookkeeping, VAT, CIS and payroll
The books, returns, deductions, pay runs and pension duties are handled as they arise.
Accounts and company tax
Year-end accounts, corporation tax and the director’s self assessment are prepared and filed.
Reports for the decisions ahead
See what came in, what went out, what tax is coming and what to put aside.
Entry 01
What a VAT review can uncover
A completed VAT return can still contain a costly mistake that carries forward each quarter.
Clients described by type. Names withheld.
What clients say
Can’t recommend these guys enough, saved the day when our previous accountant hadn’t been filling properly and we were facing fines. Worth their weight in gold!Regent BarbersGoogle review · 10 months ago
Exceptional service. Communication is clear, timely, and consistently accessible. After years of dealing with an accountant who was difficult to reach and overly formal, working with someone this reliable and solution focused has been a significant improvement. Strongly recommend.James HenryGoogle review · 10 months ago
I’ve been blown away by the service from Barnaby! My accounts went from being a constant mental burden to something I feel completely under control — all thanks to him. Now I can shift my mental energy to running my business rather than worrying about unexpected tax bills. Barnaby not only stays on top of everything, but also sends me financial reports so I have clarity and always know exactly what’s going on, which has made running my business enjoyable again!Oliver NoakesGoogle review · 10 months ago
How the first quarter stops the guessing
Each stage removes a decision you should not have to make from the bank balance.
Know whether the set-up fits
Barnaby checks VAT, company structure, how you pay yourself and any payroll or CIS issues.
The switch is off your list
We agree the monthly scope, contact your old accountant and move the information across.
Monthly deadlines are being handled
Bookkeeping runs monthly, with VAT, payroll and CIS covered within the agreed scope.
The next bill is expected
Your quarterly report shows what came in, what went out and what tax to put aside.
Who this ongoing service will not suit
A sole trader below the VAT threshold with no plan to incorporate is unlikely to fit.
A side project or newly started business without meaningful turnover is too early.
A one-off return without ongoing monthly work falls outside the service.
Anyone asking for numbers to be altered will be turned away.
The free set-up review will tell you straight whether the monthly service fits.
Questions directors ask before they switch
Accountants for small businesses: what does the monthly fee include?
The fixed monthly scope can cover bookkeeping, VAT returns, payroll, CIS, year-end accounts, corporation tax and the director’s self assessment. Cloud software is included. The exact scope depends on your company, staff and subcontractors, so Barnaby confirms what is covered before any work starts.
Accountants for small businesses: can they take over if we already have an accountant?
Yes. Start with the intake quiz and a free VAT and structure check. If there is a fit, Concrete Accounts agrees the scope, contacts your previous accountant and moves the information across. Onboarding is free, and catch-up fees do not apply where the stated rules are met.
Do we have to move to different accounting software?
Usually, you do not have to move before speaking to us. Concrete Accounts can review the cloud software you already use and explain whether it still suits the work. If a change is sensible, the set-up and training can be included in the agreed scope, with software covered by the monthly fee.
What happens with our current accountant if we switch?
If you decide to switch, Concrete Accounts contacts your previous accountant directly and requests the information needed. You do not have to manage the handover yourself. Onboarding is completed in the first week, subject to receiving the required information, and your existing books are then reviewed for errors.
Is this service right for every small limited company?
It works best for an owner-managed limited company with established turnover, VAT responsibilities, staff or subcontractors, and recurring accounting work. A one-off return, an early side project or a sole trader well below the VAT threshold is unlikely to need this level of ongoing support.
Can you handle both VAT and CIS for a growing trade company?
Yes, where both form part of the agreed monthly scope. Concrete Accounts can handle VAT registration and returns, the domestic reverse charge, subcontractor verification, deductions and monthly CIS returns. Payroll, bookkeeping and year-end work can sit alongside them, so the deadlines are managed in one place.
Three ways to decide what happens next
Get your free company check
Answer a few quick questions, get a personalised recommendation, and if there is a fit, get the free review.
Get a free quote 02 · A question firstNeed to ask Barnaby something?
Send your question about VAT, payroll, CIS, switching or the monthly scope.
Ask Barnaby a question 03 · Still decidingStill deciding?
Read the guides for plain answers on VAT, tax, director pay and company deadlines.
Read the guides →