The UK's Premier Online Accountant

Experts In Small Owner Managed Businesses!

An online accountant provides professional accountancy and tax services remotely, using secure digital technology rather than only relying on regular face-to-face meetings or paper records.

A good online accountant can provide the same high-quality services as a traditional accountancy practice, including bookkeeping, annual accounts, tax returns, VAT, payroll and tax planning. The main difference is how you communicate and exchange information.

With QAccounting, you have access to a dedicated Client Manager and Accountant who take the time to get to know both you and your business. Our online approach combines the convenience of cloud accounting with the personal support and expertise you would expect from a traditional accountancy practice.

The biggest difference is usually how the service is delivered, rather than the underlying accounting work.

A traditional accountant may rely more heavily on face-to-face meetings, paper documents and records supplied periodically. An online accountant generally uses cloud accounting software, digital records, email, telephone and other online systems to work with clients remotely.

Online accounting can therefore make it easier to keep records up to date and access financial information throughout the year.

However, “online” should not mean impersonal. At QAccounting, technology supports the relationship rather than replacing it. Clients have a dedicated Client Manager and Accountant, so they can speak to people who understand their business while benefiting from the efficiency of online accounting.

Using a remote accountant can give a small business access to specialist accounting and tax expertise without being restricted to accountancy firms in its immediate area.

Cloud technology makes it easier to maintain up-to-date accounting records, share information and communicate with your accountant wherever you are. It can reduce paperwork, improve access to financial information and make routine accounting processes more efficient.

Perhaps most importantly, outsourcing your accounting can give you more time to concentrate on running and growing your business.

QAccounting combines these benefits with dedicated human support. Our clients have their own Client Manager and Accountant rather than relying solely on an automated online service.

Yes, provided you choose a reputable UK accountancy provider with appropriate data-security procedures and secure systems.

Accountants routinely handle sensitive personal, financial and tax information, so security should be an important consideration when choosing a provider. UK data-protection requirements mean organisations processing personal information must have appropriate technical and organisational security measures in place.

You should also be cautious about sharing HMRC login details. HMRC specifically states that taxpayers should not give their sign-in credentials to their tax agent. Instead, your accountant should obtain the appropriate formal agent authorisation to deal with HMRC on your behalf.

At QAccounting, our online services are designed to make managing your accounts straightforward while giving you professional support from a UK-based accountancy team.

Not necessarily. The term “accountant” itself is not legally restricted in the UK, so someone can describe themselves as an accountant without holding a professional accountancy qualification. By contrast, professional titles such as “Chartered Accountant” are subject to specific requirements.

That makes it important to look beyond the words “online accountant”. Check the firm’s professional credentials, experience, track record and the qualifications of the people who will actually look after your accounts.

You should also consider whether the accountant has experience with businesses like yours. At QAccounting, our team combines professional accountancy expertise with more than 30 years’ experience for small owner managed UK businesses.

Start with expertise and trust. Your accountant will have access to some of your most important financial information and may represent you when dealing with HMRC, so price should not be your only consideration.

Look for an accountant with relevant professional expertise, a strong track record, transparent fees, secure systems and experience working with businesses like yours. You should also establish exactly what is included in the service and whether you will have access to a named accountant when you need advice.

Technology matters too. A good online accountant should use modern cloud accounting software while still providing genuine human support.

At QAccounting, clients receive a dedicated Client Manager and Accountant, combining online convenience with ongoing personal support.

The cost of online accounting depends on your circumstances, business structure and the amount of work your accountant needs to undertake.

Factors can include whether you are a sole trader, landlord or limited company; your turnover and transaction levels; whether bookkeeping is required; and whether you need additional services such as VAT returns, payroll, Self-Assessment or Making Tax Digital support.

At QAccounting, we believe accountancy pricing should be clear and tailored to the services you actually need. Our online quote system allows you to build a package around your requirements and see the associated cost. Current advertised packages start from £33 per month for sole traders and property accounts and £52.50 per month for limited companies.

Start by providing some basic information about yourself or your business. An accountant will normally need to understand your business structure, turnover, accounting requirements and any additional services you need before providing an accurate quote.

With QAccounting, you can use our online quote engine to build a package based on your individual requirements. This allows us to tailor the service rather than charging you for accountancy services you do not need.

If you would rather discuss your requirements first, you can also speak to our team before deciding which package is right for you.

Yes. An online accountant can prepare and submit your Self-Assessment tax return, provided they have the information required and are appropriately authorised to act for you.

An accountant can help identify the income and gains that need to be reported, consider relevant allowable expenses and tax reliefs, calculate your tax position and submit the completed return to HMRC. Once formally authorised, an accountant or tax adviser can also deal with HMRC on your behalf within the scope of that authority.

This can be particularly useful if you are self-employed, a landlord, a company director or have several sources of income.

QAccounting offers Self-Assessment services alongside our wider accounting and tax support.

Switching accountants is usually much easier than people expect, and you can normally change accountant during your financial year rather than waiting until year end.

Once you appoint your new accountant, they will typically complete their onboarding and anti-money-laundering checks, obtain the necessary HMRC authorisations and contact your previous accountant to request the relevant accounting and tax records. HMRC requires taxpayers to authorise an agent before that agent can manage their tax affairs.

If you switch to QAccounting, our dedicated switching team manages the transfer process, liaising with your existing accountant and arranging for the information we need to be transferred. Where your accounts are up to date, QAccounting does not charge you simply to switch.

The exact information required depends on your circumstances and the services you need.

For a Self-Assessment tax return, for example, your accountant may need details of your self-employed income and expenses, employment income, pensions, savings and investments, property income, capital gains and other taxable income, together with information supporting any relevant tax reliefs.  This process is made much easier by the provision of a questionnaire checklist.

For a business, information may include bank transactions or statements, sales invoices, purchase invoices and expenses, payroll records, VAT information, loan or finance agreements and details of business assets.

If you are switching accountants, much of your historic accounting information can normally be obtained directly from your previous accountant. QAccounting will explain what information is required during onboarding, so you do not have to work it out yourself.

QAccounting fully supports **Xero and FreeAgent**, two established cloud-based accounting platforms widely used by UK small businesses.

Our staff are trained to support both Xero and FreeAgent, and we recommend these platforms to clients who want QAccounting to provide a full-bookkeeping service. A Xero or FreeAgent subscription is therefore required where we provide bookkeeping services.

We also support clients already using different accounting software packages (where they wish to continue to perform their own bookkeeping), by offering year-end accounts, business and personal tax return services, and other relevant one-off and ad-hoc services.

Our team can discuss your existing setup and help determine the most appropriate approach for your business.