VAT accountant
VAT is where small errors compound quietly: the wrong scheme costs margin every quarter, a missed input claim is money gone, and the penalty system now points-scores every late return. A VAT accountant earns their keep on all three — ours files MTD-compliant returns from £35 a month and starts every new client with a scheme sanity-check.
How we handle it
Approaching the £90,000 threshold, or past it and unregistered? Registration is £49, handled end to end including HMRC's follow-up questions — and the timing decision (register early to reclaim, or hold off legitimately) is part of the conversation, not an afterthought.
The fixed fees behind this service
| Service | Fixed fee |
|---|---|
| VAT Returns | from £35/mo |
| VAT Registration | £49 |
| Bookkeeping | from £49/mo |
VAT Returns
Quarterly VAT prepared and submitted under Making Tax Digital.
- Quarterly VAT returns prepared and filed under Making Tax Digital
- The right scheme for you — standard, flat rate or cash accounting
- VAT registration and deregistration handled when needed
| VAT returns only (your bookkeeping) | £35/mo |
| VAT + bookkeeping bundle | £119/mo |
| VAT registration (one-off) | £79 |
VAT Registration
Registered with HMRC properly — the right scheme chosen before the first return, not after.
- Application prepared and submitted to HMRC, with your effective date chosen deliberately
- Scheme recommendation before you're locked in — flat rate, cash accounting or standard
- HMRC's follow-up questions handled by us until the VAT number arrives
| VAT registration with HMRC | £49 |
| Registration + scheme advice (flat rate, cash accounting) | £79 |
| Registration + first VAT return | £119 |
Bookkeeping
Your records kept clean and current, every month, on cloud software.
- Transactions categorised and reconciled every month
- Cloud software set up and maintained (Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent)
- Receipts captured digitally — photograph and forget
| Up to 50 transactions a month | £49/mo |
| Up to 150 transactions a month | £89/mo |
| Up to 300 transactions a month | £149/mo |
From first message to done
WhatsApp or the form — a few sentences is enough. A real person replies the same working day.
One price for the job, confirmed before anything starts. Complex case? We say so now, not on the invoice.
Photos of documents are fine. We chase whatever's missing — that's part of the job, not yours.
You review everything first; filings go to HMRC or Companies House electronically with same-day confirmation.
Deadlines that apply here
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 month + 7 days after quarter end | VAT return filing and payment deadline for each quarter |
| £90,000 rolling turnover | Compulsory VAT registration threshold — measured over any rolling 12 months, not your accounting year |
Why choose Bohzo Accountants in the UK?
Your fee is agreed before any work starts and never changes mid-job. No hourly billing, ever.
Secure portal and WhatsApp — no office visits, no printing, no waiting rooms.
Bohzo Accountants is a trading name of IGI Security Services Ltd, Company No. 15881180.
We track every HMRC and Companies House date that applies to you, so you don't have to.
Terms you'll meet along the way
Making Tax Digital (MTD)
HMRC's regime requiring digital records and software-filed returns — long mandatory for VAT, arriving for Income Tax from April 2026.
Flat Rate Scheme
Pay HMRC a fixed percentage of turnover instead of tracking every input. Simpler, but the 16.5% limited-cost-trader rate killed the old easy win for many.
Input vs output VAT
Output VAT is what you charge customers; input VAT is what you pay suppliers. You hand HMRC the difference — which is why missed input claims are pure loss.
Penalty points
Each late VAT return earns a point; at your threshold (4 for quarterly filers) every late return costs £200. Points expire after sustained good behaviour.
Rolling 12-month test
The £90,000 threshold is measured over any consecutive 12 months, not your accounting year — the detail that catches most late registrants.
Effective date of registration
The date your VAT obligations start — set by when you crossed the threshold, or chosen deliberately for voluntary registrations.
Voluntary registration
Registering below the threshold — often smart for B2B businesses (reclaim input VAT, look established), usually a price rise for B2C.
Reconciliation
Matching your books to the bank, transaction by transaction — the discipline that makes every other number trustworthy.
VAT accountant: your questions answered
Which VAT scheme should my business be on?
Standard accounting suits most; cash accounting helps when customers pay slowly; the flat rate scheme can win or lose depending on your cost profile — especially since the limited-cost-trader rules. We run your actual numbers through the options before recommending, and re-check annually because businesses change.
How do VAT penalties work now?
Points-based: each late return earns a point, and at the threshold (4 points for quarterly filers) every subsequent late return costs £200. Late payment charges layer on separately. The system forgives an occasional slip but punishes a pattern — which is exactly what an outsourced deadline calendar prevents.
Can you fix a VAT mess — wrong claims, missed quarters?
Yes. Errors under £10,000 can usually be corrected on the next return; bigger ones need a formal disclosure, which done proactively keeps penalties minimal. Missed quarters get filed fast to stop the points. We'll tell you which situation you're in within a day of seeing the records.
When do I have to register for VAT?
When your taxable turnover in any rolling 12-month period passes £90,000 — a rolling test, not your accounting year, and the most common way businesses get caught out. We monitor it for bookkeeping clients automatically.
Which VAT scheme is best for me?
It depends on your margins and customers. The flat-rate scheme suits some service businesses; cash accounting helps if customers pay slowly; standard suits most. We'll compare them for your numbers before registering you.
When do I legally have to register?
When your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period — not your accounting year, which is the detail that catches people. You must also register if you expect to cross it in the next 30 days alone. We'll check your position for free before you commit to anything.
Is registering voluntarily ever worth it?
Often, yes — if your customers are VAT-registered businesses, you reclaim VAT on your costs while your prices stay effectively unchanged to them. If you sell to the public, it's usually a straight price rise. That's exactly the conversation we have before filing.
Which bookkeeping software do you use?
Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent — whichever suits your business (or whichever you already use). Software subscription can be included in your monthly fee, and we handle all the setup and migration.
What counts as a transaction?
Each line on your bank statement — a payment in or out. Most one-person businesses sit comfortably under 50 a month. If you drift over your band we'll tell you before the fee changes, never after.
VAT Returns in popular locations
Recent client feedback
Verified client reviews will appear here as engagements complete. We only ever publish genuine, verifiable feedback — no purchased or invented reviews, anywhere on this site.