Complete Finance Function
Complete Outsourced Finance Function for UK Businesses - From Bookkeeping to CFO Level
An outsourced finance function replaces or supports your in house team, covering bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, management accounts, forecasting and year end compliance in one fixed monthly fee. You get a full finance department led by Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers for a fraction of the cost of hiring one.
Growing a business is hard enough without also trying to manage a full finance team. Yet without proper financial oversight, businesses make decisions blind, they miss tax-saving opportunities, run into cash flow problems, and fail to present financial information in a way that attracts investment or bank funding.
Merit Accountants’ Complete Finance Function service gives you everything a full in-house finance department provides, at a fraction of the cost, and with a level of expertise that most businesses couldn’t afford to hire permanently. Our service is designed and led by partners who have built their own businesses from zero, which means every element is built around the practical needs of a growing company, not the administrative preferences of an accounting firm.
What Our Complete Finance Function Includes
Our complete finance function is modular and scalable, you take what you need, and scale as you grow. The full service covers:
✓ Bookkeeping & Transaction Processing
Accurate, timely recording of all financial transactions using cloud accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, Sage). Bank reconciliations, purchase ledger, sales ledger, and expense management, handled efficiently so your records are always current.
✓ Management Accounts
Monthly or quarterly management accounts delivered to you in a clear, decision-ready format. P&L, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and KPI dashboard. You always know where your business stands financially.
✓ VAT Returns & MTD Compliance
Accurate VAT return preparation and submission via Making Tax Digital (MTD)-compliant software. We also advise on the most beneficial VAT scheme for your business (Standard, Flat Rate, Cash Accounting, or Annual Accounting) and review your VAT position regularly.
✓ Payroll Management
Full PAYE payroll processing, auto-enrolment pension management, P11D preparation for benefits in kind, and year-end payroll reporting to HMRC.
✓ Year-End Accounts & Corporation Tax
Statutory accounts prepared to UK GAAP standards, filed at Companies House and HMRC. Supported by our full corporation tax planning service (see Corporation Tax Returns page).
✓ Tax Planning & Advisory Overlay
Unlike a standard bookkeeping service, every element of our finance function is supervised by Chartered Tax Advisers. This means your financial data is continuously reviewed for tax-saving opportunities, not just for compliance purposes.
✓ CFO-Level Strategic Oversight
For growing businesses that need senior financial guidance without a full-time CFO salary, we provide access to partner-level strategic advice. This includes financial forecasting, scenario modelling, investor-ready financial packs, board reporting, and support for raising finance or external investment.
Built by Business Founders For Business Owners
Our Complete Finance Function was designed by partners who have been exactly where you are. Hussein Bhaiji built Merit Accountants from zero to a thriving multi-million pound practice. Mukkarram Ali built an online retail business turning over close to a million within 18 months with projections for further growth in the coming months. Richard Mahoney built Camden Town Football Club which now gets sponsorship from multinational organisations and is en route to be part of the major leagues in the coming years. That experience means the reporting frameworks, financial review cycles, and financial controls we implement aren’t theoretical, they’re the systems that actually work for growing owner-managed businesses.
When you engage our Complete Finance Function, you get more than accurate numbers. You get a finance partner who understands the commercial pressures of running a business and proactively supports your decisions with real financial intelligence.
Who This Service Is For
Our Complete Finance Function is designed for: businesses turning over £500,000 to £10 million that don’t yet have an in-house finance team; fast-growing companies that have outgrown their existing accountant; owner-managed businesses where the founder is currently managing finances personally; companies preparing for investment, a funding round, or a potential exit; and businesses that want the financial oversight of a large company, at a cost that reflects their current size.
Transparent, Fixed Monthly Pricing
Our Complete Finance Function is priced on a fixed monthly fee, agreed in advance, with no surprises. You choose the level of service that suits your current stage of growth, and we scale with you as your needs change. Book a consultation and we’ll give you a clear quote within 24 hours.
Ready to streamline your finance function?
Complete Finance Function FAQs
It can include bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, management reporting, cash-flow support, forecasting, financial controls and CFO-level oversight, tailored to cover part or all of your finance requirements, and supervised throughout by a Chartered Tax Adviser.
When you need better reporting, stronger controls, more reliable financial information, or broader support than basic bookkeeping and annual accounts can provide, often when growth has outpaced the founder’s capacity to manage finances personally.
Yes, it’s often ideal for growing businesses that need better visibility and senior support but aren’t yet ready to recruit a full in-house finance team.
By reducing the need for full-time salaries, employer’s NIC, pension contributions, recruitment, software duplication, training and management time, while giving you access to a wider range of finance and tax expertise than a single hire could provide.
No, but it’s especially valuable for businesses turning over roughly £500,000 to £10 million, where stronger controls and better reporting have a real impact on performance and decision-making.