Accountancy and Tax Services for UK Businesses and Individuals
Merit Accountants is a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers providing accountancy and tax services from offices in Manchester, London and Hertfordshire. Accounts, tax, payroll and bookkeeping are handled by one joined-up team, with tax planned from the start rather than looked at once the year has closed, and our audit work is led separately by a different partner so that it stays independent.
Use this page to find the service you need, or browse by sector on our who we serve page. If you would rather talk it through first, book a first meeting and we will point you in the right direction.
Tax services
Tax is where Merit started, and it is still the core of the firm. Our team includes Chartered Tax Advisers, and every return we file is reviewed by a specialist tax adviser before it goes to HMRC.
- Corporation tax returns: CT600 preparation, filing and payment planning for limited companies
- Self Assessment tax returns: personal tax returns for directors, landlords, sole traders and higher earners
- Capital gains tax reporting: 60-day property reporting and planning around disposals
- VAT returns: registration, quarterly filing, partial exemption and place of supply questions
- ATED returns: annual returns and relief declaration returns for companies, and partnerships with a corporate partner, holding UK dwellings worth more than £500,000, due by 30 April for property held at the start of the year or within 30 days of a later acquisition
- Tax advisory services: structuring, reliefs and planning ahead of transactions
- HMRC tax investigations: enquiries, disclosures and penalty mitigation
- Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: software, agent authorisation and quarterly updates for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000, falling to £30,000 from April 2027
- Accountants for landlords: rental income, the finance cost restriction (Section 24), incorporation reviews and 60-day CGT reporting for property investors
- Non-resident landlords and overseas companies: UK rental income, the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme and UK tax for overseas companies holding UK property
- Tax advisers for high net worth individuals: personal tax, capital gains and inheritance tax planning for individuals and families with complex affairs
Compliance and accounts
The statutory filings every business has to get right, prepared accurately and reviewed before they are filed.
- Accounts preparation: statutory year-end accounts for companies and LLPs, and year-end accounts for sole traders and partnerships
- Audit services: statutory audit and assurance work from a registered auditor
- Company secretarial services: confirmation statements, registers, Companies House filings and identity verification through our registration as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP)
- Construction Industry Scheme (CIS): registration, monthly returns and offset claims
Bookkeeping, management accounts and finance function
Clean books are the foundation for every other service on this page. Our outsourced bookkeeping services keep your records up to date in Xero or other cloud software every month, with bank reconciliations and VAT coding checked as we go, and the services below are built on them:
- Management accounts: monthly or quarterly packs with commentary, KPIs and a running tax position
- Outsourced financial controller: a quarterly or monthly review of your in-house bookkeeper’s work, with management reports and a partner meeting
- Outsourced finance function: bookkeeping, payroll, management accounts and CFO input run as one outsourced finance function, for businesses from around £250k to over £15m turnover
If you are choosing or moving software, our Xero and cloud accounting service covers migration, set-up and training.
Payroll and P11D
Our payroll and P11D processing service runs payroll on time, handles pension auto-enrolment and files P11D benefit in kind returns and prepares employers for the mandatory payrolling of benefits that starts on 6 April 2027, so directors and staff are paid correctly and every RTI submission, P11D and pension deadline is in the diary from the start.
Advisory and growth
Once the compliance is under control, we can spend our time with you on growth, funding and the numbers behind them.
- Fractional CFO and FD: regular performance meetings, forecasts and funding support
- Finance raising: support with funding applications and the information lenders ask for
Who we work with
Alongside these services we run specialist sector desks, because a recruitment agency, an online retailer and a tech startup do not have the same problems. We also run a dedicated small business accountants service for limited companies and sole traders. The full list of sectors is on our who we serve page. For examples of the results, see our tax saving case studies.
Why Merit
Merit is a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, audit registered with ACCA, with offices in Manchester, London and Hertfordshire. We act for more than 3,000 clients across 14 sectors, every VAT return and set of accounts is reviewed by a second tax specialist, and our team includes professionals who have worked inside HMRC. You get one point of contact who knows your numbers, backed by a team that covers everything listed above, so nothing falls between two advisers.
Services FAQs
Which service do I actually need?
Often more than one, and they overlap. A limited company usually needs year-end accounts, a corporation tax return, a confirmation statement, payroll if it pays salaries (including to its directors), and VAT returns once taxable turnover in any rolling 12-month period goes over the £90,000 registration threshold. The simplest route is a first meeting: we look at where you are and tell you what is needed and what is not.
Can you take over from our current accountant part-way through the year?
Yes. Switching is a standard process built on professional clearance, and most of it happens between the two firms. Our guide on how to change accountants walks through the steps and the timing.
Do you only work with businesses near your offices?
No. We have offices in Manchester, London and Hertfordshire, so see our pages for accountants in Manchester, accountants in London and accountants in Hertfordshire, but the work is cloud-based and we act for clients across the UK. Meetings happen in person or by video call, whichever suits you.
How much do your accountancy services cost?
It depends on which services you need, the size of the business and the state of the records, so we agree a fixed monthly fee after a first meeting. Our guide to how much an accountant costs in the UK sets out typical market ranges and how our fixed monthly fees work.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
Book a free first meeting
What clients say about Merit on Google
“They flag things before we’ve even thought to ask, which is something we’ve never experienced with an accountant before.”
Farz B., Google review
“They quickly understand complex matters, explain them in straightforward terms and provide practical, commercially sound solutions tailored to our needs.”
Zyba K., Google review
“Every year they are prompt and responsive, even reminding us when our filings and VAT reports are due.”
DanRaw Stores, Google review
“They are a highly professional, knowledgeable team and a true pleasure to work with.”
Liana T., Google review
“The team go above and beyond to deliver the best service and are always striving to find ways to improve the business position.”
Vardan F., Google review