Your books done properly,
every single month.
Bookkeeping, VAT and self assessment for sole traders, landlords and small limited companies across [County] — and anywhere else, online. Nine years of it, and not one late filing.
I work in the software you already use:
- Xero
- QuickBooks
- FreeAgent
- Sage
- A shoebox of receipts
Quarterly filing is already here. In April it reaches you.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax started in April 2026 for sole traders and landlords earning over £50,000. From 6 April 2027 the threshold drops to £30,000, and from April 2028 to £20,000.
It means digital records and four submissions a year instead of one return every January. If your income is anywhere near £30,000, the sensible move is to get your records in order this tax year rather than scrambling next April.
Check whether it applies to youWhen it starts for you
What I do
Four things, done thoroughly. If you need something that isn't here, ask — I'll either do it or tell you honestly who should.
Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction categorised, every bank account reconciled, every receipt matched. You get a one-page summary each month showing what came in, what went out and what to keep back for tax.
Self assessment
Filed properly and filed early. I'll tell you what you owe by October so January holds no surprises — and I'll find the allowances people routinely miss.
VAT and quarterly updates
Returns prepared, checked and submitted to HMRC on time, every quarter. I'll also tell you if a different VAT scheme would suit you better.
Catch-up and clean-up
Two years of unopened envelopes, a spreadsheet that stopped making sense, or a previous bookkeeper who left mid-year. I've untangled all three. No lectures.
Fees
A fixed monthly price, agreed before I start. No hourly billing that creeps, and no invoice you weren't expecting.
Self assessment only
- Return prepared and filed
- Tax owed confirmed by October
- Allowances reviewed
- HMRC correspondence handled
Monthly books
- Everything in self assessment
- Monthly reconciliation and summary
- MTD quarterly updates filed
- Unlimited questions by email
- Chase-ups on unpaid invoices
Books and payroll
- Everything in monthly books
- Payroll up to 10 employees
- RTI submissions and payslips
- Pension auto-enrolment filings
- Quarterly call to review numbers
Catch-up work on previous years is quoted separately once I've seen what's involved — usually £40 an hour, and I'll give you a cap before I start.
Your existing headshot, in colour
4:5 portrait
I'm Leighan, and I like the bit everyone else dreads.
Nine years of self-assessment returns, plus four years inside corporate, charity and education finance teams — which is where I learned that good books aren't about tidiness. They're about knowing, on any given Tuesday, exactly where you stand.
Most people come to me because something has gone wrong: a letter from HMRC, a VAT quarter they've lost track of, or the slow realisation that the spreadsheet hasn't been right since March. That's a normal way to arrive. I've never once made anybody feel stupid about it, and I'm not about to start.
I work with a small number of clients so that yours is never the one that gets left to the last week. If I'm full, I'll say so.
What clients say
I'd not filed for two years and I was frightened of opening the post. Leighan sorted the lot in six weeks and the penalty was smaller than I'd convinced myself it would be.
I used to lose a full weekend every quarter to the VAT return. Now I forward the receipts and it's done. It has paid for itself twice over in time alone.
Two or three real quotes here, with first name, trade and town. They are the single most persuasive thing on the page.
Questions people ask before they call
How far behind is too far behind?
There isn't a point at which I'll turn you away. I've picked up clients who hadn't filed since 2021. The sooner you start the smaller the penalties, but late is always better than never, and HMRC are markedly kinder to people who come to them first.
Do I need to be local?
No. Most of my work is done online, and I'm happy on Teams or a phone call. If you'd rather meet in person and you're within reach of [Town], that can be arranged.
What's the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
I keep your records accurate and up to date through the year, handle VAT and payroll, and file self assessment returns. If you need statutory year-end accounts for a limited company or complex tax planning, you'll want an accountant — and I'll work alongside yours, which usually reduces their bill because the books arrive clean.
What do you need from me each month?
Read-only access to your bank feed, your sales invoices, and your receipts — photographed and forwarded is fine. That's it. Anything I can't identify, I'll ask about in one email rather than twenty.
What if I want to leave?
One month's notice, and your records are yours. I'll hand everything over in a format your next bookkeeper can pick up, at no charge.
Book a free 30-minute chat
Tell me roughly where things stand and I'll tell you what it would take to sort out, and what it would cost. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so on the call.
Thanks — that's come through.
I reply to everything within one working day. If it's urgent, call 01604 000 000.
Evening calls by arrangement