Bookkeepers Marlow Buckinghamshire (SL7): Irrespective of whether you own a small business, run an online store or are a sole trader in Marlow, you are responsible for maintaining accurate, "true and fair" accounting and financial records for at least six years in accordance with the Companies Act. Failing to produce these detailed records could leave you facing disqualification as a Company Director, as well as a fine of thousands of pounds. Accounting Today magazine states that over 40% of small businesses spend at least 80 hours every year on their bookkeeping, therefore while you can perform these financial recordings on your own, it can be more cost-effective to employ a professional bookkeeper or accountant to do them for you.
It's time to get in touch with a bookkeeper in Marlow for help and advice, if the very thought of producing balance sheets, writing out ledgers, tracking liabilities and assets or creating profit, loss and financial statements brings you feelings of panic.
BOOKKEEPER OR ACCOUNTANT?
For many people in Marlow, an obvious question when facing this challenge is "Exactly what is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?" To be honest, due to huge software improvements over the past decade many accountancy firms in Marlow will consider taking on the task of bookkeeping, which was previously deemed beneath their qualifications, experience and skill-sets. It is fairly common for accounting companies to have a flat rate for bookkeeping services in line with a typical bookkeeper's fee. Business owners are now cashing in on this, because it provides a broader range of competition within this sector and can mean that the cost of bookkeeping is way more affordable than it would previously have been.
The big difference of an accountant over a bookkeeper is the standard of training and qualification that is needed. An accountant will normally a least hold a degree in accounting with additional training in the field of taxes and other business and financial management. Although possibly not having this level of experience and training, or holding the same financial qualifications, a bookkeeper in Marlow will still have a fair grasp of all these fiscal disciplines.
A BOOKKEEPER'S RESPONSIBILITIES
To explain in the simplest of forms, bookkeeping involves the recording of day to day monetary transactions of any business enterprise in Marlow. This may include, but is not limited to;
- Monthly reporting and reconciliations.
- The billing of customers for work completed or goods.
- Logging of all financial incomings; electronic, cash and card payments included.
- Recording the receipt of invoices and ensuring payment is completed by the due date.
- VAT submissions and recording.
- Payroll services.
- Making sure that accounting and double-entry bookkeeping practices are followed at all times.
- Highlighting any discrepancies in financial accounts and rectifying them.
Depending on service level you need, e.g. whether you are prepared to do most of your bookkeeping work; a bookkeeper may only be needed to double check your records on a fixed schedule. To make certain that any problems or mistakes can be identified and rectified speedily, as a bare minimum, this should be done from month to month. This might be an extremely cost-effective trade-off, providing that you're confident of remaining on top of your monetary transactions without affecting your daily trading duties.
If you're currently considering hiring a bookkeeper in Marlow, whatever your scenario, there is a fair chance that you may be struggling with your financial and tax procedures. To enable the seamless arrangement of transactional data, a professional bookkeeping company will help you to link the latest software to your business accounts, and will give advice on stuff like stocktaking, invoicing and preparing expense reports.
The reconciliation of accounts payable with cash flow is one of the most crucial aspects of a good bookkeeping service. This means that your bookkeeper will arrange the payment of bills to a time when your accounts are buoyant and in good order, instead of paying a bill straight away, or waiting for a final notice, which many small businesses are guilty of. As well as keeping your enterprise or business financially stable, this also keeps you in good stead with service providers and suppliers. When, as an individual, you're completely focussed on the operation of your business, this can be a balancing act that's challenging to accomplish.
Employing a competent bookkeeper in Marlow, if you are a sole trader, or for your small business also gives them the opportunity to cast an expert eye over your business finances. It is entirely possible that an unprejudiced assessment such as this will showcase business trends and patterns that have been missed previously. A bookkeeper identifying a new opportunity or noticing an area where profits are plummeting, is by no means unheard of. These KPI's (key performance indicators) are vital in driving growth for any enterprise in Marlow.
It can sometimes be quite awkward to chase up late payments if your company sends out invoices. By having somebody outside your normal business bubble visit your customer or make that telephone call, some of that awkwardness can be taken away. There are legal solutions that a professional bookkeeper can make use of, if you've got problems with a persistent late or non-payer, and these can help to clear up the issue before the situation ends up in claims court proceedings.
SOLE TRADER'S BOOKKEEPING REQUIREMENTS
The requirements for bookkeeping by a sole trader, as set out in law, are pretty uncomplicated and easy to understand. Essentially, sole traders should retain all invoices and receipts, and keep records of expenditure and income on a monthly basis. While this might sound easy it is still good practice to retain the services of a bookkeeping company. So that you will be able to claim back all bonafide business expenses from HMRC, a specialised sole trader bookkeeper in Marlow can advise you on what you must do. This might include advertising expenses, consumables, items such as laptops, rent and bills if working from home and stationery goods. For more comprehensive advice, talk to your local bookkeeper, and see how they can help your business to grow going forward.
BOOKKEEPING FOR ONLINE TRADERS
There are certain niches in bookkeeping where the skills of a specialist could be necessary. As an example, if you run a store online, you will want to employ a bookkeeper in Marlow who understands multi-currency processing, online payments, cross-border and international taxes and exchange rate transfers. If you hold or produce the merchandise that you distribute on that store, then it is going to be a major priority for your bookkeeping services and software to control your your stock on a 24 hours a day basis, because of course, the internet never sleeps.
A virtual office can also be supplied in conjunction with your bookkeeping service. Offering a physical link with their customers, this allows a sole trader or online only business to have a postal address and telephone service. Not all bookkeeping companies in Marlow will supply this option, however it's worthwhile talking about if it's needed.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS
Many of the qualifications in the bookkeeping sector are at Diploma and Certificate level, and a professional Marlow bookkeeper needn't hold a degree. If the preferred route to qualification is through further education colleges and universities, this possibility is still available, whereas there there's an ever-increasing variety of online bookkeeping courses.
To provide certification and training for bookkeepers, there are basically 2 principal organisations of interest:
The AAT or Association of Accounting Technicians: The AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) provides advanced qualifications and a training schedule allowing a fully certified member to use the letters AATQB after their name. This then entitles them to become a approved AAT bookkeeper and guarantees a high level of service which is backed up by the organisation. To preserve the integrity and values of the AAT, a bookkeeper who's a member of the AAT can be subject to tribunal and disciplinary procedures if they have a complaint against them or are found to have violated the code of practice.
The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB): The largest organisation on the planet is the the ICB or Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, and it supplies certification for bookkeepers, in addition to training and reference material to keep their associated members current with the latest trends and innovations.
By going to their websites, you're able to examine the qualifications of any professional Marlow bookkeeper on the register of ICB or AAT members. It is strongly advised to carry out this check, before hiring the services of any bookkeeper in Marlow.
Outsourced Bookkeeping Marlow
All businesses in Marlow should understand the significance of bookkeeping. It helps business people monitor the money left in their bank, the sum total of their liabilities and assets, their payables/receivables, and so forth. With the owner of the business having to deal with the issues and concerns of operating a business, the task of doing the bookkeeping is often outsourced to freelance bookkeepers or a bookkeeping company in Marlow.
If a company in Marlow hires a bookkeeper in order to become an employee, the company will have to spend a considerable sum of money in training that person for the purpose of carrying out the bookkeeping tasks. In addition to that, there is no guarantee that he or she will stay after the training is finished. In that case, the company will have squandered a considerable amount of money. Apart from that, companies will need to look for solutions to provide benefits and incentives to keep the employee in place. These are just some of the reasons why business organisations quite often enlist the services of professional bookkeepers and bookkeeping companies in Marlow.
With the advent of new technology there's no need for business owners to stick to a freelance bookkeeper who may continue with out-of-date accounting practices. Again, they aren't under pressure to hire and retain some in-house bookkeepers. Bookkeeping outsourcing is growing more common in the financial domain. You'll find many companies offering financial bookkeeping services catering to all kinds of industries and clients in Marlow. The majority of these companies promise and deliver high quality service. It is important for a business to look into the background of these Marlow bookkeeping companies when it comes to employing a 3rd party company for bookkeeping purposes.
Business owners in Marlow can look for the following options with the bookkeeping company that provides outsourcing services. Check and find out how much savings can be enjoyed by outsourcing the bookkeeping work. Seeing as the expenses relating to hiring and training the in-house staff is a significant concern, it would be sensible on the part of business owner in Marlow to look for an outsourcing company that can offer savings. Try to get first hand information regarding the methods and systems employed by the company involved in bookkeeping services. It's extremely important to get high quality accounting services and greater security for your financial data. By quality, one means precise, reliable, and real-time bookkeeping data delivered within the set time. In a nutshell, the company that offers bookkeeping services in Marlow should have a well protected system that can be relied on and trusted.
These professional bookkeeping companies in Marlow should be able to customise their bookkeeping services with that of the client company's existing bookkeeping system. They should be able to ask for assistance from these bookkeepers as and when they need the required support and backup.
Tax Returns
A self-assessment tax return may be required for self-employed people or those with small businesses in the United Kingdom. This can be a daunting task, especially if you are not acquainted with the process. A qualified bookkeeper can help you to keep your records organised and prepare your tax return accurately and on time.
To do your tax returns, using a bookkeeper can be beneficial in several ways. Expertise and experience will make certain that they complete your return correctly. This will help you avoid any problems with HMRC, such as interest charges or penalties. Secondly, the use of a bookkeeper can save you a lot of stress, time and hassle. All of the calculations and paperwork will be taken care of by them, so you can focus your attention on the running of your business. Third, valuable advice on tax planning can be provided by bookkeepers in Marlow. This can help to minimise your tax bill and maximise your earnings. (70193)
Marlow Bookkeeper Tasks
Most Marlow bookkeepers will be willing to provide you with the following services: double-entry bookkeeping, invoice processing, bookkeeping services for startups, cash flow analysis Marlow, payment services, personal tax returns, off-site bookkeeping services Marlow, letting agent bookkeeping, accounting and bookkeeping, cheap bookkeeping services in Marlow, charity bookkeeping Marlow, corporation tax returns Marlow, bookkeeping services for clubs, Self-Assessment tax returns, bookkeeping for freelancers, bookkeeping for organisations, company cash books Marlow, profit & loss reports Marlow, Quickbook bookkeeping services, bookkeeping for charities, mobile bookkeeping services Marlow, accounting and bookkeeping services, payroll bookkeeping, maintaining fixed asset registers Marlow, small business tax returns, accountancy packages, bookkeeping for pubs, credit control in Marlow, bookkeeping services for the self-employed in Marlow, small business bookkeeping, and more. These are just an example of the activities that are performed by local bookkeepers. Marlow companies will keep you informed about their whole range of services. If there happen to be other Marlow bookkeeper requirements that you want but can't see here, you can easily list them on the QUOTE FORM provided. We'll be in touch with details as soon as we can.
Bookkeepers Near Marlow
Also find: Booker bookkeepers, Medmenham bookkeepers, Wooburn Green bookkeepers, Lower Woodend bookkeepers, Rotten Row bookkeepers, Little Marlow bookkeepers, Bisham bookkeepers, Hurley Bottom bookkeepers, Taplow bookkeepers, Hurley bookkeepers, Rosehill bookkeepers and more. Near to pretty much all of these places, there are individuals offering bookkeeping services. This level of accessibility makes it straightforward for individuals and businesses to secure the financial help necessary for managing their accounts successfully. Residents and businesses in the area can get quotations for bookkeeping projects by clicking here.
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