Accountants in Bath: tax and accountancy advice from our Weston-super-Mare team
Looking for accountants in Bath who explain things clearly and get back to you quickly? Phinch is based in Weston-super-Mare, about 30 minutes away, and we work with limited companies, directors, sole traders, partnerships, landlords and private clients across the city. Bath businesses deal with things other places do not. Hotels and cafes have busy summers and quiet winters, plus VAT rules that shift depending on what they sell. Independent shops face business rates that catch new owners out. Creative studios and University of Bath spinouts often grow from freelance to limited company faster than their bookkeeping can keep up. We sort out your bookkeeping so you can see how the month actually went, file your VAT returns correctly under Making Tax Digital, run payroll, and get your annual accounts and corporation tax done on time.
Good tax advice is not just about filing on time. It is about knowing what is coming before it arrives. We help directors get the balance right between salary and dividends, work with property investors on rental income and capital gains tax, and sort out Self Assessment for people with money coming in from several places at once. We help a lot of landlords, including in Bath. Between the student market around Oldfield Park and Widcombe and the number of listed buildings in the city, working out whether a job counts as a repair or an improvement is rarely simple, and it changes what you can claim. For longer term questions, our UK tax planning team can map out your options, whether that is taking value out of a business or reducing your exposure before a sale.
I am a business
No two Bath businesses are the same. A city centre cafe and a University of Bath spinout need very different things from an accountant. We take the time to understand yours properly, wherever we are sitting, so the advice you get is actually worth acting on.
I am an individual
Most people treat income tax as something to get through. But if you are a landlord, a director, or earning from more than one place, a bit of planning early on usually saves more than it costs. We work with Bath individuals by video and through our secure client app.
How we work with Bath clients, plus Making Tax Digital and US tax
We do not have an office in Bath. Our office is in Weston-super-Mare, and most of what we do for Bath clients happens over video call with documents shared through our secure client app. You get a named contact who knows your situation, replies within a working day, and flags things early rather than waiting for a deadline. Your fee is fixed and agreed up front, so you are never charged for picking up the phone. If you would rather sit down with us, we can arrange that too. People who switch to us usually say the same two things about their old accountant: they could never get hold of them, and they only heard from them when something was due. We work the other way round.
If you are a sole trader or landlord earning over £50,000, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax already applies to you. It started on 6 April 2026 and means digital records plus four updates a year instead of one return. The threshold drops to £30,000 in 2027 and £20,000 in 2028, so most people will be caught within three years. We can get your records onto compatible software and handle the submissions. We also offer something not many firms in the South West do, which is US tax returns alongside your UK return. If you are a US citizen or green card holder living in Bath, you still have to file with the IRS, and you may need to report foreign accounts under FBAR rules. We cover worldwide income, foreign tax credits and the UK/US Double Tax Treaty, and we help people moving to the UK get the timing right before they arrive. We can work with you anywhere in Bath and the villages around it, including Widcombe, Oldfield Park, Larkhall, Combe Down, Twerton and Bathwick, and we also look after clients in Bristol and the Mendips.
Our Expertise - Core services
Financial Statements
Accurate financial statements and statutory accounts, prepared on time to meet Companies House and HMRC rules and clarify business performance.
Corporate Tax Compliance
Stay ahead of deadlines with accurate corporation tax returns, CT600 calculations, relief claims and compliant filing with HMRC.
Management Accounts
Turn current financial data into better decisions with tailored management accounts, cash flow insights, KPIs and monthly or quarterly reviews.
UK Self-Assessment
Stress-free UK Self Assessment support for the self-employed, directors, landlords and people with multiple incomes, filed accurately and on time.
US Tax Returns
Specialist US tax return and FBAR support for American expats and UK investors, covering worldwide income, foreign tax credits and treaty advice.
UK Personal Tax Advice
Personalised UK tax planning to minimise liabilities, maximise savings and support tax-efficient investment, retirement and estate decisions.
VAT Compliance
Keep VAT accurate and compliant with expert registration, return filing, Making Tax Digital, cross-border advice and HMRC investigation support.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Our office is in Weston-super-Mare, about 30 minutes from Bath. Our accountants work with Bath clients by video call and through our secure client app, which is where documents, questions and approvals live. If you would rather meet in person, we can arrange that.
Almost none of this work needs you and your accountant in the same room.
Records are shared securely online. Meetings happen over video. And under Making Tax Digital, filings have to be digital anyway.
What matters far more is whether your accountant replies when you need them, understands your situation, and offers the services you actually use. We are 30 minutes away and we work with clients right across Bath. Most people find they would rather not give up a morning to the park and ride.
It depends on what the work did. Putting something back to the condition it was in is usually a repair, and you can claim it against rental income in the year you paid for it. Making the property better than it was, or adding something new, is usually an improvement, and that goes against capital gains tax when you sell instead.
With listed buildings in Bath the line gets blurry fast. Like-for-like sash windows are normally a repair. Replacing them with something better is not. We look at each job on what it did, not on what the invoice says, so you claim what you are entitled to without a problem later.
The VAT registration threshold for 2026/27 is £90,000 of taxable turnover in any rolling 12 month period. That is not your financial year. Check it at the end of every month, looking back over the last twelve. Hospitality businesses in Bath often cross it over a busy summer without noticing.
If you go over it, you have 30 days from the end of that month to tell HMRC. Zero rated sales count towards the threshold. Exempt sales do not. You can also register voluntarily below £90,000, which is sometimes worth doing if your customers are VAT registered themselves.
More detail here: VAT accounting for small businesses and VAT compliance services.
It depends on how your business is set up and how much help you need through the year. A sole trader who just needs a Self Assessment return will pay a lot less than a limited company that needs bookkeeping, VAT, payroll and year end accounts.
At Phinch we agree a fixed fee before any work starts. There are no hourly surprises, and we do not charge you for asking a quick question. Get in touch for a quote based on your actual setup.
Yes, and it is easier than most people think.
You tell your current accountant you are leaving. Your new firm then writes to them asking for professional clearance and your records. This is normal practice and they are expected to cooperate.
You can switch at any point in the year, though just after your year end filing is usually cleanest. Check your engagement letter for a notice period first, and make sure nothing is halfway through being submitted. Most handovers finish within two to four weeks.
If your gross income from self employment or property was over £50,000 in the 2024/25 tax year, then yes. It started on 6 April 2026.
You need to keep digital records and send HMRC four updates a year, plus a final declaration.
The threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028.
HMRC worked out who was in the first group from 2024/25 Self Assessment returns and wrote to them. But it is still your responsibility to check whether it applies to you. Limited companies are not affected and carry on under corporation tax rules.
Testimonials
What our clients say about us
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If you want to contact us right now, please call us on
01934 404000
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