Accountants in the Mendips: farms, holiday lets and family firms
Looking for accountants in the Mendips who understand farms, holiday lets and family businesses? Phinch is based in Weston-super-Mare, on the western edge of the hills, which puts us about 15 minutes from Cheddar, 35 from Wells and 45 from Frome. Businesses across the Mendips rarely do just one thing. A farm with a shop and a holiday let, a cheese or cider maker who also does events, a trades business run from a village, an independent in Glastonbury or Frome. Each has its own mix of seasonal income, equipment costs and staffing decisions. We keep bookkeeping organised, complete VAT returns, run payroll, prepare annual accounts and file corporation tax returns, helping you see past the seasonal ups and downs to how each part of the business is actually doing.
Tax questions in the Mendips often involve several parts of the same family's finances. A director may also own commercial property, run a holiday let or receive income from land. We advise property investors on rental profits and capital gains, prepare Self Assessment returns for people with mixed income, and help work out what counts as a repair and what counts as an improvement on rural and period properties. Family businesses also benefit from planning well before a succession or a sale, especially with the inheritance tax rules for farms and family firms changing. Our UK tax planning team looks at the business, the property and the personal position together rather than treating each decision on its own.
I am a business
Mendip businesses are rarely one thing. A farm with a shop and a holiday let, a cheese maker who also does events, a trades business run from a village. We help you see how each part performs, and we are close enough to come and see it.
I am an individual
Holiday let owners working out what changed in April 2025, families thinking about passing on a farm or business, directors who also own land. These questions overlap, and we look at them together. We work with Mendip individuals by video, in person, or both.
How we work with Mendip clients from Weston-super-Mare
We do not have an office in the Mendips, but our Weston-super-Mare office sits right on the edge of the hills, so most Mendip clients are 15 to 45 minutes away. That means we can meet in person when a succession, a sale or a wider family discussion benefits from sitting down together, and use video calls and our secure client app for everything else. Every client has a named contact who knows the background, replies within one working day and spots upcoming issues before they get expensive. Fees are fixed at the start, with no extra charge for asking a question.
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies just as much to rural landlords and sole traders as it does to businesses in a city. Those with qualifying income above £50,000 have needed digital records and quarterly updates since 6 April 2026, and the threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028. We can move paper records or spreadsheets onto compatible software without making it more complicated than it needs to be. We also offer US tax returns alongside UK tax work for American citizens and green card holders living in rural Somerset, covering worldwide income, foreign tax credits, FBAR reporting and the UK/US Double Tax Treaty, with advance advice for people moving to the UK. We can work with you anywhere across the Mendips, including Wells, Cheddar, Axbridge, Shepton Mallet, Frome and Glastonbury and the villages between them, and we also look after clients in Bath and Bridgwater.
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, on the western edge of the hills. Most Mendip clients are between 15 and 45 minutes away, so we can meet in person or by video, whichever suits. Documents, questions and approvals all go through our secure client app between meetings.
Yes, when it helps. Most ongoing work is handled by video and through the client app because it is quicker for everyone. For a succession plan, a sale or a wider family discussion, we are close enough to come to you.
Yes. We advise companies, partnerships and sole traders with diversified income, seasonal cash flow, equipment costs and family ownership to think about. The accounting setup can bring the farm, the shop, the lets and the contracting together while still showing how each part performs on its own.
The separate furnished holiday let tax rules were abolished from 6 April 2025. Holiday lets are now taxed like other rental property, which affects how finance costs are relieved, how capital allowances work and how profits are split between joint owners. If you run a holiday let in the Mendips and have not had the numbers looked at since the change, it is worth doing before your next return.
They might. The reliefs that have long kept farms and family businesses out of inheritance tax are changing from April 2026, with new limits on how much qualifies for full relief. Whether it affects you depends on the value of the business, the land and how it is owned. Early planning can compare a sale, a gift, a gradual handover or continued family ownership while there is still time to prepare. We work alongside your solicitor and financial adviser where needed.
It depends on how you are set up and how much help you need. A sole trader with a Self Assessment return will pay a lot less than a diversified farm business with payroll, VAT, several income streams and year end accounts. We agree a fixed fee before any work starts, with no hourly surprises. Get in touch for a quote.
If your qualifying income brings you into the regime, the records have to be kept digitally and quarterly updates submitted through compatible software. We can move paper records or existing spreadsheets into a practical system and show you what needs capturing going forward.
Testimonials
What our clients say about us
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01934 404000
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