Bookkeeping for consultants and agencies
Agencies and consultancies sell time and expertise. The books have to show profit by client and project, and cash flow depends on invoices going out and being paid on time.
- Flat £15 an hour
- No contract
- Qualified UK team
- Pay online in minutes
Bookkeeping for consultants and agencies
Your price
4.5 hours at £15
£67.50
Set-up fee£0
ContractNone
Regulated firm
Qualified team
Qualified team
Certified advisor
ProAdvisor- FreeAgentSupported software
- 4.9 out of 5300+ Google reviews
The short answer
What does bookkeeping for consultants and agencies involve?
Bookkeeping for consultants and agencies means keeping time sheets and project budgets, client invoices and retainers, subcontractor invoices and the rest of your records accurate and reconciled. At £15 an hour, a typical six-person agency (about 150 transactions a month) needs about 7.5 hours a month, which is around £112.50.
What makes these books different.
Every sector has its own records and rules. These are the ones that matter for consultants and agencies.
Profit by client
Tracking income and direct costs by client shows who is profitable and who is not.
Retainers and work in progress
Money billed in advance or time worked but not yet billed both affect when income is recognised.
Subcontractors
Freelancers and partner agencies need correct payment records and, where relevant, their own invoices on file.
Overseas clients
Business-to-business services to non-UK clients are generally outside the scope of UK VAT, with their own invoice requirements.
£15
an hour, flat
£112.50
a month for a typical six-person agency
7.5h
of bookkeeping a month, about 150 transactions a month
0
contract, stop whenever you like
Records we keep for you.
- Time sheets and project budgets
- Client invoices and retainers
- Subcontractor invoices
- Software and tool subscriptions
- Travel and entertainment
- Foreign currency receipts
Rules worth knowing.
Late payment
Business customers can be charged statutory late payment interest and fixed compensation, so a clear process pays for itself.
Working with freelancers
Engagements should be assessed for employment status to avoid unexpected tax and National Insurance exposure.
VAT place of supply
The general rule for business-to-business services is that VAT follows the customer's location.
General information, not tax advice. Rules change, so check GOV.UK or ask your accountant. Last reviewed November 2026.
A typical month.
A six-person agency with about 150 transactions a month, VAT registered, running payroll. Here is the time it takes and what it costs.
- Core bookkeeping (101 - 250)6h
- Limited company extras0.5h
- VAT-ready books (MTD)0.5h
- Payroll journals0.5h
Each month
£112.50
Where this sector is most common.
Using ONS business counts for 2026, mining, oil and gas is the biggest share of local businesses in these places. We serve all of them online.
- Aberdeen30% of local businesses, 1.7 times the UK share, about 2,310 firms
- Kensington and Chelsea28% of local businesses, 1.6 times the UK share, about 3,555 firms
- Cambridge27% of local businesses, 1.5 times the UK share, about 1,355 firms
- Cheltenham24% of local businesses, 1.4 times the UK share, about 1,280 firms
- Edinburgh24% of local businesses, 1.4 times the UK share, about 4,445 firms
- Oxford24% of local businesses, 1.3 times the UK share, about 1,160 firms
Clients say it better than we do.
4.9300+ Google reviews of Accotax
“He took the time to explain every step of the process and made a complex situation much easier to understand.”
Hugo Alvarez
Google review of Accotax
“They take the time to understand how our business works and what our needs are.”
Mael Leboucher
Google review of Accotax
“Very prompt in responding to questions and patient with us even when we seem to be slow.”
Mansur Liman
Google review of Accotax
“The work was completed promptly, my tax return was successfully filed.”
Sergey M
Google review of Accotax
consultants and agencies: your questions.
Can you report profit by client?
Yes. We code income and direct costs to client or project, so your monthly pack shows profitability per account.
Related sectors.
- Doctors, dentists and healthcare professionalsLocum and practice income, pensions and professional costs for healthcare professionals.
- IT contractors and freelancersLimited company books, IR35 evidence and flat rate VAT for contractors.
- Coaches and tutorsCourse income, platform fees and VAT questions for coaches, trainers and tutors.
Not sure where your books stand?
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