Bookkeeping services in Manchester
Manchester has a large digital, creative and media scene, together with logistics, professional services and a very busy hospitality and retail economy across the city centre and surrounding districts.
- Flat £15 an hour
- No contract
- Qualified UK team
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Bookkeeping in Manchester
Your price
4.5 hours at £15
£67.50
Set-up fee£0
ContractNone
Regulated firm
Qualified team
Qualified team
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The short answer
How much does bookkeeping cost in Manchester?
Bookkeeping costs a flat £15 an hour in Manchester, with no contract and no set-up fee. A typical independent gift shop (about 150 transactions a month) needs about 7.5 hours a month, around £112.50. We work online with businesses across North West, backed by Accotax, an ICAEW regulated firm.
24,550
businesses in Manchester, 2026
87%
employ fewer than ten people (UK 89%)
42
businesses per 1,000 residents (UK 40)
£15
an hour, the same price in every area
Source: ONS UK Business Counts 2026 and ONS mid-2025 population estimates, via Nomis. Counts are rounded by the ONS and cover the Manchester area. Micro businesses are the core of what we do. Nomis
What the Manchester mix means for your books.
Built from the local figures above, not copied from another town.
Wholesale and retail trade
Retail and wholesale firms make up 20% of enterprises in Manchester. Till and payout reconciliation, stock and margin by product line, and mixed-rate VAT are the main jobs, whether the sales are in a shop or on a marketplace.
Bookkeeping for retail shopsBookkeeping for e-commerce sellers
Professional, scientific and technical
Professional, scientific and technical firms are 18% of businesses in Manchester (about 4,440 enterprises). Consultants and practices here need profit by client, clean director's loan accounts and prompt invoicing more than anything else.
Bookkeeping for consultants and agenciesBookkeeping for it contractors and freelancers
Accommodation and food service
Accommodation and food businesses make up 8.3% of enterprises in Manchester. Daily takings, tips law, mixed VAT rates and food and wage cost percentages are where bookkeeping makes or loses margin in hospitality.
Bookkeeping for restaurants and cafesBookkeeping for pubs and bars
A typical month in Manchester.
Take a independent gift shop handling about 150 transactions a month. This is what the hours look like, and what they cost at £15 an hour.
- Core bookkeeping (101 - 250)6h
- Limited company extras0.5h
- VAT-ready books (MTD)0.5h
- Payroll journals0.5h
Each month, 7.5 hours
£112.50
Sectors we see most in Manchester.
Each one has its own records, VAT quirks and deadlines.
- Retail shopsTill reconciliation, stock and retail VAT schemes for independent shops.
- E-commerce sellersMarketplace payouts, fees, stock and VAT for Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Shopify sellers.
- Market traders and street foodCash, stock, pitch fees and events for market stalls and street food traders.
- Consultants and agenciesRetainers, time-based billing and subcontractor costs for consultancies and agencies.
- IT contractors and freelancersLimited company books, IR35 evidence and flat rate VAT for contractors.
- Photographers and creativesDeposits, licensing, equipment and varied clients for photographers, designers and makers.
Rules for businesses in England
The main business taxes in England are administered by HMRC, with company filings at Companies House. Business rates are set and collected by your local council, which is an expense we record against the right property and period.
Services for Manchester firms.
- Monthly bookkeepingEvery transaction coded, every account reconciled, every month.
- VAT-ready bookkeepingMaking Tax Digital compatible books, so every VAT return is calm.
- Bank reconciliationEvery penny matched to the statement, with exceptions explained.
- Receipt and expense captureReceipts captured digitally, coded and stored for the HMRC retention period.
- Making Tax Digital for Income TaxDigital records and quarterly update figures for sole traders and landlords.
- Management reports and cash flowMonthly profit, cash and KPI reports you can actually use.
Manchester questions.
How many businesses are there in Manchester?
Manchester had about 24,550 VAT and/or PAYE-registered businesses in 2026, according to the ONS UK Business Counts. About 87% of them employ fewer than ten people. Manchester has a large digital, creative and media scene, together with logistics, professional services and a very busy hospitality and retail economy across the city centre and surrounding districts.
Do I need a bookkeeper based in Manchester?
No. Bookkeeping is done online using cloud accounting software, so you get the same service wherever you are in England. Our parent firm Accotax is an ICAEW regulated practice based in Morden, London.
How much does bookkeeping cost in Manchester?
Bookkeeping costs a flat £15 an hour in Manchester, the same as everywhere else. For example, a independent gift shop (about 150 transactions a month) typically needs about 7.5 hours, or £112.50 a month.
Which bookkeeping services do Manchester businesses use most?
Manchester has many wholesale and retail trade businesses, so monthly bookkeeping is a common starting point, usually alongside VAT-ready books and bank reconciliation.
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
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