Bookkeeping services in Portsmouth
Portsmouth has a naval base and defence supply chain, marine engineering, ferry and tourism businesses, and a large number of small traders.
- Flat £15 an hour
- No contract
- Qualified UK team
- Pay online in minutes
Bookkeeping in Portsmouth
Your price
4 hours at £15
£60
Set-up fee£0
ContractNone
Regulated firm
Qualified team
Qualified team
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The short answer
How much does bookkeeping cost in Portsmouth?
Bookkeeping costs a flat £15 an hour in Portsmouth, with no contract and no set-up fee. A typical cleaning firm with eight staff (about 120 transactions a month) needs about 7 hours a month, around £105. We work online with businesses across South East, backed by Accotax, an ICAEW regulated firm.
6,095
businesses in Portsmouth, 2026
88%
employ fewer than ten people (UK 89%)
29
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 Portsmouth area. Micro businesses are the core of what we do. Nomis
What the Portsmouth mix means for your books.
Built from the local figures above, not copied from another town.
Water supply and waste
Water, waste and recycling businesses are 0.5% of enterprises in Portsmouth. Weighbridge tickets, vehicle costs and contract invoicing are the records we keep tidiest. That is 1.6 times the UK-wide share.
Construction
Construction is 22% of businesses in Portsmouth (about 1,295 enterprises). That means CIS deductions, retentions and the VAT domestic reverse charge are daily realities here, and each needs to be recorded correctly to avoid cash flow and VAT errors. That is 1.5 times the UK-wide share.
Bookkeeping for construction and tradesBookkeeping for property developers
Wholesale and retail trade
Retail and wholesale firms make up 14% of enterprises in Portsmouth. 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 12% of businesses in Portsmouth (about 745 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
A typical month in Portsmouth.
Take a cleaning firm with eight staff handling about 120 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
- Payroll journals0.5h
Each month, 7 hours
£105
Sectors we see most in Portsmouth.
Each one has its own records, VAT quirks and deadlines.
- Cleaning companiesRecurring contracts, supplies, subcontractors and payroll for cleaning businesses.
- Construction and tradesCIS deductions, reverse-charge VAT and job costing for builders and tradespeople.
- Property developersProject costing, development finance and CIS for developers and renovators.
- 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.
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 Portsmouth firms.
- Monthly bookkeepingEvery transaction coded, every account reconciled, every month.
- Payroll bookkeepingPayroll journals posted and your PAYE liability reconciled every month.
- Invoicing and credit controlInvoices sent on time and late payers chased politely and persistently.
- CIS bookkeepingCIS deductions tracked for contractors and subcontractors in construction.
- VAT-ready bookkeepingMaking Tax Digital compatible books, so every VAT return is calm.
- Management reports and cash flowMonthly profit, cash and KPI reports you can actually use.
Portsmouth questions.
How many businesses are there in Portsmouth?
Portsmouth had about 6,095 VAT and/or PAYE-registered businesses in 2026, according to the ONS UK Business Counts. About 88% of them employ fewer than ten people. Portsmouth has a naval base and defence supply chain, marine engineering, ferry and tourism businesses, and a large number of small traders.
Do I need a bookkeeper based in Portsmouth?
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 Portsmouth?
Bookkeeping costs a flat £15 an hour in Portsmouth, the same as everywhere else. For example, a cleaning firm with eight staff (about 120 transactions a month) typically needs about 7 hours, or £105 a month.
Which bookkeeping services do Portsmouth businesses use most?
Portsmouth has many water supply and waste 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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