Freelancer accountants for London. Designers, devs, consultants & more.
Sole trader designer doing your first SA? Senior consultant earning £80K and wondering when to incorporate? Photographer / videographer juggling client work, course sales and Stripe payouts? We work with the full freelance spectrum — and we know when to stay sole trader, when to incorporate, and how to keep MTD ITSA from biting. Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm.
Whatever you freelance in, we get the workflow.
Most freelancers we work with span at least two disciplines. The accounting principles are the same — the platforms, contract structures and expense profiles differ.
Generalist firms treat you like a small business. You're not.
Sole trader vs Ltd Co decision. MTD ITSA from April 2026. Home office expenses. Multi-stream income. International client invoicing. Four problems below show up in nearly every freelancer onboarding from a generalist firm.
"I think I should incorporate but nobody's actually shown me the numbers."
The sole trader vs Ltd Co decision should be a 30-minute spreadsheet exercise. Most generalist firms either default to sole trader (because it's easier for them) or reflexively recommend Ltd Co (because the fees are higher) without modelling your specific position. We model both options on a free 15-minute call — typical tipping point is around £40-50K of net profit but it depends on your dividend mix, pension goals and family circumstances.
"I'm earning £55K as a sole trader and someone said I now need MTD?"
Yes — from April 2026 every sole trader and landlord above £50,000 turnover must file quarterly digital submissions to HMRC under MTD for Income Tax. Annual self-assessment is no longer enough. £150/quarter (£600/year) for the quarterly service. At your scale incorporating to a Ltd Co usually saves money AND removes MTD ITSA entirely.
"My old accountant claimed £312 'simplified home office' and that was it."
The HMRC simplified flat rate of £6/week (£312/year) is the lazy default. For most home-based freelancers in London, the actual proportional method delivers a much higher claim — typically £1,500-£3,000/year covering a percentage of rent or mortgage interest, council tax, utilities and internet. Plus you can claim software, equipment, professional subs, training, marketing and mileage. Most freelancers we onboard have been under-claiming by £1,500-£3,000/year.
"I have client work + course sales + a paid newsletter and they're all in different platforms."
Modern freelance careers layer multiple income streams: client invoices in Stripe / Wise, course sales in Gumroad / Teachable, paid newsletters in Substack, affiliate income, royalties. Each platform has different fees, different VAT treatment, different reporting. We integrate every income source into a single monthly P&L with stream-level reporting so you can see which channels actually pay.
Sole trader or Limited Company? The numbers usually tell you.
For most freelancers the tipping point is around £40-50K of net profit. Below that, sole trader is usually fine. Above it, incorporating typically saves several thousand pounds AND removes MTD ITSA. Here's the framework.
Above £50K profit, Limited Company usually wins on tax + admin + MTD removal.
As a sole trader you pay Income Tax (20%, 40% or 45%) and Class 4 National Insurance (currently 6% / 2%) on every pound of profit above the personal allowance. As a Limited Company director you can take a small salary (use up the personal allowance, get NIC credits) and the rest as dividends — taxed at 8.75% / 33.75% / 39.35% with no NIC.
The maths usually breaks in favour of incorporating once profit clears around £40-50K. Add to that: from April 2026, sole traders above £50K turnover must file quarterly under MTD ITSA (£600/yr). Limited Companies file Corporation Tax not Income Tax — MTD ITSA does not apply.
The other Ltd Co advantages: you can pay yourself flexibly across tax years, you can have the company contribute to your pension (deductible against profit), you can build retained earnings for a future house deposit or business investment, and you have a vehicle for Business Asset Disposal Relief at 14% if you ever sell. We model the specific numbers on a free 15-minute call.
Everything a freelancer needs. Tiered to your stage.
Click any service to read the dedicated page. All services delivered in-house by chartered accountants who specialise in independent professionals.
Self Assessment
Sole trader freelancers under £50K. Tier 2 most popular at £695/year with full expense optimisation.
View service →MTD for Income Tax
Mandatory from April 2026 for sole-trader freelancers above £50K turnover. £150/quarter quarterly service.
View service →Limited Company Formation
Incorporation when the numbers stack up. From £400 one-off including VAT and PAYE setup.
View service →Limited Co Accounts
Tier 1 (£1,200/yr) for solo director, Tier 2 (£2,200/yr) including director SA + payroll setup.
View service →Freelancer Bookkeeping
Stripe/PayPal/Wise integration, multi-stream income, multi-currency. From £125/month.
View service →Business Mentor
Free for every client. Pricing strategy, contract review, multi-stream growth, course launch advice.
View service →Find your service mix and fee. Five questions, one minute.
Answer five quick questions about your freelance setup. We'll show you the right service mix, an estimated fee, and flag whether MTD ITSA applies or whether incorporation makes sense at your level.
Your freelancer position
Based on your answers, here's the right setup.
The fees a freelancer actually pays. Standard, transparent.
Below is the typical service mix and standard fee. Quotes are issued in writing within 24 hours of the call — request one to see what discounts and seasonal offers are available in the current period.
Freelancer service fees
All prices exclude VAT. From the master service-fee schedule.
| Service | Description | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Self Assessment — Tier 1 (Standard) Employed + side-hustle, dividends, simple personal tax |
Income, expenses, allowances, HMRC submission | from £495/year |
| Self Assessment — Tier 2 (Self-Employed) Most popular for freelancers under £50K turnover |
Self-employment pages, capital allowances, expense optimisation | from £695/year |
| MTD for Income Tax — Quarterly Service Mandatory April 2026 for sole-trader freelancers above £50K |
4 quarterly digital submissions + year-end finalisation | £150/quarter (£600/yr) |
| Limited Company Formation When the numbers stack up — usually £40K+ profit |
Companies House filing, share structure, VAT and PAYE setup | from £400one-off |
| Limited Co — Tier 1 (Solo Director) Most popular post-incorporation |
Annual accounts, CT600, confirmation statement | from £1,200/year |
| Freelancer Bookkeeping (Light) Stripe/PayPal/Wise integration, multi-stream |
Bank reconciliation, income stream tracking, monthly reporting | from £125/month |
| VAT Registration + Returns Once turnover crosses £90K — or voluntary registration |
Registration (£195 one-off) + Standard quarterly VAT (£195/qtr) | from £195/quarter |
| Tax Planning Workshop Bespoke strategy — pension, structure, multi-year planning |
Diagnostic, team-built strategy, secure portal delivery | £1,200fixed |
What our freelance clients actually got back. Real numbers.
Three recent examples from a freelance designer, a senior consultant and a multi-stream content creator. Names changed, numbers real.
£2,400 of unclaimed expenses recovered on first SA
A freelance brand designer doing £42K of client work had been with a budget online firm for two years. Their SA had claimed only the £312 simplified home-office allowance and a token £200 for "software" — nothing else. We rebuilt the return claiming proper proportional home office (rent + utilities + internet, ~£1,400/yr), Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma subscriptions, an iPad Pro purchase, professional photography for portfolio, business mileage and 50% phone bill. Total additional expenses claimed: £2,400. Tax saving at 20% basic rate: £480 in year one, plus the same baseline going forward.
£7,200/yr saved by incorporating at the right moment
A senior management consultant doing £95K of profit as a sole trader was paying full income tax + Class 4 NIC and was about to be hit with MTD ITSA from April 2026. We modelled the limited company position — optimal salary plus dividends saved £7,200/year on the same profit. We handled the formation (£400 one-off), set up payroll, registered for VAT (voluntary, since most clients can recover), and onboarded onto Tier 1 accounts at £1,200/year. Net saving year one after fees: £5,400. Plus MTD ITSA no longer applied.
Stream-level P&L revealed the newsletter was paying better than client work
A freelance copywriter was juggling client work via Stripe (~£60K/yr), an online course via Gumroad (~£18K/yr), a paid Substack newsletter (~£12K/yr) and affiliate income (~£4K/yr). Her old accountant lumped it all together. We rebuilt with stream-level P&L: client work after fees and time investment was running at £45/hr effective; the newsletter at £180/hr (because the writing time was already happening for the audience). She rebalanced — fewer clients, more time on the newsletter and a second course. Within 12 months total income up 28% on the same hours.
Freelancer-specific quote, in writing within 24 hours.
Tell us your discipline, turnover, structure and stream mix. We'll send a written fixed-fee quote covering exactly the services you need — and any current discounts or offers in the period.
Frequently asked questions.
If your question isn't here, message us on WhatsApp or book a free 15-minute call.
Freelancer accountants in King's Cross, London.
Our office sits at 39-41 North Road, London N7 9DP — five minutes from Caledonian Road tube and ten from King's Cross St Pancras. We work with freelancers across Islington, Camden, Hackney, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, the City of London, Soho, Shoreditch, Hoxton and the wider London freelance community, plus a sizeable cohort of UK-wide and international clients working remotely.
Most engagements are delivered remotely via video call, secure portal and our client area — perfectly suited to the freelance work model. For freelancers who prefer to meet, the King's Cross office is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm.
London N7 9DP
10am to 7pm
Ready for a freelancer-specialist accountant?
Book a free 15-minute call. We'll quote your engagement in writing within 24 hours including any current discounts or seasonal offers. If LOYALS isn't the right fit we'll tell you that too.
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