Question 1

Is pricing different for London clients?

Accepted Answer

No. The same fixed monthly pricing applies across every Buzz office — no London premium and no different service tiers whether you are in Zone 1 or out past the M25. Fees are driven by the work: transaction volume, VAT registration and scheme, payroll headcount, number of entities and the state of the records. A Shoreditch agency and a Ballymena manufacturer with identical numbers pay the same. If you have been quoted a postcode-based fee elsewhere, it is worth asking what specifically about the work is more expensive rather than accepting the location as the explanation.

Question 2

Do I need to meet in person?

Accepted Answer

No. Most clients never visit an office — work runs by phone, video call and WhatsApp, and that is true whether you are in Islington or Inverness. If you would rather meet, our London office is at 16 Aylmer Parade, Aylmer Road, N2 0PE, and we will arrange it. The reason we do not push for face-to-face meetings is not cost saving: an hour on video with the file open on screen is generally more useful than an hour across a desk, and it is far easier to schedule when something is urgent.

Question 3

Do you understand London-specific costs like business rates and premises?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and they change the arithmetic materially. Rent and rates in London routinely make a fixed overhead base double what the same business would carry elsewhere, which raises break-even and shrinks the margin for error on pricing. Practical points that come up: small business rates relief and how it interacts with occupying more than one property, whether a lease premium or fit-out qualifies for capital allowances, and the cash impact of quarterly rent days against monthly income. These belong in a forecast rather than being discovered in the quarter they land.

Question 4

What sizes of business do you work with in London?

Accepted Answer

From sole traders and freelancers just starting out to growing SMEs with a handful of staff. The packages flex as you grow so you are not forced to switch accountant again at £500,000 of turnover. Being straight about the upper limit: once a business genuinely needs a full-time in-house finance function or a statutory audit, we are not the right answer — we do not carry out audits. Between those two points, which covers the vast majority of London owner-managed businesses, the service is built for you.

Question 5

A lot of my work is contracting through my own company. Do you handle IR35?

Accepted Answer

Yes. London has a heavy concentration of contract work in tech, finance and media, and IR35 is the question that decides your take-home. Status turns on the reality of the engagement — control, the right to substitute, mutuality of obligation, financial risk and how embedded you are in the client — not on what the contract says on its own. Medium and large private-sector clients and all public-sector bodies issue the determination, and you can challenge one you think is wrong. We review both the paperwork and the working practices. See the IR35 estimator.

Question 6

Can I switch from my current London accountant easily?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and you never have to make the awkward call. We write to your existing accountant for professional clearance and your records, take over the HMRC agent authorisation and set the software up while we wait. Most handovers complete within a couple of weeks and the delay is nearly always the other firm's reply. Check two things at your end: the notice period in your existing engagement letter, and whether work you have already paid for has actually been delivered. You can move at any point in the year, though just after a year end is tidiest.

Question 7

Which software do you support?

Accepted Answer

FreeAgent is included in every package at no extra cost, worth up to £330 a year. We are a Xero Gold Partner and also work in QuickBooks and Sage. You do not have to change: if your current setup works and the records are clean, we work in it. We suggest a move when the software is costing you time, will not do what Making Tax Digital requires, or is charging for a tier you have outgrown. See the software comparison before deciding.

Accountants in Hertford who do more than the basics

Our Hertford office

A county that earns in London and lives here

What local clients ask us most

You get Peter, not a call centre

A named accountant

A price agreed up front

Answers the same week

Everything a Hertfordshire business needs, in one place

Accounts and tax

Bookkeeping

Payroll and pensions

Buzz Business Pulse

Virtual Finance Team

Tax planning

Serving businesses across Hertfordshire

Common questions from Hertfordshire business owners

Do I have to come into the office?

I contract into London. Does that change anything?

What does it cost?

How hard is it to switch?

Based in Hertfordshire and looking for an accountant who does more than the basics?