Accountancy Healthchecks - why it's a good idea to get checked out

When you’re running a business, it’s easy to get caught up in it and only see how things are through your own rose-tinted glasses. You might think you’re on the right track to growth, but there could be things you’re missing out on.

This is where an Accountancy Healthcheck comes in. An accountant will take a really good look at your business and bookkeeping, identify any efficiencies and improvements you’re not taking advantage of, and, ultimately, save you some money. Because they’re independent of you and your business, their advice will be in the interest of your business.

Why is an Accountancy Healthcheck a good idea?

Tax can be quite complicated and you might not always be aware of the ways in which you can save money by claiming for the correct things.

For example, if you work from home, you might not be entirely sure about how much you can claim for stationery or equipment, or perhaps you weren’t aware that you might even be able to claim for the use of your home as an office.

An Accountancy Healthcheck will give an accountant the chance to find out what your future plans are and how they can help you achieve them. If you’re aiming to take on employees, they can advise you on the best processes for doing so, or perhaps they’ll realise you’ve not been paying yourself effectively and suggest measures that keep you tax-efficient. They can be a vital part of growing your business because their recommendations will be money-savvy and compliant.

What happens at an Accountancy Healthcheck?

At Crunch, our service comprises an in-depth phone call between yourself and one of our expert, qualified accountants. It’s usually about 45 minutes long and can happen at your convenience. The great thing about online accountancy is that it’s always accessible, which makes the process flexible enough to work no matter your situation.

Once you’ve had your consultation, your accountant will prepare a report which will have a selection of recommendations for you. The suggestions in the report will be in a traffic light format, making it clear what we think you’ll need to prioritise.

What will the accountant look at during an Accountancy Healthcheck?

With a Crunch Accountancy Healthcheck your accountant will look at:

• Key accounting ratios, such as profits margins, return on capital, liquidity, and others
• The efficiency of how you collect your income and pay for your expenses
• Any of your major purchases and their tax
• Material balances in the accounts
• The implications of taking on more directors, shareholders and raising funds to grow your business
• Your VAT registration details and if you’re on the right scheme – are you claiming back what you’re entitled in VAT?
• Using your director’s loan account correctly and any possible implications for your tax liabilities
• Expenses – what you are currently claiming for and what you can be
• Bespoke advice on more complex expenses such as running a company vehicle or expenses when working from home
• Tax plans you’re not taking advantage of – for instance the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) and Research and Development tax breaks
• Assess any risks, such as whether you’re at risk of an IR35 investigation
• Auto-enrolment pensions and whether you’re compliant with government rules
• Looking at your future plans and how this will affect your business
• Access to our specialist financial services providers should you need them

A full check-up like this will give you some sound knowledge of your business and what you could be achieving, leaving you confident and assured about the future.

How Crunch can help

Our expert, chartered certified accountants can provide your business with an Accountancy Healthcheck. Clients on our Basic accountancy package can add a Healtcheck to their service, and our Plus and Small Business clients receive a yearly Healtcheck as standard – one for Plus, and two for Small Business.

Our Small Business package features a dedicated, named client manager, who’ll get to know your business and offer advice. They could – quite literally – save you thousands of pounds in tax, as one of our clients at CMPLY discovered:

“I recently upgraded to the small business package, I [was asked] to send on details of a recent lease agreement for tax and payment information. I did not request analysis as I had already entered into the agreement, but I received an email from my account manager, advising, by looking at my pattern of income and projections, a change from a business lease to a personal one, if it was possible to do so. Fortunately this was within the cooling off period (last day) and I could change. This single piece of advice has saved close to £10,000 a year for the next three years.”

If you’d like to discuss upgrading your account from Basic/Plus to Plus/Small Business, talk to our friendly advisor Charlie Arnell. You can get in touch by email, at value@crunch.co.uk, or phone, on 0333 311 0776.

Need more IR35 advice?

If you’re looking for more support and advice on IR35, check out our IR35 hub. From here, you can read all of our IR35 Knowledge articles, download our jargon-free business guide, and learn more about our IR35 service.

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