Accountants for sole traders and the self-employed.
Your tax return, your records and the digital tax rules, with an honest answer about how much help you need.
GS Associates works with sole traders and self-employed people across Staffordshire: tradespeople, drivers, consultants, shop owners and freelancers. From our Uttoxeter office we do your Self Assessment return, keep the books if you want us to, and help you get ready for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax if it applies to you. Fixed fees agreed upfront, and an honest answer about whether you need us yet.
If you work for yourself
The questions we
can help with.
The same three questions come up again and again when Gayle talks to self-employed people. None of them is about being bad with money; usually nobody has explained the rules.
- Nothing put aside for the tax bill
- Turnover is not profit, and profit is not what you keep. We tell you what to set aside as you go, so January isn't a shock.
- The receipts in a bag until January
- Expenses get forgotten, and if Making Tax Digital applies to you, HMRC expects records kept during the year. A simple monthly routine deals with both.
- An HMRC letter you don't understand
- Send it to us. We'll explain what it asks for and help you decide what to do next.
As much or as little as you need
What we do
for you.
Start with just the tax return, or hand over the lot. You can add bookkeeping or VAT later as the business grows; the fee is agreed each time.
- Self Assessment
- Your return prepared, checked with you and filed before 31 January, with the tax and payment dates explained.Self Assessment tax returns
- Bookkeeping and software
- Monthly records in FreeAgent, Sage, Xero or QuickBooks, with receipts captured on your phone.Bookkeeping
- VAT and Making Tax Digital
- VAT returns if you're registered, and setting you up for MTD for Income Tax when it applies.VAT & MTD
Sole traders
Your questions,
answered.
Do I need an accountant as a sole trader?
Not by law. Plenty of people file their own return. Professional help is worth it when the time it takes, the worry about getting it wrong, or the tax you might be overpaying costs more than the fee. If you're not sure, tell us about your business and we'll give you a straight answer.
What does it cost for a sole trader?
A fixed fee agreed upfront, based on how tidy your records are, whether you're VAT registered and whether you need bookkeeping through the year or just the return. If your affairs are simple enough to handle yourself, we'll say so.
How our fees work
Does Making Tax Digital apply to me?
If your self-employment and property income together, before expenses, were over £50,000 in 2024–25, it applies from April 2026; over £30,000 in 2025–26, from April 2027; over £20,000 in 2026–27, from April 2028. Exemptions can apply. Use the threshold check in our guide, then ask us to confirm it for your figures.
Check whether MTD applies to you
What can I claim as expenses?
Costs that are wholly and exclusively for the business: materials, tools, mileage or vehicle costs, a proportion of working from home, insurance, phone, software, and so on. What people get wrong is claiming personal costs, or missing legitimate ones. We go through it with you the first year, and it becomes routine.
GOV.UK: expenses if you're self-employed
Should I set up a limited company instead?
Sometimes, and sometimes not. It depends on profit, risk and how you want to pay yourself. We'll go through the numbers honestly, and if staying a sole trader is the better answer we'll say so.
Company formation, and whether it suits you
Working for yourself and want a straight answer?
Tell us what you do and how your records look. We'll tell you honestly what you need, and what it would cost.
