Digital Tax Service · Guidance

Contractor accountant

Last updated: Maintained by the Digital Tax Service editorial team
A fixed-fee contractor accountant handling limited company accounts and payroll, in navy and gold

What we do for contractors

If you contract through your own limited company (a personal service company), we handle the recurring statutory and tax work so you can focus on the contract:

  • Annual accounts prepared and filed at Companies House
  • Corporation Tax return (CT600) filed with HMRC
  • Director payroll set up on a tax-efficient salary
  • Salary vs dividends planning so you take profit the cheapest legal way
  • VAT returns if you’re registered (including the Flat Rate Scheme)
  • Your Self Assessment covering salary, dividends and any other income
  • Dealing with HMRC and Companies House as your authorised agent

Fixed fees — no monthly subscription

ServiceFixed fee
Year-end accounts + Corporation Tax return (micro-entity)£399 + VAT
Director Self Assessment (SA100)£199 + VAT
Dormant company accounts (between contracts)£80 + VAT

Payroll and VAT are quoted to fit how you work. Because our fees are one-off per filing, you don’t pay a monthly retainer during a gap between contracts.

Paying yourself tax-efficiently

The big win for most contractors is taking a small salary plus dividends rather than a full salary. A modest salary keeps your State Pension record intact and is deductible for the company; the rest comes out as dividends from post-tax profit, which carry lower tax rates and no National Insurance. We work out the optimal split for your profit level and other income — and file everything to match.

IR35 — where we fit

IR35 (the off-payroll rules) decides whether a contract is treated like employment for tax. We make sure your accounts, payroll and Self Assessment correctly reflect your status, and we’ll explain what it means for your take-home. We don’t issue formal contract-by-contract status assessments — that’s a specialist review — but we handle all the accounting that flows from your position.

Our full accountant service

New to contracting? We’ll set you up

Moving from an umbrella company or employment to your own limited company? We form the company, register it for Corporation Tax, set up PAYE and VAT where needed, and get you filing correctly from the first contract. Call 0114 327 1480 or email shjenquiry@msc-g.com.

Company formation support

Frequently asked questions

Related