Burnard Accountants

Fixed-fee accountancy from Newcastle upon Tyne

Burnard Ltd trades as Burnard Accountants and works from Newcastle upon Tyne, though it says it takes on clients across the whole United Kingdom rather than only locally. Its work is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses and at self-employed people, and it describes its pricing as fixed-fee, with services that can be adjusted to what each client actually needs.

The range of services

The firm lists a broad set of everyday accountancy tasks. Accounts preparation covers the year-end figures a business must produce, while self assessment deals with the personal tax returns of sole traders and other individuals. VAT services, bookkeeping and payroll cover the routine records and filings that recur through the year. For people starting out, a company start-up service helps set up a new limited company, and company secretarial work looks after the administrative duties that come with running one. The site presents all of this as a complete range for large and small businesses alike, including self-employed sole traders, with an accounts package chosen to fit each case.

Working with Xero

Burnard describes itself as a certified Xero partner and offers what it calls Xero digital accounts. The idea is that a client's books move into a managed Xero package, which the firm argues is easier and cheaper to run than paper or spreadsheet records, and which fits the move towards digital tax reporting. It also provides training so that clients can manage their new digital accounts themselves, which leaves them more time for running the business.

A personal approach

The firm says its personal approach to each client is what sets it apart from other accountancy practices. It states that it spends time learning how a business really works before offering strategies and advice for improving things. On-site visits are available too, and it presents these as useful where first-hand advice on business improvements will help the finances run more smoothly afterwards. Clients who have a question about any accounting matter are invited to ask, whether or not it falls within one of the listed services.