C J Roberts & Partners Ltd

A Tyldesley accountancy practice for small businesses

C J Roberts & Partners Ltd is an ACCA chartered accountancy firm serving clients in Tyldesley, on the Manchester side of Greater Manchester. It describes itself as a long-established local company with an experienced, certified accountant at its head, and its stated purpose is to help small businesses succeed through expertise and knowledge. The firm says the client comes first and that it aims to give professional but friendly advice every time, whether the question is routine or unusual.

Accounts, payroll and tax returns

The everyday work is the production of company accounts each year, together with payroll, business advice and tax returns. Clients of the firm are businesses that want a single practice handling the annual accounts and the filings that follow. For tax it covers VAT returns and tax planning, which means advice on how a business arranges its affairs, in addition to the preparation of the returns themselves.

Dealing with HMRC and with in-house teams

A further strand is help with matters involving HMRC, where owners often want a professional to explain what is being asked and how to respond. The firm also supports businesses that keep their own bookkeeping staff. That includes assisting those staff when a company moves from one accounting or bookkeeping platform to another, so the change does not disrupt the books.

Software partnership

On its site the firm says it partners with QuickBooks, the online accounting software, which suits clients who prefer to keep their records in the cloud and share them with their accountant.

How the practice works with clients

The firm lists a few things it wants clients to know. Evening and weekend appointments are available, which helps owners who cannot leave a business during the working day. References are offered on request, and the manner it promises is personal and friendly rather than formal. It says it values client feedback and treats it as a way to improve the service. Its approach to a new client is to take time to understand the business first, so that accounting matters can be explained in plain terms.

Where it fits

The practice is aimed mainly at owner-managed companies and local organisations around Tyldesley and the wider Manchester area. It does not present itself as a large national firm; its pitch is a long-standing local relationship, in which the same accountant stays familiar with a client's accounts, tax position and plans from one year to the next.