Exeter Accountants for Regional Enterprises, Innovative Companies and Growing Organisations

Exeter has one of the South West’s most developed accountancy markets, serving sole traders, family businesses, farms, property organisations, hospitality operators, healthcare professionals, charities, technology companies and substantial regional employers.

The city’s position as Devon’s administrative and commercial centre gives local businesses access to a range of independent practices, multidisciplinary regional firms and internationally connected accountancy networks.

The appropriate accountant depends on more than the client’s size or legal structure.

A sole trader may primarily need help maintaining digital records, identifying allowable expenses and completing an accurate Self Assessment return. A limited company will normally have additional obligations involving statutory accounts, Corporation Tax, payroll, VAT and Companies House filings.

Company directors may also require advice concerning salaries, dividends, pension contributions, employee benefits and the amount of cash that should remain available within the business.

The balance visible in a company bank account does not necessarily represent money that can safely be withdrawn or spent.

Part of it may already be committed to VAT, Corporation Tax, payroll, suppliers, loan repayments or planned investment. Directors also need to distinguish the company’s money from their personal income.

Amounts withdrawn may represent salary, dividends, expenses, loans or the repayment of funds previously introduced into the business. Each category has different accounting and tax consequences.

As an organisation grows, annual accounts become only one part of the financial information its directors require.

Monthly or quarterly management accounts can help leadership understand current profitability, gross margins, customer debts, stock, overheads and future cash requirements.

A company can report an accounting profit while still experiencing cash-flow pressure. Customers may take several weeks to settle invoices, while employees, suppliers, lenders and tax authorities must be paid according to fixed timetables.

Growth can intensify that pressure where additional employees, equipment, materials or premises must be funded before the resulting income is received.

Exeter’s position within the wider Devon rural economy creates particular accounting requirements for farms, agricultural partnerships, landed estates and diversified rural businesses.

Agricultural accounts may need to reflect land, livestock, crops, machinery, partnerships and considerable variations in income between years.

Weather, commodity prices, input costs, funding arrangements and the timing of livestock or crop sales can all affect the reported result.

Many rural businesses now combine farming with renewable energy, contracting, property, holiday accommodation, events or commercial lets.

Separate management reporting can help owners determine which activities generate sustainable returns and which depend on financial support from elsewhere within the business.

Succession is often one of the most significant issues facing farming and family-owned enterprises.

The owners may need to decide who will manage the business, who will own the land and trading assets and how relatives who are not involved in day-to-day operations will be treated.

Available tax reliefs remain important, but the structure should first reflect the family’s commercial objectives and the financial needs of both the current and future generations.

Exeter’s visitor economy also creates specialist requirements for hotels, restaurants, attractions, holiday-accommodation providers and leisure businesses.

These organisations may experience significant seasonal variation.

Strong income during summer, school holidays and major events may need to support wages, rent, maintenance and other fixed costs throughout quieter periods.

Regular management information can help operators monitor occupancy, average customer spend, payroll, food and beverage margins and the amount of cash required to continue trading during the low season.

Businesses receiving bookings through online travel agents and other platforms should reconcile gross customer charges with commissions, refunds, payment fees and the net amounts deposited into their bank accounts.

Property and construction remain important parts of the Exeter economy.

Landlords, developers, residential management companies and contractors may require advice concerning ownership structures, VAT, capital allowances, service-charge reporting, the Construction Industry Scheme and taxes arising when land or buildings are acquired, developed or sold.

A decision to hold property personally, jointly, through a partnership or within a company can have long-term consequences.

Advice is generally more useful before contracts and finance arrangements are completed than after the transaction has become legally binding.

Construction businesses may also face cash-flow pressure caused by staged billing, retentions and the need to pay labour and materials before customer funds are received.

Management accounts should therefore distinguish reported profit from available cash and identify the amount tied up in work in progress or unpaid invoices.

Exeter and the wider region have growing technology, environmental, research and knowledge-based sectors.

Software, engineering and research-led companies may require assistance with financial forecasts, investment, employee incentives and research and development tax relief.

Eligibility for innovation-related relief should not be assumed merely because the company operates within software, engineering or science.

A qualifying claim must identify an advance in science or technology, explain the uncertainties encountered and connect eligible expenditure with the work undertaken.

Early-stage companies may also require support with the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, Enterprise Investment Scheme and employee share arrangements.

These contain detailed conditions affecting the company, its activities, shares and participants. Advice should be obtained before investment documents, share issues or option agreements are completed.

Healthcare is another important part of Exeter’s professional economy.

General practitioners, consultants, dentists, pharmacists and care organisations may require assistance with partnerships, NHS and private income, associates, pensions, premises and eventual succession or sale.

A medical partnership’s accounts must allocate income, expenses, drawings and capital correctly between the practice and its individual partners.

Healthcare clients may also benefit from financial planning that reflects professional income, pension arrangements, protection and retirement objectives.

Charities, academies, schools and not-for-profit organisations operate within reporting and governance frameworks that differ from those applying to ordinary commercial companies.

Their advisers may need to understand restricted funds, grants, reserves, trustee responsibilities and whether the organisation requires an independent examination or statutory audit.

Professional practices, including legal, architectural and consulting businesses, can have additional reporting requirements involving work in progress, staff utilisation, client funds and profitability by project or customer.

More established Exeter companies may require statutory audit, international tax, outsourced finance, business valuations, corporate finance, forensic accounting or restructuring support.

The seven firms in this guide represent different parts of Exeter’s accountancy market.

Griffin Chartered Accountants provides an accessible, technology-led service for startups and owner-managed businesses requiring accounts, outsourced finance, audit, tax and corporate-finance support.

Darnells combines more than 70 years of Devon experience with accounting, audit, healthcare, property, construction, hospitality, tax, probate and strategic planning.

Simpkins Edwards supports businesses, charities, farms, healthcare professionals and private clients through accounts, payroll, audit, tax, probate and corporate finance.

Westcotts maintains its head office in Exeter and provides a broad regional service covering accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance, insolvency, financial planning and specialist sectors.

Bishop Fleming supports owner-managed businesses, charities, educational organisations, public bodies and larger companies through accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance and strategic advisory teams.

PKF Francis Clark operates its flagship office in Exeter and provides substantial independent expertise across accounting, audit, tax, financial planning, corporate finance and international business.

Kirk Hills offers relationship-led accounting, audit, tax, payroll, bookkeeping and business advice for SMEs and individuals through a longstanding Exeter practice.

No accountant can responsibly guarantee a predetermined tax saving, funding decision or commercial outcome without understanding the client’s complete circumstances.

Legitimate planning should reflect current legislation, reliable records and the wider financial consequences of any proposed arrangement.

How we selected the accountants

The firms were considered according to their current Exeter presence, professional credentials, published services, sector experience and the types of client they appear equipped to support.

The selection includes accountants working with:

• Sole traders and self-employed professionals
• Startups and small limited companies
• Owner-managed and family businesses
• Farms and agricultural partnerships
• Rural estates and diversified land businesses
• Hospitality and tourism operators
• Property investors and developers
• Construction contractors and subcontractors
• Technology and research-led businesses
• Healthcare and medical professionals
• Retail and ecommerce companies
• Manufacturers and engineering organisations
• Charities and not-for-profit bodies
• Academies and education providers
• Professional practices
• International companies
• Organisations requiring statutory audit
• Businesses raising debt or equity finance
• Owners preparing for succession or a company sale
• Companies requiring restructuring, forensic or transaction support

We also considered what each practice provides beyond annual accounts and tax returns.

Depending on the firm, this may include bookkeeping, payroll, management accounts, outsourced finance functions, statutory and grant audit, research and development support, business valuations, corporate finance, pensions, probate and restructuring.

The firms are not presented as interchangeable.

Some are particularly accessible to startups and smaller owner-managed companies wanting a direct relationship with a consistent local adviser.

Others are structured for substantial audits, charities, international groups, private-equity-backed businesses and transactions requiring several specialist teams.

Griffin Chartered Accountants

Griffin is a firm of chartered accountants based at Courtenay House on Pynes Hill in Exeter.

The practice provides accounting, audit, outsourced finance, tax, corporate finance and business-advisory services to clients throughout Exeter, Devon and the wider South West.

Its approach combines established chartered-accountancy expertise with cloud systems and current financial reporting.

For a startup or smaller company, Griffin can provide annual accounts, Corporation Tax, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT and personal tax support for the owners.

The firm can also assist with company formation and the establishment of suitable financial processes.

A founder may need to decide whether to operate as a sole trader, partnership or limited company.

The structure affects legal responsibility, administration, ownership, taxation and the way money can be withdrawn from the business.

Introducing reliable bookkeeping from the beginning can reduce the amount of corrective work required when annual accounts, VAT returns or investment information are later prepared.

Griffin is a Xero-certified adviser and can help businesses establish or improve a cloud-accounting system.

Online software can connect banking, invoicing, expenses and reporting while allowing the accountant and client to work from the same current records.

The software does not replace professional review.

Bank accounts should still be reconciled, supporting documents retained and unusual transactions investigated before the information is used for tax filings or business decisions.

Griffin’s outsourced finance service can provide additional support to businesses that do not have a complete internal accounts department.

An early-stage company may require bookkeeping, payroll and VAT, while a growing organisation may need management accounts, budgets, forecasts and senior financial input.

An outsourced arrangement can be adapted as the business develops.

Clear responsibilities remain important. Directors should retain control over approvals, understand the company’s financial position and know which tasks are being performed by the external team.

Management accounts can help owners assess performance during the year.

A useful report may include revenue, gross profit, overheads, customer balances, supplier liabilities and cash-flow information.

The content should reflect the decisions the organisation needs to make.

A subscription business may require recurring-revenue reporting, while a construction company may need information by project and a hospitality operator may focus on occupancy, payroll and departmental margins.

Griffin is registered to undertake audit work.

The firm can support companies and organisations requiring statutory assurance because of their size, ownership, governing documents or stakeholder expectations.

It also undertakes grant audits.

A grant-funded organisation may need independent confirmation that expenditure has been incurred according to the funding agreement and allocated to the approved project.

The audit process may involve invoices, payroll records, timesheets and the organisation’s method of allocating shared costs.

Griffin provides Corporation Tax and personal tax services.

For owner-managed companies, business and personal taxation can be closely connected.

A decision involving salary, dividends, pension contributions, property or the future sale of the company can affect both the organisation and the individual.

Corporate-finance support is available for businesses raising funding, purchasing another company or preparing for sale.

A buyer may require analysis of the target company’s sustainable earnings, working capital, debt and potential liabilities.

A seller may need assistance improving financial reporting and organising information before due diligence begins.

The firm’s proactive and accessible communication style may suit businesses wanting a modern service without losing regular contact with experienced advisers.

Services include

• Business-startup advice
• Sole trader and company accounts
• Corporation Tax
• Personal tax
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll
• VAT
• Xero cloud accounting
• Management accounts
• Cash-flow forecasting
• Outsourced finance
• Statutory audit
• Grant audits
• Business advisory
• Corporate finance
• Fundraising support
• Acquisitions and company sales
• Tax planning

Best suited to: Startups and growing owner-managed businesses wanting cloud accounting, outsourced finance, audit and proactive commercial support.

Pros:

• Exeter office at Pynes Hill
• ICAEW chartered accountancy practice
• Registered to undertake audit work
• Strong Xero and cloud-accounting capability
• Provides accounts, tax, payroll and VAT
• Flexible outsourced finance service
• Management accounts and forecasting
• Grant-audit capability
• Corporate-finance support
• Clear and approachable communication

Visit Griffin Chartered Accountants

Darnells Chartered Accountants

Darnells is an independent firm of chartered accountants with offices in Exeter, Newton Abbot and Totnes.

Its Exeter office is based at Aperture East on Pynes Hill.

The wider practice has more than 70 years of experience advising businesses, families and individuals across Devon and the South West.

Darnells provides accounting, audit, tax, payroll, bookkeeping, probate and financial or strategic planning.

Its specialist areas include healthcare, property, construction, hospitality and professional services.

For an owner-managed business, Darnells can provide annual accounts, Corporation Tax, bookkeeping, payroll and VAT.

The firm’s partner-led model is designed to give clients access to an adviser familiar with the organisation and the individuals behind it.

A close relationship can be valuable where business decisions and personal finances are connected.

Company owners may need to consider remuneration, pensions, property, investment and succession alongside ordinary accounts and tax compliance.

Darnells prepares management information for clients requiring more regular insight into performance.

Annual accounts record the previous financial period, while management reports can show current profit, customer debts, supplier balances and available cash.

This can help directors assess whether growth is producing an adequate return and whether planned expenditure is affordable.

The practice undertakes audit and assurance work.

An audit may be required because of an organisation’s size, ownership, group structure, governing documents or funding conditions.

The process provides an independent opinion on the financial statements and can identify issues within accounting systems or financial controls.

Darnells has a clear healthcare specialism.

Its team supports GPs, dentists, consultants and care providers.

Healthcare organisations may require assistance with partnership accounts, NHS and private income, payroll, pensions and ownership changes.

A GP or dental partnership can involve complex allocations of income, expenses, drawings and capital between individual partners.

Joining or leaving a practice may also require adjustments for property, equipment, debtors and other partnership assets.

Property tax represents another established part of Darnells’ service.

Landlords and developers may require advice concerning ownership structures, rental accounts, VAT, Capital Gains Tax and development activity.

A proposed acquisition or transfer should be reviewed before legal documents are completed because changing the structure afterwards can create additional tax and transaction costs.

The firm supports construction contractors with CIS compliance, accounts, payroll and tax.

Construction businesses often face significant differences between reported profit and cash because of retentions, staged invoices and delayed payment.

Management information can help owners understand the financial performance of individual projects and the amount of working capital required.

Hospitality businesses can obtain support with accounts, payroll, VAT and tax compliance.

Hotels, restaurants and leisure businesses may need reporting that reflects seasonal income, staffing and margins by department.

Darnells provides probate and estate-administration services.

Business owners and families can therefore coordinate tax, succession and estate matters through advisers familiar with their wider financial position.

The firm also offers financial and strategic planning, helping owners assess longer-term business and personal objectives.

Services include

• Annual and management accounts
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll
• VAT
• Corporation Tax
• Personal tax
• Tax planning
• Audit and assurance
• Healthcare accounting
• GP and dental practice services
• Property-tax advice
• Landlord and developer accounting
• Construction and CIS support
• Hospitality accounting
• Professional-practice services
• Probate
• Estate administration
• Financial planning
• Strategic business planning

Best suited to: Family businesses, healthcare professionals, property clients and established SMEs wanting partner-led accounting and connected personal planning.

Pros:

• Exeter office at Pynes Hill
• Independent Devon practice
• More than 70 years of experience
• Partner-led client relationships
• Comprehensive accounting, audit and tax services
• Dedicated healthcare expertise
• Strong property and construction capability
• Hospitality and professional-services knowledge
• Probate and estate-administration services
• Financial and strategic planning

Visit Darnells

Simpkins Edwards

Simpkins Edwards is an independent firm of chartered accountants, tax consultants and business advisers with a major office on Okehampton Street in Exeter.

The firm supports owner-managed businesses, charities, farms, healthcare professionals, professional practices and private clients across Devon and the wider South West.

Its services include accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, audit, tax, probate, financial planning and corporate finance.

For a startup or established company, Simpkins Edwards can provide annual accounts, Corporation Tax, VAT, payroll and bookkeeping.

The firm can also prepare management accounts and help owners interpret current performance.

A business may require monthly or quarterly information concerning revenue, gross profit, overheads, customer balances and cash.

The reporting format should reflect the client’s commercial activity.

A farm may need results by enterprise, while a professional practice may require information concerning work in progress and profitability by partner or department.

Simpkins Edwards supports clients with digital accounting and Making Tax Digital.

A cloud system can improve collaboration and produce more current information where records are maintained consistently.

The adviser can help select and configure software and ensure that the chart of accounts reflects the organisation’s activities.

The firm undertakes statutory audit and assurance assignments.

Its corporate clients range from owner-managed companies to more substantial organisations.

An audit involves understanding the business, assessing reporting risks and testing the evidence supporting material figures and disclosures.

The engagement can also identify weaknesses in systems, controls or management reporting that the organisation may wish to address.

Simpkins Edwards has specialist experience across agriculture and rural business.

Agricultural clients may require accounts, tax planning, VAT, management reporting and advice concerning machinery, land and succession.

Diversified rural businesses may operate farming, contracting, renewables, accommodation and property activities through connected structures.

Clear reporting can help the owners understand the contribution made by each activity.

The firm works with healthcare businesses and medical professionals.

This may include GP practices, consultants, dentists and other providers requiring accounts, tax, payroll, partnership and pension support.

Its charity and not-for-profit team supports organisations with accounts, independent examinations, audit and tax.

Charity reporting may need to distinguish restricted and unrestricted funds and provide trustees with information concerning reserves and long-term financial sustainability.

The firm’s tax specialists advise companies, individuals, trusts and estates.

Corporate tax work can involve compliance, research and development, employee incentives and transactions.

Private-client advice may include Capital Gains Tax, inheritance tax, trusts and family succession.

Simpkins Edwards provides probate services and can assist with the administration of estates.

Its corporate-finance professionals advise on acquisitions, business sales and funding.

A business preparing for a transaction may require forecasts, valuation and improved management reporting.

A buyer may need due diligence assessing profits, debt, working capital and potential risks.

The combination of locally based corporate, tax, healthcare, probate and payroll specialists makes Simpkins Edwards suitable for clients whose needs extend across several connected areas.

Services include

• Annual accounts
• Management accounts
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll
• VAT
• Digital accounting
• Corporation Tax
• Personal tax
• Trust and estate tax
• Statutory audit
• Independent examinations
• Charity and not-for-profit services
• Agricultural accounting
• Rural-business advice
• Healthcare accounting
• Professional-services accounting
• Research and development tax support
• Corporate finance
• Acquisitions and company sales
• Business valuations
• Probate and estate administration
• Financial planning

Best suited to: Owner-managed businesses, farms, charities, healthcare professionals and private clients requiring broad independent Exeter expertise.

Pros:

• Major Exeter office
• Independent South West accountancy firm
• Chartered accountants and tax advisers
• Broad accounting, payroll and audit capability
• Strong agriculture and rural-business expertise
• Dedicated charity and healthcare services
• Corporate-finance and transaction support
• Private-client and trust specialists
• Probate and estate-administration capability
• Longstanding regional knowledge

Visit Simpkins Edwards

Westcotts

Westcotts is a firm of chartered accountants and business advisers whose head office is based on Southernhay East in central Exeter.

The firm has worked with businesses and individuals across the South West for more than 40 years and has maintained an active Exeter presence for over three decades.

Its Exeter team provides accounting, audit, tax, payroll, cloud accounting, corporate finance, insolvency, financial planning and probate services.

For a startup or small company, Westcotts can provide company formation, bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, annual accounts and Corporation Tax.

As the organisation develops, the service can expand into management accounts, audit, specialist tax and transaction support.

This continuity can be valuable to owner-managed businesses that want to avoid changing adviser as their reporting requirements become more complex.

Westcotts supports digital accounting and Making Tax Digital.

The firm can help businesses establish cloud software and connected financial processes.

Online systems can provide more current information and reduce duplicated administration, but they still require appropriate controls.

Payments should be approved, accounts reconciled and unusual transactions reviewed.

The firm’s business-services team works with clients ranging from startups to substantial corporate groups.

Management accounts and forecasts can help directors understand profitability, working capital and the effect of planned investment.

The content should reflect the client’s sector and decision-making needs.

A manufacturer may need stock and production information, while a hospitality business may focus on occupancy, payroll and margins.

Westcotts undertakes statutory audit and wider assurance work.

Its audit clients include businesses, charities and other organisations requiring independent financial scrutiny.

The firm is also authorised to conduct certain investment-business activities and licensed to undertake non-contentious probate work.

Its tax services cover companies, individuals, trusts and estates.

Corporate advice may include compliance, capital allowances, research and development, employee incentives and transactions.

Private clients may require assistance with income tax, Capital Gains Tax, inheritance tax and succession planning.

Westcotts provides corporate-finance support for business sales, acquisitions, management buyouts and fundraising.

Preparing a business for sale can involve strengthening management information, documenting ownership and assessing sustainable earnings.

A buyer may need due diligence examining the target’s financial performance, cash, debt and working-capital requirements.

The firm maintains business-recovery and insolvency capability.

Directors facing financial pressure may require advice concerning cash flow, creditors, restructuring, refinancing and formal insolvency procedures.

Early involvement can preserve options that may no longer be available once cash has been exhausted.

Financial planning is available for business owners and private clients.

Advice can cover pensions, investments, protection and retirement, allowing company decisions to be considered alongside the owner’s personal objectives.

Westcotts’ Exeter head office gives local clients access to substantial regional resources while retaining a South West-focused independent identity.

Services include

• Business-startup support
• Annual and management accounts
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll
• VAT
• Cloud accounting
• Corporation Tax
• Personal tax
• Trust and estate tax
• Audit and assurance
• Research and development tax support
• Capital allowances
• Corporate finance
• Acquisitions and disposals
• Management buyouts
• Fundraising
• Business valuations
• Business recovery
• Insolvency
• Probate
• Financial planning
• Pensions and investments

Best suited to: Owner-managed businesses, substantial regional companies and private clients wanting a full-service South West firm headquartered in Exeter.

Pros:

• Head office based in central Exeter
• More than 40 years of South West experience
• Active in Exeter for over three decades
• Full accounting, audit and tax capability
• Cloud-accounting and management-reporting support
• Corporate-finance services
• Business-recovery and insolvency expertise
• Licensed probate capability
• Connected financial planning
• Broad regional office network

Visit Westcotts Exeter

Bishop Fleming

Bishop Fleming is a major regional firm of accountants, auditors, tax advisers and business advisers with an Exeter office at Exeter Business Park.

The firm supports owner-managed companies, large businesses, charities, educational organisations, public bodies and private clients.

Its services include accounting, external and internal audit, tax, corporate finance, valuations, outsourced finance, restructuring and international support.

For a smaller or growing business, Bishop Fleming can provide annual accounts, Corporation Tax, payroll, bookkeeping and management information.

Its outsourced finance services can supplement an existing internal team or provide a broader external function.

A company may begin by outsourcing transaction processing and payroll before adding monthly reporting, forecasts and senior financial input.

The arrangement should define who approves payments, monitors cash and remains responsible for significant financial decisions.

Bishop Fleming undertakes external audit through its dedicated audit practice.

Its clients include commercial businesses, charities, schools and other organisations requiring independent assurance.

A statutory audit considers whether the financial statements are materially accurate and prepared according to the appropriate reporting framework.

The firm also provides internal audit and risk assurance.

Internal audit can examine governance, controls, procurement, financial systems and other operational risks according to the organisation’s priorities.

This may be especially relevant to charities, academies, housing organisations and public-sector bodies with formal accountability requirements.

Bishop Fleming maintains specialist teams across agriculture, charities, education, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate, technology, transport and the public sector.

Its agricultural specialists support farms, rural estates and diversified businesses with accounts, tax and succession.

Charities and education providers can access accounting, external audit, internal audit and governance support.

Hospitality businesses may require reporting that reflects seasonal income, staffing and departmental margins.

Technology companies can obtain support with financial reporting, tax incentives, investment and international development.

The firm’s corporate-finance team advises on acquisitions, company sales, fundraising and business valuations.

A transaction may require financial modelling, due diligence and coordination between accounting, tax, legal and funding advisers.

Owners considering an exit can benefit from preparing well before the sale process begins.

Reliable management accounts, documented ownership and a reduced dependence on the founder can make the company easier for a buyer to assess.

Bishop Fleming’s tax services cover corporate, personal, employment, international, property and indirect-tax matters.

Private clients can obtain advice concerning Capital Gains Tax, inheritance tax, trusts and probate.

The firm also provides restructuring support where businesses face financial or operational difficulty.

Through Kreston Global, Exeter clients can access independent professional firms in more than 100 countries.

Services include

• Annual accounts
• Management information
• Outsourced finance
• External audit
• Internal audit and risk assurance
• Corporation Tax
• Personal tax
• VAT and indirect tax
• Employment taxes
• International tax
• Agricultural and rural-business services
• Charity and not-for-profit services
• Education and public-sector support
• Healthcare accounting
• Hospitality and leisure services
• Manufacturing advice
• Real-estate and construction support
• Technology-company services
• Corporate finance
• Financial due diligence
• Business valuations
• Fundraising
• Restructuring
• Trusts and probate

Best suited to: Growing businesses, charities, education providers and larger organisations requiring broad regional audit, tax and strategic-advisory resources.

Pros:

• Substantial Exeter office
• More than 100 years of wider firm experience
• Supports SMEs through to large organisations
• Extensive external and internal-audit capability
• Strong charity, education and public-sector teams
• Dedicated agriculture and rural-business expertise
• Broad hospitality, property and technology knowledge
• Corporate-finance and valuation services
• Comprehensive corporate and private-client tax support
• International reach through Kreston Global

Visit Bishop Fleming Exeter

PKF Francis Clark

PKF Francis Clark is a leading independent firm of chartered accountants whose flagship office is based at Centenary House on Peninsula Park in Exeter.

The wider firm has served businesses across the South and West of England since 1919 and is a member of PKF International.

Its Exeter office supports many of the firm’s largest corporate clients and provides accounting, audit, tax, VAT, financial planning and corporate-finance services.

The breadth of the team makes the office relevant to owner-managed companies, substantial corporate groups, family businesses, farms, charities, healthcare organisations and internationally active companies.

For a growing company, PKF Francis Clark can provide annual accounts, management reporting, payroll, VAT and Corporation Tax.

As the business develops, specialist teams can support audit, employee incentives, international expansion, transactions and succession.

This allows an owner-managed business to retain one primary adviser while drawing on additional technical expertise when required.

The firm assists clients with cloud accounting and outsourced financial processes.

A company may require transaction processing, management accounts, forecasting or broader financial-controller support.

Current reporting can help directors understand margins, cash, customer balances and performance against expectations.

PKF Francis Clark undertakes statutory audit and assurance work for companies, charities and other organisations.

A substantial audit may involve several entities, overseas operations, stock, long-term contracts, pensions and complex accounting estimates.

The audit team must understand the commercial activity and risks of the organisation before determining how to test the material figures and disclosures.

The firm’s Exeter office includes substantial private-client, landed-estate and trust expertise.

Farms and estates can involve trading activities, land, property, trusts and family ownership extending across generations.

Advice may need to coordinate accounts, tax, succession and the financial needs of different family members.

PKF Francis Clark advises owner-managed and family businesses on Corporation Tax, remuneration, restructuring and succession.

Its tax services also include research and development, share schemes, VAT, employment taxes and international matters.

Employee share arrangements can support recruitment and retention, but they should be reviewed before promises or grants are made.

International businesses may require transfer pricing, overseas reporting and assistance coordinating tax obligations across several countries.

Corporate finance is a major part of the firm’s service.

The team supports acquisitions, company sales, management buyouts, fundraising and financial due diligence.

A purchaser may require independent analysis of sustainable earnings, debt, working capital and potential liabilities.

A seller may need assistance preparing reliable information and resolving issues before buyer scrutiny begins.

PKF Francis Clark also provides financial planning.

Business owners and private clients can obtain support with pensions, investments, retirement and succession alongside their accounting and tax relationship.

The Exeter office’s size and status within the firm make it particularly suitable for organisations requiring several specialist disciplines while retaining an independent regional adviser.

Services include

• Annual and management accounts
• Outsourced accounting
• Cloud accounting
• Payroll
• VAT
• Statutory audit
• Charity and grant assurance
• Corporation Tax
• Personal tax
• Trust and estate advice
• Landed-estate services
• Agriculture and rural-business advice
• Research and development tax relief
• Share schemes and employee incentives
• Employment taxes
• International tax
• Corporate finance
• Acquisitions and company sales
• Management buyouts
• Fundraising
• Financial due diligence
• Business valuations
• Financial planning
• Pensions and investments

Best suited to: Substantial owner-managed companies, family businesses, rural estates and international organisations requiring broad independent audit, tax and transaction capability.

Pros:

• Flagship Exeter office
• Independent firm established in 1919
• Supports many of its largest corporate clients from Exeter
• Comprehensive accounting, audit and tax capability
• Strong owner-managed and family-business focus
• Dedicated landed-estate and trust expertise
• Corporate-finance and due-diligence teams
• Share-scheme and international-tax support
• Connected financial-planning services
• International reach through PKF International

Visit PKF Francis Clark Exeter

Kirk Hills

Kirk Hills is a firm of chartered accountants and business advisers based at Matford Business Centre in Exeter.

Established in 1992, the practice supports more than 1,000 companies across the South West alongside a wider UK client base.

Its services include annual accounts, audit, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, tax planning, business advice and financial forecasting.

The firm’s relationship-led structure is particularly relevant to owner-managed businesses wanting a consistent adviser who understands the organisation over time.

For a startup or smaller company, Kirk Hills can assist with business structure, company formation, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT and annual compliance.

A founder may need to understand the differences between operating as a sole trader, partnership or limited company.

The decision affects liability, taxation, ownership, administration and how money can be taken from the business.

The firm prepares annual accounts and tax returns for different business structures.

Limited companies require statutory accounts and Corporation Tax returns, while sole traders and partners report their business income through Self Assessment.

Company directors may also require personal tax returns depending on their income and circumstances.

Kirk Hills provides bookkeeping and payroll support.

Current bookkeeping can help owners understand customer balances, supplier liabilities and upcoming tax commitments.

Payroll outsourcing can reduce administrative work, although employers must continue supplying accurate information concerning employees, wages, hours, benefits and statutory leave.

The firm assists clients with VAT registration and returns.

A business approaching the registration threshold should monitor turnover carefully and consider whether its prices, contracts and bookkeeping systems are prepared for VAT.

Some property, international and partially exempt activities can require more specialist advice.

Kirk Hills provides management accounts, forecasts and wider business advice.

An annual set of accounts may be completed too late to support decisions arising during the financial period.

Management information can show current profitability, cash and performance against budgets or earlier years.

A forecast may be required when applying for finance, recruiting employees or considering new premises.

The firm undertakes audit work for organisations requiring independent financial assurance.

Audit registration allows the practice to continue supporting clients whose size, ownership or stakeholder expectations move them beyond ordinary small-company reporting.

Kirk Hills also provides tax planning for companies and individuals.

For owner-managed businesses, advice may involve salary, dividends, pensions, capital expenditure and eventual succession.

Planning should take account of the business’s cash needs and the owner’s wider financial objectives rather than concentrating solely on one tax liability.

The firm’s longstanding Exeter presence and substantial SME client base may appeal to businesses wanting practical local support without the departmental structure of a much larger practice.

Services include

• Business-startup advice
• Company formation
• Sole trader accounts
• Partnership accounts
• Limited company accounts
• Corporation Tax
• Self Assessment
• Bookkeeping
• Payroll
• VAT registration and returns
• Management accounts
• Cash-flow forecasting
• Business planning
• Audit and assurance
• Company secretarial support
• Business-tax planning
• Personal-tax planning
• Owner-managed business advice
• Succession and exit support

Best suited to: SMEs and owner-managed companies wanting longstanding local accounting, audit, tax and forecasting support.

Pros:

• Exeter practice established in 1992
• Serves more than 1,000 companies
• Chartered accountancy and audit capability
• Strong SME and owner-managed business focus
• Provides bookkeeping, payroll and VAT support
• Management accounts and forecasting
• Business-planning advice
• Corporate and personal tax support
• Long-term relationship-led service

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Which Exeter accountant should you choose?

The appropriate firm depends on the client’s size, sector, internal financial resources and expected development.

Griffin Chartered Accountants may suit startups and growing owner-managed businesses wanting cloud accounting, outsourced finance, management reporting and audit through an accessible Exeter practice.

Darnells is particularly relevant to healthcare professionals, property businesses, construction companies and families wanting accounting, tax, probate and strategic planning through a partner-led Devon firm.

Simpkins Edwards provides broad independent support for farms, charities, healthcare professionals, family companies and private clients.

Its combination of accounting, audit, tax, corporate finance and probate can support clients through several stages of business and family planning.

Westcotts offers one of the broadest South West professional-services propositions from its Exeter head office.

It may suit growing companies and private clients requiring audit, tax, transactions, insolvency, probate and financial planning through one regional firm.

Bishop Fleming is positioned for ambitious businesses, charities, educational organisations and larger entities requiring substantial external audit, internal audit, tax, corporate-finance and strategic-advisory resources.

PKF Francis Clark provides one of Exeter’s strongest services for substantial owner-managed companies, family businesses, rural estates and international organisations.

Its flagship office combines accounting, audit, specialist tax, corporate finance and financial planning.

Kirk Hills may be particularly accessible to SMEs and owner-managed businesses wanting an established local relationship, management information and the ability to obtain audit support if their requirements develop.

Before appointing an accountant, the client should establish precisely what is included within the proposed fee.

Bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns, annual accounts, Corporation Tax, Self Assessment, management reporting, audit and advisory meetings may be priced as separate services.

The engagement should identify who is responsible for maintaining records, approving transactions and supplying information.

Outsourcing bookkeeping or the wider finance function does not remove the directors’ responsibility for understanding the organisation’s financial position and maintaining appropriate controls.

Businesses requesting management accounts should agree what the reports will contain and how quickly they will be delivered after each month or quarter.

A hospitality operator may require occupancy, payroll and departmental margin reporting, while a manufacturer may need information concerning stock, work in progress and profitability by product or customer.

Agricultural and rural businesses should appoint advisers familiar with land, partnerships, livestock, machinery, seasonal income and succession.

The available tax reliefs are important, but ownership, management and the financial security of family members should guide the wider structure.

Hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses may require forecasts that reflect seasonal revenue, staffing commitments and the amount of cash needed during quieter periods.

Property investors and developers should seek advice concerning ownership structures, VAT, capital allowances, financing and taxes arising when land or buildings are acquired or sold.

Construction businesses should confirm that the proposed accountant understands CIS, retentions, project reporting, payroll and the VAT domestic reverse charge.

Technology and research-led companies should discuss research and development relief, investment schemes and employee incentives before claims, investments or option grants are completed.

Healthcare professionals should appoint advisers familiar with partnership accounts, NHS and private income, pensions and practice transactions.

Charities and education providers should establish whether they require accounts preparation, an independent examination, grant assurance, internal audit or statutory audit.

They should also ensure that the proposed adviser understands restricted funds, reserves, governance and the reporting framework applying to the organisation.

International businesses should confirm whether the firm can coordinate overseas reporting, transfer pricing, cross-border payroll and tax compliance across all relevant jurisdictions.

Family-business owners should begin succession planning before an immediate ownership transfer becomes necessary.

Leadership, valuation, funding, tax and the financial security of the existing owners may need to be considered over several years.

Companies planning investment, acquisition or sale should obtain advice early.

Reliable management information, organised statutory records and clearly documented ownership can materially improve the speed and credibility of due diligence.

Businesses facing financial pressure should also seek advice before the situation becomes critical.

The number of realistic refinancing, restructuring or recovery options may reduce as cash is exhausted and creditor action becomes more advanced.

The strongest accountancy relationship is one in which the adviser understands how the organisation operates, produces useful information at the right time and explains the financial consequences of important decisions before those decisions become difficult to change.

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