Cambridgeshire
Accountant in Cambridge
Cambridge is the heart of Silicon Fen, a global hub for tech, biotech and research where rapid-growth businesses need more than a compliance accountant.
- Experienced team
- Fixed fees
- National coverage
Why we work with Cambridge businesses
Cambridge businesses operate at the intersection of deep science and commercial ambition. From a biotech spinout on the Science Park to a software firm in Cherry Hinton, they need an accountant who understands R&D tax credits, EMI schemes and international tax. We combine technical rigour with a remote first service, meeting clients in person at their offices or at a City Centre coffee shop when needed. Our focus is on the numbers that fund the next round.
The Cambridge business scene
Cambridge is defined by its university and the cluster of knowledge intensive industries that surround it. Arm Holdings, AstraZeneca and Microsoft Research anchor a dense network of spinouts, scaleups and professional service firms. The Cambridge Science Park alone hosts hundreds of tech and life science companies, while the City Centre and Newnham are home to publishing houses, consultancies and the university itself. Biotech and pharma firms dominate the southern arc from Addenbrooke's to the Biomedical Campus, and the software sector is spread across Cherry Hinton and the northern business parks. The result is a high margin, high complexity economy where tax structuring and grant funding are as important as bookkeeping. Population around 145,000, but the economic footprint is national.
Business hubs in Cambridge
City Centre · Cambridge Science Park · Cherry Hinton · Newnham
How Cambridge’s economic mix shapes our service emphasis
Our service mix in Cambridge is shaped by the local dominance of tech and life sciences. A biotech firm on the Science Park typically needs R&D claim preparation for clinical trials and process development, plus advice on the Patent Box regime. A software company in Cherry Hinton might come to us for EMI scheme setup and international VAT on digital services. We also work with professional service firms in the City Centre who need partner tax planning and with university spinouts requiring pre revenue corporation tax and share scheme advice. AstraZeneca's Cambridge HQ has created a supply chain of contract research organisations and lab service providers, many of which need capital allowances advice on fit outs. Our technical expertise means we handle the technical detail, from R&D thresholds to HMRC enquiry defence, without the jargon. The local economy demands precision, not generalisations.
Anchor employers in Cambridge
Arm Holdings · AstraZeneca (Cambridge HQ) · Microsoft Research · University of Cambridge · Cambridge University Press
What we do
What we do for Cambridge businesses
Year-end accounts & corporation tax
Statutory accounts to FRS 102 / FRS 105, CT600 filings, marginal relief modelling between £50,000 and £250,000, group relief where it applies. Filed accurately, filed on time.
Director pay and tax planning
Optimal salary-and-dividend split for each director’s personal tax position, modelled annually and recalibrated when thresholds move. Pension contributions, BIK strategy, P11D where relevant.
VAT and Making Tax Digital
Registration timing against the £90,000 threshold, scheme selection (Standard, Flat Rate, Cash, Annual), partial-exemption handling, quarterly returns, MTD-compliant software setup.
Payroll, PAYE and pensions
Monthly payroll runs, RTI submissions, Employment Allowance claims (up to £10,500), salary-sacrifice schemes, workplace pension administration and auto-enrolment.
R&D tax credits
Merged-scheme claims under the post-April-2024 regime, qualifying-activity narrative written by qualified staff, costs eligibility review, ERIS where the loss-making intensive route applies.
Incorporation and structure
When to move from sole trader to Ltd, the real cost of incorporation (SDLT, CGT where property is involved), holding-company design, alphabet shares, group restructures.
Cambridge worked example
Worked example: £17,180 payable R&D credit on preclinical development
15 employee biotech spinout
Take a Cambridge biotech spinout on the Science Park with three years of accounts, a lab notebook and no R&D claims filed, on the assumption that the work is too early stage to count. Early stage is rarely the obstacle. The qualifying expenditure typically covers consumables, externally provided workers and software licences, supported by a technical narrative written to the standard HMRC guidance expects. Suppose the first claim covers £63,700 of qualifying expenditure. For a loss making R&D intensive company, enhancing that at 186 per cent and surrendering the loss at the 14.5 per cent payable credit rate is worth about £17,180 in cash, enough to fund a second round of preclinical trials. Timing of the first patent filing matters too, because the Patent Box election only shelters profits attributable to patents that have actually been granted.
Illustrative example. It is not a record of a client engagement and the figures are worked through to show how the rules apply, not taken from a real return.
Want the same read on your own figures?
What it costs depends on the size and structure of the business, so we will talk that through rather than quote blind.
Book a free callFAQ
Frequently asked questions from Cambridge
Related reading
Guides for limited company owners
Free consultation
Speak to an accountant in Cambridge
Book a free 30-minute call. We will talk through your situation and give you clear, practical recommendations. No jargon, no obligation.
- 24-hour response, usually same dayYou hear back from a person, not an autoresponder
- Fixed fees, agreed before any workIn writing, before anything starts
- One named accountant, not a team inboxThe same person every time you call