West Sussex
Accountant in Crawley
Crawley’s economy is anchored by Gatwick Airport and a dense cluster of aviation, logistics and tech firms. We help local business owners navigate corporation tax, VAT and payroll without the overhead of a high-street office.
- Experienced team
- Fixed fees
- National coverage
Why we work with Crawley businesses
Crawley’s business base is unusually concentrated around Manor Royal and the Town Centre, with many firms feeding off Gatwick’s supply chain. We work remotely first, meeting directors at their premises or a Tilgate coffee shop when needed. Local contractors and manufacturers get the confidence that their R&D claims and VAT returns are handled correctly. The mix of logistics operators and tech startups here demands a practical, no-nonsense approach to tax planning and compliance.
The Crawley business scene
Crawley’s economy revolves around Gatwick Airport, which directly employs thousands and supports a deep logistics corridor through Manor Royal. Virgin Atlantic’s HQ sits in the town, alongside Thales UK’s Crawley site and Doosan Babcock’s engineering base. The public sector is a steady employer through Crawley Borough Council. Tech firms are growing in Three Bridges and the Town Centre, often spun out from aviation or defence contracts. Manufacturing remains present in Tilgate and Manor Royal, with firms producing precision components and aerospace parts. The local business mix is unusually reliant on a single anchor employer, which creates both opportunities and risks for smaller suppliers. Crawley’s population of 118,000 supports a broad retail and professional services sector, but the real economic engine is the airport and its surrounding industrial estates.
Business hubs in Crawley
Town Centre · Three Bridges · Manor Royal · Tilgate
How Crawley’s economic mix shapes our service emphasis
Aviation and logistics dominate Crawley, so our work often focuses on capital allowances for hangar fit-outs, warehouse racking and vehicle fleets. A Gatwick-based freight forwarder might claim VAT recovery on cross-border services, while a Thales UK subcontractor in Manor Royal typically needs R&D claim preparation for software or defence engineering work. Manufacturing firms in Tilgate come to us for capital allowances reviews on plant and machinery, and we regularly handle payroll for logistics operators with shift workers. Tech startups in Three Bridges often need help structuring share schemes and preparing for exit. The public sector supply chain here is tight: a contractor working for Crawley Borough Council may need help with IR35 status or CIS deductions. Our service emphasis is shaped by this local mix: we spend more time on capital allowances, R&D credits and VAT than a generalist firm in a retail-heavy town would.
Anchor employers in Crawley
Gatwick Airport (London Gatwick) · Virgin Atlantic HQ · Thales UK Crawley · Doosan Babcock · Crawley Borough Council
What we do
What we do for Crawley 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.
Crawley worked example
Worked example: £34,120 of output VAT overpaid on airfreight
15-employee logistics operator
Take a Manor Royal logistics firm of about 15 staff handling airfreight out of Gatwick, charging output VAT on the full invoice value of international shipments. The transport of goods to or from a place outside the UK is zero-rated where the contract is for that direct cross-border movement, so the VAT was never due. Working through the contracts and shipment records for two quarters, suppose £170,600 of zero-rated international shipments were invoiced with 20 per cent output VAT added, which puts the overpayment at £34,120, reclaimed through a voluntary disclosure. The durable part is the invoicing change: shipments coded as domestic or cross-border at the point of raising the invoice, so the zero-rating is evidenced rather than argued later.
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.
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Frequently asked questions from Crawley
Related reading
Guides for limited company owners
Free consultation
Speak to an accountant in Crawley
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