Scotland
Accountant in Dundee
Dundee’s economy is defined by a rare mix of life sciences, video games development, and renewable energy, with a growing Waterfront district drawing new investment.
- Experienced team
- Fixed fees
- National coverage
Why we work with Dundee businesses
Dundee’s business base spans from university spin outs in life sciences to established tech employers like NCR Corporation and Rockstar Dundee. We work with limited company directors and small business owners across the City Centre, Waterfront, and West End, offering remote first support with in person meetings on request. Our experience gives directors and contractors confidence that corporation tax, VAT, and payroll are handled to a high standard, whether they are in Lochee or St Andrews.
The Dundee business scene
Dundee’s economy has shifted markedly from its industrial past toward knowledge intensive sectors. The University of Dundee anchors a life sciences cluster that includes the Dundee Drug Discovery Unit and numerous biotech spin outs. Alongside this, video games and tech have become a signature sector, with Rockstar Dundee and a growing indie studio scene centred in the Waterfront and West End. DC Thomson remains a significant local employer, while NHS Tayside drives demand in healthcare and related services. The city’s renewable energy ambitions, tied to offshore wind and tidal projects in the Tay estuary, add a further layer of activity. Small businesses in professional services, hospitality, and construction serve a population of 148,000 and the student body. The City Centre and Waterfront districts are seeing new office and residential development, while Lochee retains a strong manufacturing and retail base. This mix means our clients range from a two person tech contractor in the West End to a 30 employee biotech firm in the City Centre.
Business hubs in Dundee
City Centre · Waterfront · West End · Lochee
How Dundee’s economic mix shapes our service emphasis
Dundee’s sector mix shapes how we organise our services. A biotech spin out from the University of Dundee often needs R&D tax credit preparation and capital allowances on lab equipment, so we prioritise technical knowledge of HMRC’s R&D rules and the specific costs that qualify in life sciences. A video games studio in the Waterfront, by contrast, typically comes to us for payroll for a mix of permanent staff and freelance contractors, plus VAT planning on digital sales across multiple territories. We have also handled corporation tax compliance for a renewable energy consultancy based in the West End that needed advice on the structure of a community energy project. NCR Corporation’s presence in the city means we see senior contractors who require tailored IR35 reviews and personal tax planning. For a healthcare practice serving NHS Tayside, we focus on VAT exemption rules and partnership tax returns. The common thread is that our Dundee clients expect an accountant who understands their specific revenue model, not a generic service. That is why we tailor our approach to each sector’s compliance and planning needs.
Anchor employers in Dundee
NCR Corporation · DC Thomson · Rockstar Dundee · University of Dundee · NHS Tayside
What we do
What we do for Dundee 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.
Dundee worked example
Worked example: £54,100 of qualifying R&D expenditure identified
8 employee biotech spin out
Take a biotech spin out from the University of Dundee at the end of its first year of trading, having spent on lab consumables, equipment calibration and staff time on experimentation, with no claim filed because nobody was sure which costs counted. Sorting direct activities from supporting costs, and excluding anything capital, is the substance of the work, alongside a technical narrative explaining the uncertainty being resolved. On those facts around £54,100 of qualifying R&D expenditure is identified, which for a loss making R&D intensive company is normally surrendered for a payable credit, giving about £14,591 in cash once the expenditure is enhanced at 186 per cent and surrendered at the 14.5 per cent credit rate. The lab fit out at a Waterfront premises sits outside R&D but carries capital allowances in its own right.
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 Dundee
Related reading
Guides for limited company owners
Free consultation
Speak to an accountant in Dundee
Book a free 30-minute call. We will talk through your situation and give you clear, practical recommendations. No jargon, no obligation.
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