Accountant in Farnham
Farnham's 39,000 residents support a business community shaped by creative arts, professional services, and tourism, with the University for the Creative Arts anchoring a distinct local economy.
Photo: Ollie Craig / Pexels
Why we work with Farnham businesses
Farnham's mix of creative industries, professional services, and healthcare creates varied tax and compliance needs. We work with limited company directors and small business owners across the Town Centre, Wrecclesham, Rowledge, and Hale. Our approach is remote first with in person meetings available on request, suited to a town where many clients run design studios, consultancies, or medical practices. The GU9 and GU10 postcodes cover a compact but diverse commercial base.
The Farnham business scene
Farnham is not a satellite dormitory town. Its economy draws on the University for the Creative Arts, which supplies a steady pipeline of design, media, and digital businesses. The town centre has a high density of professional services firms, from law practices to architectural studios, while Wrecclesham and Rowledge host a mix of sole traders and partnerships in tourism and hospitality. Frimley Health NHS and Bourne School Trust are significant local employers, and the castle grounds support a conference and events sector. The local business scene is distinctive for its high proportion of owner managed enterprises that value discretion and direct access to a senior accountant, rather than a call centre.
Business hubs in Farnham
Town Centre · Wrecclesham · Rowledge · Hale
How Farnham's economic mix shapes our service emphasis
A creative arts or design studio in Farnham often needs help with VAT partial exemption if they mix exempt and taxable supplies, or with R&D tax credits if they develop new digital tools. A professional services firm in the town centre might prioritise corporation tax planning and exit strategy work, especially if they are partnership based. We also see healthcare practices, including those linked to Frimley Health NHS, where payroll and IR35 compliance for locum staff are recurring issues. Tourism and hospitality businesses in Rowledge or Hale often come to us for capital allowances on listed buildings or holiday let property. The local economic mix means we organise our service lines around project based work: one client might need a due diligence review before selling a design agency, while another needs a VAT health check on a hotel refurbishment. We tailor our advice to the specific trading structure, not a template.
Anchor employers in Farnham
University for the Creative Arts · Farnham Castle · Bourne School Trust · Frimley Health NHS · Waverley Borough Council
What we do for Farnham businesses
Tax planning
Salary and dividend extraction, corporation tax, R&D credits, BADR planning.
Management accounts
Monthly P&L, cash flow forecasting, KPI dashboards.
Payroll & PAYE
Director payroll, employee payroll, P11D benefits, RTI submissions.
Incorporation & structure
Sole trader to limited, holding companies, alphabet shares.
MTD & VAT
Making Tax Digital ITSA and VAT compliance, scheme selection.
Exit planning
BADR, MBOs, earn-outs, goodwill valuation, due diligence support.
Farnham case study (anonymised)
£14,720 R&D claim recovered on bespoke software development
8 employee design consultancy
A Farnham based design consultancy, working with the University for the Creative Arts on a digital platform project, had not considered R&D tax credits. They assumed only hard engineering qualified. We reviewed their project costs, identified qualifying activity in software development and user interface testing, and prepared a full claim. The result was a £14,720 corporation tax reduction. We also advised on capital allowances for new computer equipment purchased for the project, adding a further £3,100 in first year allowances. The client now has a structured process for tracking qualifying expenditure on future projects.
Frequently asked questions from Farnham
- Do you have an office in Farnham?
- We are remote first, with a registered address in the GU9 area. We meet clients in person at their premises, in the town centre, or at a local business centre by arrangement. Most of our Farnham clients prefer video calls for regular work.
- My creative arts business has a mix of VAT exempt and taxable sales. Can you help with partial exemption?
- Yes. Partial exemption is common for design studios and arts organisations that sell both standard rated and exempt supplies. We can review your turnover, calculate the correct recovery percentage, and handle the annual adjustment to keep you compliant.
- How do you charge for ongoing work with a small professional services firm?
- We use fixed monthly fees for compliance work (corporation tax, VAT returns, payroll) and quote separately for project work such as R&D claims or exit planning. A typical professional services client in Farnham pays between £150 and £400 per month depending on transaction volume.
- I run a holiday let near Rowledge. Do I need to register for VAT?
- If your holiday let income exceeds £90,000 in a rolling 12 month period, you must register. Even below that threshold, you may opt to register voluntarily to reclaim VAT on refurbishment costs. We can model both scenarios for your specific property.
Speak to an accountant in Farnham
Book a free 30-minute call. We will talk through your situation and give you clear, practical recommendations. No jargon, no obligation.