Hampshire
Accountant in Portsmouth
Portsmouth's economy is anchored by marine defence, advanced manufacturing, and a growing tech sector, with over 208,000 residents and a business base shaped by the naval dockyard and waterfront regeneration.
- Experienced team
- Fixed fees
- National coverage
Why we work with Portsmouth businesses
Portsmouth businesses operate in a distinctive coastal economy where marine defence, tech, and tourism intersect. We work with limited company directors, contractors, and small business owners across Old Portsmouth, Gunwharf Quays, Southsea, and Port Solent. Our experienced team offers remote-first support with in-person meetings on request, giving local firms access to specialist corporation tax, VAT, and R&D credit advice without the overhead of a city-centre office. The local mix of defence contractors, engineering firms, and hospitality operators demands a pragmatic, sector-aware approach.
The Portsmouth business scene
Portsmouth's economy is dominated by the naval base and BAE Systems, which together employ thousands in shipbuilding, maintenance, and defence support. The city has diversified into tech and engineering, with IBM's Hursley campus nearby and QinetiQ's testing facilities driving specialist R&D. Pall Europe's filtration manufacturing adds to the advanced manufacturing base. Southsea's retail and leisure strip, along with Gunwharf Quays' outlet shopping and waterfront bars, anchors a significant tourism and hospitality sector. Old Portsmouth retains a cluster of marine and professional services firms, while Port Solent's marina and business park host a mix of tech startups and marine engineering consultancies. The city's compact geography means business districts are tightly linked, but each has a distinct sectoral character.
Business hubs in Portsmouth
Old Portsmouth · Gunwharf Quays · Southsea · Port Solent
How Portsmouth’s economic mix shapes our service emphasis
Portsmouth's sector mix shapes how we structure our advice. A marine defence subcontractor in Old Portsmouth might come to us for capital allowances on specialist welding equipment and dockyard leasehold improvements, while a Southsea-based tech startup building maritime software often needs R&D claim preparation for software development costs. Patent box relief and international tax structuring come up regularly for defence and maritime technology spin-outs in the city. Tourism and hospitality operators around Gunwharf Quays and Southsea seafront frequently require VAT partial exemption calculations and payroll for seasonal staff. Manufacturing clients in the city's northern industrial estates, including those supplying Pall Europe, prioritise corporation tax planning on plant and machinery allowances. Our methodical approach means we can navigate HMRC's sector-specific enquiries, whether that's the complex rules around defence R&D or the flat-rate VAT treatment for caterers and hotels. We tailor our service to the local economic reality, not a generic template.
Anchor employers in Portsmouth
BAE Systems · Royal Navy · IBM (Hursley) · Pall Europe · QinetiQ
What we do
What we do for Portsmouth 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.
Portsmouth worked example
Worked example: £5,637 net R&D credit on vessel autonomy software
8-employee marine engineering firm
Take a Portsmouth marine engineering firm in a Port Solent unit developing autonomous navigation software for small survey vessels. Defence adjacent work raises a fair question about eligibility, and the answer depends on who funds the project and who owns the resulting intellectual property rather than on the sector itself. Where the company bears the risk, sensor integration and collision avoidance algorithm development are qualifying activity. Suppose that activity accounts for £37,580 of qualifying expenditure. The credit is £7,516 at the 20% merged scheme rate, and after the 25% main rate charge on the credit itself the net cash benefit is £5,637. Test tank equipment raises a separate capital allowances question, since specialist test rigs are plant rather than part of the building they sit in.
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 Portsmouth
Related reading
Guides for limited company owners
Free consultation
Speak to an accountant in Portsmouth
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