What Does an Accountant Do? | Barton Accountancy

What we do

An accountant does far more than file tax returns.

Most people's mental model of an accountant is 'the person who files my tax return'. That's one part of the job. But if that's all you're getting, you're paying for a filing service, not accounting.

A good accountant is a cross between a tax specialist, a business advisor and a second brain for your finances. Here are the main things we actually do for small business clients week to week and month to month.

Our core jobs

Everything an accountant should cover.

Everything is included in your fixed monthly fee. No extras, no surprises.

Compliance filing

Annual accounts, tax returns, VAT, payroll — all the statutory stuff filed on time.

Tax planning

Proactive strategy to minimise your tax bill legally, before year-end.

Bookkeeping & Xero

Keeping your numbers accurate and current, month-to-month.

Business advice

Structure, pricing, hiring, capex — we're a sounding board for decisions.

HMRC liaison

Any letters, enquiries, investigations or penalties — we deal with HMRC for you.

Reporting & analysis

Management accounts, cash flow, KPIs — so you can actually understand your business.

Sound familiar?

Most businesses don't have an accountant.
They have a filing service.

If any of these ring true, you're not getting what you should be.

01

You only hear from them at year-end

No check-ins, no planning, no conversation. Just a bill and a set of accounts you don't fully understand.

02

You're never sure where you stand

Your numbers are months out of date. You're making decisions based on gut feel, not real figures.

03

Surprise invoices keep landing

An email here, a phone call there — and suddenly your bill is twice what you expected. No one told you.

Common questions

Things people ask us.

Do I need an accountant if I'm a sole trader?

Legally, no. Practically, yes in most cases. Even for a simple sole trader business, a good accountant will save more in tax and penalties than they cost — especially once Making Tax Digital is fully live.

What's the difference between an accountant and a bookkeeper?

Bookkeeping is recording transactions. Accounting is interpreting them, planning around them, filing statutory returns, and advising. Many accountants do both; most bookkeepers don't do the accounting side.

Can't I just use software instead of an accountant?

Software helps with the data entry part, but it doesn't give you advice, doesn't spot tax-saving opportunities, doesn't talk to HMRC for you, and doesn't sign off your statutory accounts. For a business over hobby-scale, software + accountant is almost always the right combination.

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