Your questions, answered.

Abi's worked on both sides — accountancy practice and in-house finance. That means the books aren't just kept tidy for HMRC. They're structured so your accountant has something useful to work with, and you can actually understand what's going on in your own business. There's also only one person involved — the same person does the work, answers questions, and knows your accounts.

Straightforward. You get a direct line to the person doing the work. Questions get answered. If something looks off, you'll hear about it — you won't find out at year-end. The aim is that you feel informed and on top of things throughout the year, not just at deadline time.

A bookkeeper handles the day-to-day: recording transactions, reconciling bank accounts, keeping records accurate, and producing regular reports. An accountant typically handles year-end statutory accounts and corporation tax returns. There's overlap on things like VAT returns, Self Assessment, and management reporting. Together — a good bookkeeper and a good accountant — you get the full picture covered without paying accountant rates for work that doesn't need it.

Yes. Most of the work is done in the cloud. We're based in Hull, but we work with clients across East Yorkshire and further afield by Zoom, phone, WhatsApp, or email. Location rarely matters once the software is set up.

Book a call. It takes about 20 minutes, doesn't require any prep, and usually answers whether it's a good fit. From there, we agree what's needed, set things up, and get going.

Fees are based on transaction volume, complexity, and what the service needs to cover. Where possible, you get a fixed monthly figure — so you know what you're paying before the month starts, and there are no surprise invoices when a deadline comes around. Fees are reviewed only if transaction levels change significantly.

No. Most clients are on fixed monthly packages. Hourly billing creates an incentive to be slow and makes it hard to budget. A fixed fee means you can ask questions without watching the clock.

The main factors are how many transactions go through the business each month, how many bank accounts and payment platforms need reconciling, and what services are included — bookkeeping only, VAT returns, management accounts, MTD ITSA submissions, or a combination.

No. Payroll is a specialism with its own compliance requirements and software. Books In Order focuses on bookkeeping, management accounts, VAT, Self Assessment for sole traders, and software setup. For payroll, we'll point you towards someone who does it properly — and hand over clean books to make their job easier.

Statutory accounts for limited companies need to be filed by a qualified accountant. Books In Order doesn't do company accounts filing directly, but maintains bookkeeping records to a standard that makes your accountant's job significantly easier and should reduce their bill. We're happy to recommend an accountant and handle the handover.

Yes, for sole traders. Self Assessment for sole traders with straightforward affairs — self-employment income, property rental income — is within scope. Complex personal tax situations are referred to a specialist.

Xero, primarily. It's HMRC-recognised, fully MTD-compatible, and has the best bank feed coverage in the UK. QuickBooks and FreeAgent are both supported if you're already on one and don't want to change. If you don't have anything set up yet, we'll recommend what suits your business and configure it properly.