--- title: Accountants for Consultants | ESXR description: Specialist accountancy for independent consultants — IR35, company structure and year-round tax planning handled by a Chartered Tax Adviser, not a tick-box. Fixed fees, UK-wide, fully remote. --- [Skip to content](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#main-content) [![Eat Sleep Excel Repeat Logo](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/ESXR%20Tshirt%20Transparent.png?width=70&height=70&name=ESXR%20Tshirt%20Transparent.png "Eat Sleep Excel Repeat Logo")](https://www.esxr.co.uk?hsLang=en) - [Home](https://esxr.co.uk) - Who I help - [Creative agencies](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-creative-agencies) - [Consultants](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants) - [Film, TV and media](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-film-tv-and-media) - [Content creators](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-content-creators) - [Meet me](https://esxr.co.uk/book-a-meeting) - [Reviews](https://esxr.co.uk/#customer-reviews) - [Pricing](https://esxr.co.uk/#pricing) - [Insights](https://esxr.co.uk/blog) - [About](https://esxr.co.uk/about) - [020 8938 3736](tel:+442089383736) - [Contact](https://esxr.co.uk/contact-us?hsLang=en) Accountants for # Consultants ![Three colleagues in a meeting](https://esxr.co.uk/hubfs/CreativeAgenciesSquare.webp) ## More than a tax return Independent consulting gives you freedom — but the financial side carries decisions most accountants never really help you with: - **Choosing the right structure** — sole trader or limited company is the biggest tax decision you'll make, and the right answer shifts as you grow. - **IR35 and off-payroll** — your status is decided by how you actually work, not what your contract says, and getting it wrong is expensive. - **Drawing profit tax-efficiently** — the salary-and-dividend balance, pension planning, and what to do with profit you don't need yet. - **Irregular income** — retainers, day rates and gaps between engagements make cash flow and tax bills harder to predict. - **Two sets of obligations** — running a company means company filings *and* your own self-assessment, with more deadlines to miss. - **Making Tax Digital** — from April 2026, sole traders earning over £50,000 will need to keep digital records and file quarterly. My job is to take all of that off your plate — and, just as importantly, to help you make the right calls *before* the deadlines, not after. If you've been let down by an accountant who only surfaces once a year, or who treats IR35 as a tick-box, that's exactly who I built ESXR for. Why not **book a meeting with me** today? [Book a meeting](https://esxr.co.uk/book-a-meeting?hsLang=en) [Get a quote](https://esxr.co.uk/get-a-quote?hsLang=en) ## Questions consultants always ask... ##### [QUESTION Why do consultants need a specialist accountant?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse1-dnd_area-module-6) Any accountant can file your return. The value is in the decisions you make *before* then — how you're structured, your IR35 position on each engagement, how you draw money from the business, and planning across the whole year rather than scrambling every January. That's where I focus, and it's usually worth far more than the fee.  ##### [QUESTION How do you handle IR35?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse2-dnd_area-module-6) IR35 is the single biggest tax risk most consultants carry, and it's decided by the reality of your engagement — control, substitution, mutuality of obligation — not the words in your contract. As a Chartered Tax Adviser I go deeper than a CEST result: I review your actual working practices on each engagement and help you keep the evidence that protects you if HMRC ever asks. And with the off-payroll rules changing from April 2026, more of that responsibility is shifting back onto you — so getting it right matters more than ever.  ##### [QUESTION Should I be a sole trader or a limited company?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse3-dnd_area-module-6) It's the most important tax decision you'll make as a consultant, and the honest answer is "it depends" — on your profit level, your IR35 position, and what you want to draw from the business. Rather than give you a one-size answer, I'll model both for your situation, and revisit it as things change.  ##### [QUESTION How quickly can I expect a response to my questions?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse4-dnd_area-module-6)  Although I promise to respond within 48 hours, it's usually within 24 — if not the same day. All human responses, no AI chatbots.  ##### [QUESTION How do I communicate with you?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse5-dnd_area-module-6) My preferred methods are email for correspondence and Microsoft Teams for meetings and calls (Zoom and Google are fine too). WhatsApp and SMS work for short or urgent requests, and I use a telephone answering service for any call-back requests.      ##### [QUESTIONS How much do you charge?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse6-dnd_area-module-6) I operate a fixed-fee policy. I never discount, and I use the same pricing menu for every client — I think that's the fairest way, and it means every client gets the same commitment and respect. I'll work with you to get the right balance of services for your budget, and you'll never pay for a service you don't need. ##### [QUESTIONS What if I want to leave?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse7-dnd_area-module-6) All I ask is 30 days' notice, so I can finish any work in progress and hand over to your new accountant properly. I'll never present you with an extra bill on the way out. ##### [QUESTIONS How do I get started?](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants#collapse8-dnd_area-module-6) You can either **book a meeting with me** to talk through your business and how I can help, or **get a quote** online.   [Book a meeting](https://esxr.co.uk/book-a-meeting?hsLang=en) [Get a quote](https://esxr.co.uk/get-a-quote?hsLang=en) ## Don't just take my word for it ![06AlexRado](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/06AlexRado.webp?width=640&height=474&name=06AlexRado.webp)   ## Don't just take my word for it ![07LaurenceHodgens](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/07LaurenceHodgens.webp?width=640&height=474&name=07LaurenceHodgens.webp)   ## Don't just take my word for it ![05ChrisNorton](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/05ChrisNorton.webp?width=640&height=474&name=05ChrisNorton.webp)   ## Don't just take my word for it ![01PaulMankerty](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/01PaulMankerty.webp?width=640&height=474&name=01PaulMankerty.webp)   ## Don't just take my word for it ![03JoeDaniels](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/03JoeDaniels.webp?width=640&height=474&name=03JoeDaniels.webp)   ## Don't just take my word for it ![02PeteAldridge-1](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/02PeteAldridge-1.webp?width=640&height=474&name=02PeteAldridge-1.webp)   ## Don't just take my word for it ![04MichaelPark](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/04MichaelPark.webp?width=640&height=474&name=04MichaelPark.webp)   [![Eat Sleep Excel Repeat logo](https://esxr.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/ESXR%20Tshirt%20(80x80blk).png?width=80&height=80&name=ESXR%20Tshirt%20(80x80blk).png "Eat Sleep Excel Repeat logo")](https://esxr.co.uk/?hsLang=en) I believe service-based businesses are the beating heart of the UK’s economy. My mission is to free you from the financial and administrative burden of being in business. ### Pages - [Home](https://esxr.co.uk) - [Get a quote](https://esxr.co.uk/get-a-quote) - [Book a meeting](https://esxr.co.uk/book-a-meeting) - [Creative agencies](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-creative-agencies) - [Consultants](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-consultants) - [Film, TV and media](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-film-tv-and-media) - [Content creators](https://esxr.co.uk/accountants-for-content-creators) - [About](https://esxr.co.uk/about) - [Contact](https://esxr.co.uk/contact-us) #### Resources - [Insights](https://esxr.co.uk/blog) - [MTD Guide for Creatives](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-your-complete-guide-for-creative-freelancers) - [HMRC Rules for TV and Film Freelancers](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/understanding-hmrcs-self-employment-rules-for-film-and-tv-freelancers) - [Companies House ID Changes](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/the-november-companies-house-shake-up-what-creative-business-owners-must-do-now) - [IR35 and the creative industry](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/how-ir35-affects-freelancers-in-the-creative-industry) - [HMRC tax payment plans](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/how-to-set-up-a-time-to-pay-arrangement-with-hmrc-when-you-cant-pay-your-tax-bill) - [Freelancer to limited company](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/moving-your-freelance-practice-into-a-limited-company-the-tax-accounting-implications-every-creative-should-understand) - [HMRC compliance checks](https://esxr.co.uk/blog/hmrc-compliance-checks-what-to-do-if-one-lands-on-your-doorstep) #### Information - [hello@esxr.co.uk](mailto:hello@esxr.co.uk?subject=Website%20enquiry) - [020 8938 3736](tel:+442089383736) - Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm --- - [Terms and conditions](https://app.usesocket.com/practice/01jp7zghc7mqrr7bgajh904w0t/eat-sleep-excel-repeat/terms-of-business) - [Privacy policy](https://app.usesocket.com/practice/01jp7zghc7mqrr7bgajh904w0t/eat-sleep-excel-repeat/privacy-policy)