Agency finance fundamentals
The definitive pillar guides we wish every agency founder had read before incorporating, hiring, or selling.
Agency Finance Essentials
Agency Finance Fundamentals: The Complete Founder's Guide
This is the definitive guide to agency finance fundamentals for UK founders. It covers cash flow management, profit and loss analysis, margin structures, the KPIs that matter, software choices, and the financial hygiene habits that separate thriving agencies from those that fail. Written by ICAEW-qualified accountants who work exclusively with agency founders.
Tax and Compliance
Agency Tax Compliance UK: The Definitive Pillar Guide for Founders
This is the definitive guide to agency tax compliance in the UK for 2025/26. Written by ICAEW-qualified accountants who work exclusively with agency founders, it covers corporation tax, VAT, PAYE, P11D reporting, R&D tax credits, Making Tax Digital, and capital gains planning. You will find specific HMRC forms, real deadlines, and worked examples throughout.
Agency Accountant Services
How to Choose an Accountant for Your Agency: The Definitive Founder's Guide
Choosing the right accountant is one of the most important decisions an agency founder makes. This guide covers what a specialist agency accountant actually does, how much you should expect to pay, the questions you must ask before signing, and when it's time to switch. Written by an ICAEW-qualified accountant who works with 73+ UK and UAE agency founders.
Incorporation and Structure
Incorporating Your Agency: The Definitive Guide to Structure
This is the definitive guide for UK agency founders considering incorporation. We cover sole trader vs limited company trade-offs, the optimal timing for incorporation, holding company structures, alphabet shares, and the full process from start to finish. Written by ICAEW-qualified accountants who work exclusively with agency founders.
International Agencies
International Operations for UK Agencies: The Definitive Guide
Expanding your UK agency into international markets is a major strategic move, but the financial and legal pitfalls are real. This guide covers everything from setting up a UAE entity and managing cross-border VAT to understanding non-dom rules and structuring for a profitable exit. Written by an ICAEW-qualified accountant who works exclusively with agency founders, it is the definitive resource for taking your agency global.
Contractors and IR35
IR35 for Agencies: The Complete Guide to Off-Payroll Working
IR35 is the single biggest tax risk for agencies engaging contractors. This guide covers the off-payroll working rules, including when you must issue a Status Determination Statement (SDS), how the CEST tool works, and what happens when you get it wrong. Written for UK agency founders who engage freelancers, contractors, or interim staff.
Making Tax Digital
Making Tax Digital for Agency Founders: The Complete Survival Guide
Making Tax Digital is the single biggest change to UK tax administration in a generation, and agency founders are directly in scope. This guide covers everything you need to know, from MTD for VAT to the incoming MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment, with specific deadlines, software recommendations, and a practical action checklist. Written by ICAEW-qualified accountants who work with 73+ UK and UAE agency founders.
Salary and Dividends
The Definitive Guide to Paying Yourself as an Agency Founder: Salary, Dividends and Pension
This is the definitive guide for UK agency founders on how to pay yourself. It covers the optimal split between salary and dividends, the tax implications of each, how to use pension contributions to reduce your corporation tax bill, and the role of spouse shareholdings. Written by ICAEW-qualified accountants who work exclusively with agency founders, this guide gives you the numbers, the forms, and the strategy.
Growth and Exit
Selling Your Agency: The Complete Tax-Efficient Exit Guide
Selling your agency is likely the biggest financial event of your life. This pillar guide covers everything from BADR and earn-outs to goodwill valuation and due diligence, written from the perspective of an ICAEW-qualified accountant who has advised on dozens of agency exits. Whether you’re planning a trade sale, an MBO, or a phased exit, you’ll find the numbers, forms, and strategy you need to keep more of what you’ve built.