Accountants for a seaside town
Broadstairs is a small town with a lot of small businesses. Independent cafés, restaurants, gift shops and guest houses sit alongside builders, decorators and creative freelancers who live on the Isle of Thanet and work across the county. Many of them share one challenge: income that rises sharply over the summer and falls away in winter, while bills and tax keep arriving all year.
We help Broadstairs clients keep their figures clear through the quiet months as well as the busy ones. We work remotely, so you can send records whenever suits you and speak to us without closing the shop for an afternoon.
Seasonal trading and cash flow
When most of your takings come in between Easter and September, it pays to plan ahead. We can help you put money aside for tax, understand when payments on account fall due and spot quiet periods before they become a problem. For hospitality businesses with staff, we can also run payroll for seasonal and part-time staff, including starters and leavers, holiday pay calculations and the reports HMRC expects each pay period.
Services Broadstairs clients use most
- Self Assessment returns for sole traders, partners and people with rental income.
- Regular bookkeeping so takings, card payments and supplier bills are reconciled each month.
- VAT returns and advice on whether a VAT scheme suits your type of trade.
- Year-end accounts and Corporation Tax for limited companies.
- Accounts and tax for holiday lets, guest rooms and short-term rentals.
Holiday lets and short-term rentals
Plenty of property owners in and around Broadstairs let flats and cottages to visitors. The tax rules changed when the furnished holiday lettings regime was abolished from April 2025, so income from these properties is now treated in the same way as other residential lettings. If you haven't reviewed your position since then, our holiday let and Airbnb accounting service can check how the change affects your expenses, finance costs and any future sale.
What we'll need from you
- Bank statements, or access to your bank feed through your accounting software.
- Till reports or card terminal summaries if you take payments in person.
- Purchase invoices and receipts for business costs.
- Details of any staff, vehicles and equipment you've bought.
- Your Unique Taxpayer Reference and, for companies, the company number and authentication code.
Planning for the winter months
We find the quieter months are the best time to look at the year as a whole. Once the summer figures are in, we can review your margins, check that prices still cover rising costs and talk through any equipment or refurbishment you're planning before the next season starts. That way decisions are made with real numbers rather than guesswork.
Across Thanet and beyond
We work with clients throughout east Kent, from Broadstairs along the coast to Deal and Dover. If you'd like to talk through your situation, send us a message with a few details and we'll get back to you.
Accountants in Broadstairs: common questions
My business is busy in summer and quiet in winter. How should I plan for tax?
The simplest approach is to set aside a fixed percentage of takings during the busy months into a separate account. We can estimate your likely tax bill from your figures part-way through the year, so the percentage is realistic, and remind you when payments on account and balancing payments are due.
Do you work with guest houses and B&Bs?
Yes. We prepare accounts and tax returns for guest houses and bed and breakfasts, whether you trade as a sole trader, partnership or limited company. We'll look at how to split private and business use of the property and which running costs can be claimed.
I let a flat to holidaymakers. Has anything changed?
Yes. The special furnished holiday lettings tax treatment ended from April 2025, so those lettings now follow the general rules for residential property. That can affect how finance costs are relieved and which allowances apply. We can review your position and explain what it means for your returns.
Can I keep doing my own bookkeeping?
Of course. Many clients keep their own records in software and ask us to review them before each VAT return or at year end. We'll point out anything that needs correcting and show you how to avoid the same issue in future.