Accountancy for Rochester businesses and organisations
Rochester is one of Kent's best-known historic towns, with its cathedral, castle and long High Street of independent shops, antiques and second-hand dealers, pubs and cafés. Visitor numbers rise around festivals and events, while the wider Medway area brings professional firms, trades and plenty of owner-managed companies. Rochester also has an active voluntary sector, from heritage groups to community charities.
We support Rochester clients remotely, using secure document sharing, cloud software and video calls.
Independent retail and hospitality
For High Street shops and hospitality businesses, good records start with daily takings and stock. We provide bookkeeping, VAT returns and year-end accounts, and we can help you understand gross margins by product line. If you sell second-hand goods or antiques, we can explain whether a VAT margin scheme is worth considering for your sales.
Charities and community organisations
Charity accounts follow their own rules, including restricted and unrestricted funds and, for charities preparing accruals accounts, the Charities SORP. Our charity accounts service prepares the accounts and trustees' annual report in the right format. Where your charity needs an independent examination, we can arrange independent examination carried out by an examiner who meets the requirements for your charity's income level. We do not carry out statutory audits. For social enterprises, we also prepare CIC accounts including the community interest report.
Limited companies and directors
- Statutory accounts and Corporation Tax returns.
- Confirmation statements and company record-keeping.
- Director pay planning, dividends and director's loan account reviews.
- Payroll for small teams.
How we work
- We start with a conversation about your organisation and its year end.
- We agree a written scope and quote.
- We collect records, or connect to your software through its accountant invitation.
- We prepare, explain and file your accounts and returns.
What we will need
For businesses: bank statements, sales and purchase records, stock figures and payroll details. For charities: bank statements, details of grants and restricted funds, minutes recording significant decisions and the previous year's accounts.
Support for new businesses in Rochester
If you are opening a shop, café or studio in Rochester, the first few months are the best time to set up good habits. We can help you register with HMRC, decide whether to trade as a sole trader or a company, choose simple bookkeeping software and understand when VAT registration might apply. Getting these basics right early saves time and cost later.
We also help established businesses review their records, tidy up their software and make sure they are claiming everything they are entitled to.
We also work with clients in Maidstone and Rainham. If your business or charity is in Rochester, send us a message and we will be in touch.
Accountants in Rochester: common questions
Do you carry out charity audits?
No, we do not offer statutory audits. Where a charity needs an independent examination instead of an audit, we can arrange one carried out by an examiner who meets the requirements for your charity's income level. We also prepare the accounts and trustees' annual report.
I sell antiques. Should I use the VAT margin scheme?
If you are VAT-registered and buy second-hand goods on which no VAT was charged, the margin scheme may let you account for VAT on your profit margin rather than the full selling price. It has strict record-keeping rules. We can check whether it suits your business.
What is a community interest company report?
A CIC must file a community interest company report with its annual accounts, explaining how it has benefited the community and covering matters such as director pay and asset transfers. We prepare it alongside your accounts so both are filed together.
Can you help if my shop's stock records are poor?
Yes. We can agree a practical year-end stock count method, value stock correctly in the accounts and suggest simple ways to track it during the year. Better stock records usually give a much clearer picture of your real profit margins.