Startup Accountant, Lymington
Get your new business set up properly from the start.
Most new businesses spend their first year guessing — what to register for, when VAT kicks in, what the company actually owes HMRC. Supreme Consulting has been setting up and supporting new businesses in Lymington and across Hampshire since 2005. Fixed-fee pricing, cloud accounting included, and questions answered within one working day.
- Company structure and tax position clear before you trade
- VAT threshold monitored so registration never catches you off guard
- First-year accounts and corporation tax handled without the year-end scramble
- Cloud bookkeeping set up from day one on Xero or QuickBooks Online
No long-term contract. If things are not working after three months, you leave with clean books and nothing outstanding.
Get a free quote
Fixed pricing. Reply within one working day.
What our clients say
★★★★★
Held Your Hand Throughout
“Stuart holds your hand and advises throughout!”
★★★★★
Communication Always Prompt and Clear
“Communication is always prompt, professional, and easy to understand, which makes dealing with finances far less stressful.”
★★★★★
Quality Results at a Reasonable Price
“Stuart is a thorough efficient worker who produces good quality results at a reasonable price.”
★★★★★
Takes the Time to Explain Things
“They take the time to explain things.”
Sound familiar?
Starting a business is hard enough without the accounting fog.
Most new business owners in Lymington reach out having already incorporated, sometimes months ago, with no clear picture of what they owe, what records they should have kept, or when anything is actually due. The compliance calendar is not intuitive. Payroll, VAT thresholds, corporation tax deadlines, and self assessment all run on different timelines and missing any of them carries a penalty. None of this is complicated once someone experienced walks you through it, but left unattended it compounds quickly.
- No clear picture of what your new company owes HMRC or when
- Records not set up correctly from the start, creating catch-up work later
- Uncertain whether to register for VAT now or wait, and what the threshold means in practice
What a properly set-up startup looks like
The compliance calendar is managed, cloud bookkeeping runs from month one, and you know your tax position well before any deadline arrives. Getting the foundations right in year one saves a considerable amount of time and cost further down the road.
- Your obligations mapped out clearly before your first trading month ends
- Bookkeeping and records set up on Xero or QuickBooks Online from day one
- VAT threshold monitored on an ongoing basis, registration handled when the time comes
- Fixed-fee pricing from the outset — no hourly surprises as your questions accumulate
What new business owners say
Clients who came to us at startup stage — or shortly after — with questions, incomplete records, and a compliance calendar that made no sense to them.
I’m so grateful for the help received with my small cleaning business. Stuart holds your hand and advises throughout!
Very clear and gives excellent clarity on all situations when I am in doubt. Communication is always prompt, professional, and easy to understand, which makes dealing with finances far less stressful. They take the time to explain things.
Everything a new business needs covered
A startup package from Supreme Consulting covers your compliance obligations and gives you a cloud accounting foundation that scales as the business grows.
Company Setup and Compliance
Your corporation tax registration, VAT position, and PAYE setup are handled correctly from the outset. Year-end accounts and the CT600 are prepared and filed on time, with no last-minute panic. You will know your tax bill months before it falls due.
Core complianceCloud Bookkeeping from Day One
Xero or QuickBooks Online configured to match how your business actually operates, with bank feeds connected and a chart of accounts that makes sense. Monthly bookkeeping means your records are always current and year-end holds no surprises. Real-time figures, available whenever you need them.
Included as standardOngoing Advisory and Tax Planning
As the business develops, your tax position needs active management — salary and dividend mix, expense treatment, cash flow planning. Management accounts and quarterly check-ins are available as the workload grows. The advice scales with the business rather than arriving too late to act on.
Available add-onClients across Hampshire, consistently satisfied
Small businesses, sole traders, and new limited companies who wanted an accountant who would actually explain what was happening and be available when needed.
Thorough, Efficient, Good Value
“Stuart is a thorough efficient worker who produces good quality results at a reasonable price.”
Holds Your Hand Throughout
“I’m so grateful for the help received with my small cleaning business. Stuart holds your hand and advises throughout!”
Prompt, Professional, Easy to Understand
“Communication is always prompt, professional, and easy to understand, which makes dealing with finances far less stressful. They take the time to explain things.”
What makes this different from any other local accountant
Not a large practice where a startup gets handed to a junior. Not a one-person operation with limited bandwidth. An established firm with two decades of experience, working directly with small business owners.
21 years of startup experience
Supreme Consulting has been setting up and advising new businesses since 2005. That means the questions you have in year one — structure, VAT, payroll, director salary — have been answered many times before, for businesses in Hampshire not unlike yours. You will not be paying for someone to figure it out as they go.
Cloud accounting built in
Xero and QuickBooks Online are included as part of the service, not an optional extra billed separately. Your bookkeeping is set up correctly from the start, with integrations configured to reduce the manual work on your side. Real-time visibility into your numbers from month one.
Fixed fees, no hourly surprises
Startup founders ask a lot of questions. That is entirely reasonable and it should not generate an invoice every time you pick up the phone. Supreme Consulting prices on a fixed-fee basis so you know the cost upfront and asking for clarity never feels like it carries a meter.
Up and running in four steps
The process is designed to be as straightforward as possible. Most clients are fully onboarded within two weeks of their first call.
A brief discovery call
A short, no-obligation conversation covering your business, where you are in the setup process, and what you actually need an accountant to handle. No preparation required on your part. You will leave knowing what the right structure looks like and what the next step is.
A clear, fixed-fee proposal
A written proposal covering the scope, timeline, and cost — with no ambiguity about what is included. You can ask questions before signing anything. There are no hidden add-ons that appear once you are onboarded.
Onboarding and cloud setup
Cloud accounting is configured, bank feeds are connected, and any existing records are reviewed or cleaned up. If your books are behind, a catch-up cost is quoted upfront. The transition is handled without you needing to manage it.
Your business running with clear numbers
Compliance is managed on a calendar you do not have to think about. Questions get answered within one working day. Your tax position is visible and planned in advance rather than discovered at year-end. Which is, frankly, the way it should be from the start.
“Stuart is a thorough efficient worker who produces good quality results at a reasonable price.”
Things new business owners usually ask
Do I need an accountant right away, or can I wait until my first year-end?
Getting the structure right before you start trading — salary versus dividends, VAT registration timing, expense categories — is considerably easier than correcting it afterwards. Most of the tax savings available to a new limited company depend on decisions made in the first few months. Waiting until year-end usually means a catch-up bill and fewer options available to you.
What does startup accounting actually cost and what is included?
Pricing is fixed-fee and scoped to what your business actually needs. A typical new limited company package covers year-end accounts, the CT600 corporation tax return, confirmation statement filing, and director’s self assessment. Bookkeeping, payroll, and VAT returns are costed separately and added to a monthly retainer where needed. You will receive a written quote before anything starts — no hourly rates and no surprise invoices.
I incorporated a few months ago and have not kept proper records. Can you still help?
Yes. Catch-up bookkeeping is a routine part of what we do. The cost of bringing records up to date is quoted upfront so you know exactly what the clean-up will cost before committing. Once the backlog is cleared, the ongoing monthly service keeps everything current. Coming in with books in some state of disarray is far more common than you might think.
Is there a minimum contract or lock-in period?
There is no long-term contract. Services run on a monthly retainer and require reasonable notice to wind down. If things are not working after a few months, you leave with your records transferred and nothing outstanding. The aim is to be the kind of accountant you have no reason to leave, not one you are contractually stuck with.
Should I set up as a sole trader or a limited company?
It depends on your expected profit, your risk profile, and how you intend to take money out of the business. For most contractors and consultants earning above a certain threshold, a limited company carries a meaningful tax advantage. For lower-turnover or part-time trades, sole trader is often simpler and perfectly adequate. We cover this in the first call so you start on the right footing.
When do I need to register for VAT and how will I know when I am close to the threshold?
The VAT registration threshold is based on a rolling 12-month turnover figure, not a calendar year, which catches a number of growing businesses off guard. As part of the ongoing service, your turnover is monitored against the threshold and you will be told in advance when registration is approaching. Registration itself is handled for you, along with the move to Making Tax Digital-compliant VAT returns.
Related services for Lymington businesses
Get your startup set up properly from day one.
A short discovery call is all it takes to establish what your new business needs and what it will cost. Fixed-fee pricing, cloud accounting included, and questions answered within one working day.