The Liverpool business picture
The Liverpool post town had 37,425 active companies on the Companies House register at 1 September 2026, and 7,337 new companies were set up there in the 12 months to August 2026. That is 196.0 new companies for every 1,000 active ones, against 137.5 across the UK. It puts Liverpool 13th of the 175 UK post towns with at least 5,000 companies, so company formation in the city runs well ahead of the national rate.
The wider L postcode area, which also takes in towns such as Bootle, Prescot and Ormskirk, has 47,444 active companies. 8,683 new companies were set up across the area in the same period, which is 183.0 per 1,000.
These figures count registered companies only. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are not on the Companies House register, so a self-employed decorator or tutor working across the city does not appear in them. A company's registered office is also not always where it trades, and addresses holding 1,000 or more companies, such as formation agents, are left out.
How many accountancy firms are there?
The Liverpool post town has 328 accountancy firms set up as companies, one for every 114 companies. The UK figure is one for every 83, so there are fewer incorporated practices for each company than in most of the country. Liverpool ranks 13th of 175 towns when they are ordered from the most companies per firm to the fewest. Across the L postcode area there are 402 firms, one for every 118 companies. Sole practitioners and LLPs are not in the count, so the real number of accountants is higher.
With so many new companies each year, a lot of people in Liverpool are choosing an accountant for the first time. Your Self Assessment, company accounts and VAT returns are all filed online, so the useful questions are whether an accountant understands your kind of work, whether the fee is fixed and whether you speak to the same person each time.
Industries that stand out in Liverpool
A location quotient compares how common a trade is locally with how common it is across the UK: 1.5 means the trade makes up one and a half times the UK share of companies. The figures in this section are for companies with a Liverpool registered office, not the whole L postcode area.
Solicitors
There are 138 solicitor companies with a Liverpool registered office, a location quotient of 1.5. Law firms set up as LLPs or partnerships are not in this data, so the true picture is wider. Any firm that holds client money must obtain an accountant's report within six months of the end of each accounting period under the SRA Accounts Rules. Partners whose accounting year does not end between 31 March and 5 April have also moved to the tax year basis, with the extra transition profit spread over five tax years ending in 2027/28. Our page on accountants for solicitors covers both.
Performing arts
Performing arts has 258 companies, a location quotient of 1.45. HMRC's guidance for actors and performers says employment status depends on each engagement looked at alongside the performer's wider business, so one person can have work taxed in different ways. Costumes for actors and entertainers are an allowable expense, but everyday clothing is not, even if you only wear it on stage. See accountants for actors.
Hairdressing and beauty
Hairdressing and beauty has 780 companies, a location quotient of 1.4. A VAT-registered salon that rents chairs to self-employed stylists must charge VAT on those rentals, and tips count as taxable income whether they are paid to you directly or shared out. Read more on accountants for hairdressers.
Advertising agencies
Advertising agencies have 372 companies, a location quotient of 1.2. When an agency supplies services to a business customer, the general VAT rule is that the supply is made where the customer belongs, so work for an overseas business client is often outside the scope of UK VAT. HMRC expects you to keep commercial evidence that the customer is in business abroad. See accountants for marketing agencies.
Other trades sit close to the UK average in Liverpool, including therapy and other health services (1.14), electrical installation (1.09) and taxi operation (1.05).
Local practicalities in Liverpool
No charging Clean Air Zone
Liverpool City Council has moved away from a charging Clean Air Zone. Its Clean Air Plan uses measures such as traffic signal changes, bus stop changes and enforcement against engine idling instead, and Liverpool is not on the GOV.UK list of clean air zones. A taxi or van driver working in the city does not pay a daily clean air charge to enter it.
Taxi and private hire licensing
Liverpool City Council licenses hackney carriage and private hire drivers, issues vehicle plates and grants private hire operator licences. Every driver renewing a licence must provide a tax check code, and new drivers must pass the Liverpool Standard Part 2 course within 12 months of their first licence. The tax check confirms you are registered for tax where you need to be. HMRC says you must complete it yourself, not through an accountant, and the 9-character code lasts 120 days. Details are on the council's taxi licensing pages, and our taxi driver accountants page covers the tax side.
Business rates
Business rates in Liverpool are billed by Liverpool City Council. Since 1 April 2026 there have been five business rates multipliers: 43.2p for most properties with a rateable value below £51,000, and 38.2p for smaller retail, hospitality and leisure properties. Small business rate relief follows the national rules, so a business using one property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less pays nothing, and relief tapers away between £12,001 and £15,000. Ask the council to check your eligibility, and see its relief and reductions page for transitional relief and the other schemes. Properties with a rateable value of £40,000 or more inside one of the city's Business Improvement Districts also pay a BID levy.
Business support
Growth Platform is the Liverpool City Region's business support service. Its Local Growth Hub is a single point of access to local and national support and funding, with help for start-ups as well as established businesses. The LCR Finance Hub is a free gateway for small and medium-sized businesses looking for external funding.
Working with an online accountant in Liverpool
GoForma does not have an office in Liverpool. We are an online accountancy practice based at 40 Bowling Green Lane, London EC1R 0NE, and we work with clients across the UK by phone, video, email and WhatsApp. Our accountants are ACCA and AAT qualified, and FreeAgent accounting software is included in every package.
If you are self-employed, the Start Sole Trader package gives you a dedicated accountant and your Self Assessment return for £44 a month, with 50% off the first three months. For a limited company, the Start Bundle covers year-end accounts, the Corporation Tax return and payroll for one director for £88 a month, also with 50% off the first three months. Prices exclude VAT, run month to month and are all on our packages page. If you are not sure which suits you, book a free consultation first.