What is a contractor accountant?
A contractor accountant manages the accounting, tax and compliance affairs of independent contractors, usually those working through their own limited company on day rates. An accountant who works with contractors deals with IR35 status, salary and dividend planning, allowable contractor expenses and HMRC filings as routine, so nothing about your situation is unusual to them.
GoForma's contractor accountants are ACCA and AAT qualified and handle everything from company formation through to year-end accounts, for a fixed monthly fee on a rolling monthly contract.
What our contractor accounting service covers
Depending on your package, GoForma covers the compliance cycle for your limited company:
- Limited company year-end accounts: prepared and filed with Companies House and HMRC.
- Corporation Tax return (CT600): prepared and filed with HMRC.
- Self Assessment for the director: your personal return done alongside the company's (Operate and Grow Bundles), so nothing falls between the gaps.
- VAT registration and quarterly returns: included in the Operate and Grow Bundles.
- Director payroll (PAYE): monthly payroll filing for the director.
- Salary and dividend planning: help deciding how to take income from your company.
- IR35 guidance and contract reviews: an IR35 review on every contract, see below.
- FreeAgent accounting software included: bank feeds, invoicing, expenses and a real-time tax timeline, included in every package (worth £360 a year).
- A dedicated accountant: reachable by phone, video, email or WhatsApp.
IR35 support for contractors
IR35 is the single biggest tax issue facing UK contractors. Get your status wrong and you can face backdated tax, National Insurance and penalties, and on the same day rate your take-home pay differs a lot between working inside and outside IR35.
We help you:
- Understand what IR35 is and how it applies to each engagement, including the off-payroll working rules where your end client determines status.
- Review contracts and working practices before you sign, so status risk is caught early.
- Model the numbers with our outside IR35 take-home pay calculator and quick IR35 assessment tool.
- Structure salary, dividends and pension contributions correctly for outside-IR35 engagements, and understand how you are paid when a contract falls inside.
Limited company or umbrella: which is right for you?
Working through your own limited company gives contractors on outside-IR35 engagements more flexibility: you decide when to take dividends, can leave profit in the company and can make employer pension contributions, in exchange for more admin and running costs. An umbrella company makes sense for short stints, inside-IR35 contracts, or when you want minimal admin. See our independent guide to the best UK umbrella companies.
Some contractors run a hybrid career: limited company for outside-IR35 work, umbrella when a role falls inside. We advise on the switch in both directions, and our sole trader vs limited company vs umbrella guide walks through the full comparison. If you're starting fresh, we can set up your limited company as a one-off service, discounted for new accounting clients.
How much do contractor accountants cost?
GoForma pricing is fixed and monthly (prices exclude VAT):
- Start Bundle: £88/month (50% off for your first 3 months: £44/month). For an active limited company below the VAT threshold: dedicated accountant, year-end accounts and CT600, director payroll, an IR35 review on every contract and FreeAgent included.
- Operate Bundle: £128/month (£64/month for the first 3 months). Everything in Start plus VAT registration and quarterly returns, Self Assessment for 1 director, a London business address with digital mail, and confirmation statement filing. Built for VAT-registered contractors.
- Lite Bundle: £28/month for dormant or low-activity companies under £20k turnover that manage their own books, with FreeAgent, a support inbox and 2 accountant discussions a year.
Packages are rolling monthly, you can cancel anytime, and every package has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Compare every package on our pricing page or get a personalised recommendation with our instant quote tool.
Switching to GoForma from your current accountant
Switching accountants feels harder than it is. In practice you make one decision and we do the rest:
- Book a free consultation: we review your situation, confirm the right package and answer any questions about timing (mid-year switches are completely normal).
- We contact your old accountant: requesting professional clearance and your records.
- We request the authorisations: HMRC agent authorisations for Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE and Self Assessment, and your FreeAgent account is set up.
- You carry on invoicing: your contracting carries on while the handover happens.
Why contractors choose GoForma
- A dedicated accountant: an ACCA or AAT qualified accountant looks after you year-round, reachable on WhatsApp.
- Fixed monthly fees: FreeAgent software (worth £360 a year) and your package's filings are in the monthly price.
- IR35 reviews as standard: an IR35 review on every contract from the Start Bundle up.
- Online, with a London base: everything is handled remotely through your dashboard, and with the Operate Bundle your business address can be ours in central London.
- Rated 4.9 on Google from 72 reviews: and 4.8 on Trustpilot from 142 reviews, with a 30-day money-back guarantee on every package.
Support for every kind of contractor
We act for IT and software contractors, engineers, project managers and management consultants, financial-services contractors, locum doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals, and construction contractors working under CIS. Whatever your sector, the fundamentals are the same: protect your IR35 position, structure income tax-efficiently, and never miss a deadline.
Ready to talk it through? Book a free consultation with a qualified accountant, or run your numbers through the contractor take-home pay calculator first.
IT and Technology Contractors
