What is a contractor accountant?
A contractor accountant is a specialist who manages the accounting, tax and compliance affairs of independent contractors — usually those working through their own limited company on day rates. Unlike a general high-street accountant, a contractor specialist deals with IR35 status, salary and dividend planning, allowable contractor expenses and HMRC filings every single day, so nothing about your situation is unusual to them.
GoForma's contractor accountants are ACCA and AAT qualified, look after over 1,000 UK businesses, and handle everything from company formation through to year-end accounts — for a fixed monthly fee with no tie-in.
What our contractor accounting service covers
Every GoForma contractor package includes the complete compliance cycle for your limited company, plus the proactive advice that actually saves you money:
- Limited company year-end accounts — prepared and filed with Companies House and HMRC.
- Corporation Tax return (CT600) — calculated, optimised and filed on time, every time.
- Self Assessment for the director — your personal return done alongside the company's, so nothing falls between the gaps.
- VAT registration and quarterly returns — including flat-rate scheme advice where it benefits you.
- Director payroll (PAYE) — run monthly at the optimum salary level for the current tax year.
- Salary and dividend planning — reviewed through the year, not just at year-end, so you take income in the most tax-efficient mix.
- IR35 guidance and contract reviews — see below; this is where a specialist earns their fee.
- FreeAgent accounting software included — bank feeds, invoicing, expenses and a real-time tax timeline, included in every package.
- Unlimited support from a named accountant — by phone, video, email or WhatsApp. You speak to the same person every time, and meetings are never charged.
IR35 support that actually protects you
IR35 is the single biggest tax issue facing UK contractors. Get your status wrong and you can face backdated tax, National Insurance and penalties; get it right and the difference between working inside and outside IR35 on the same day rate can be thousands of pounds a year.
As specialist contractor accountants 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 run compliant payroll where a contract falls inside.
Limited company or umbrella — which is right for you?
Working through your own limited company is usually the most tax-efficient option for contractors earning £300+ per day on outside-IR35 engagements: you control your income mix, claim a wider range of expenses, and keep the employer's NI an umbrella would deduct. An umbrella company makes sense for short stints, inside-IR35 contracts, or when you want zero admin — see our independent guide to the best UK umbrella companies.
Many of our clients 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 — usually within 24 hours — and register you for Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE in one go.
How much do contractor accountants cost?
UK contractor accountants typically charge £100–£160 per month, often with setup fees, charged meetings, or software billed separately. GoForma pricing is fixed, transparent and all-inclusive:
- Start Bundle — £88/month (50% off for your first 3 months: from £44/month). Full compliance for an active limited company below the VAT threshold: year-end accounts, Corporation Tax, director payroll, Self Assessment and FreeAgent included.
- Operate Bundle — £128/month (from £64/month with the intro offer). Everything in Start plus VAT registration and quarterly returns, a London business address with same-day mail scanning, and confirmation statement filing — the typical choice for VAT-registered contractors.
- Essentials — £28/month for dormant or low-turnover companies that just need filings handled and an accountant on call.
There are no setup fees, no charges for meetings or advice, and no long-term contract — you stay because the service is good, not because you're locked in. 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. You never have an awkward conversation.
- We take over the authorisations — HMRC agent authorisations for Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE and Self Assessment are transferred, and your FreeAgent (or migration from Xero/QuickBooks) is set up.
- You carry on invoicing — most switches complete within one to two weeks with zero disruption to your contracting.
Why contractors choose GoForma
- A named accountant, not a call centre — the same ACCA or AAT qualified accountant looks after you year-round, reachable on WhatsApp.
- Genuinely all-inclusive fixed fees — software, filings, advice and meetings are all in the monthly price.
- IR35 expertise as standard — not a paid add-on.
- Modern and online, with a real London office — everything is handled remotely through your dashboard, and your registered office can be our central London address.
- 4.9★ from 200+ Google reviews — and a money-back guarantee if we ever miss a filing deadline that's within our control.
Specialist 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 keep more of your day rate? Book a free consultation with a specialist contractor accountant, or run your numbers through the contractor take-home pay calculator first.
IT and Technology Contractors
