Behind on the books? Let’s get you current.
A backlog has a way of getting louder. Missed filings, a VAT quarter you would rather not think about, a drawer of HMRC letters. Annabel brings 16 years of in-business experience, an AAT Licensed qualification, and a reply within one working day, so the mess gets sorted and you can see where you actually stand.
- Backlogged books brought fully up to date and reconciled
- Honest, early advice on penalties and what can be recovered
- Errors from a previous accountant found and corrected
- A clear picture of where your business really stands
The clean-up is scoped and priced separately from any ongoing work, so you can get current without committing to anything else. If you only ever want the mess sorted, that is a perfectly good place to stop.
Get a free quote
Tell us the state of play. Fees scoped to your situation, reply within one working day.
What our clients say
★★★★★
Fixed Old Accountant’s Mistakes
“She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough”
★★★★★
Saved Thousands After Switching
“offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands!”
★★★★★
Smooth, Stress-Free Changeover
“She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free.”
★★★★★
Set My Mind at Ease
“the support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease”
The books have got away from you.
Maybe the bookkeeping slipped while you ran the business. Maybe a previous accountant left things in a state. Either way, you are not sure what is filed, what is late, or what the numbers actually say. The longer it sits, the harder it is to look at, and the harder it is to make a sensible decision about anything.
- Months of transactions unreconciled and no idea what is accurate
- Filings missed or late, with penalties mounting unseen
- Errors from a previous accountant you have no way to check
What sorted looks like
You hand over the mess once. Annabel works through it in order, brings everything current, and tells you plainly what happened, what it will cost to put right, and what can still be recovered. No lecture, no drama.
- Every transaction reconciled, so the figures can be trusted again
- Outstanding filings dealt with, and penalties addressed head-on
- Previous errors found, corrected and explained in plain English
- A fixed fee for the clean-up, agreed before any work starts
What clients say after the clean-up
Most people arrive with books in some state of disarray and a previous accountant they would rather forget. Here is how it tends to go.
I switched accountants to work with Annabel because I felt she truly cared about helping businesses to take control of their finances. She opened my eyes to how an accountant actually should work with you! She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands! She even went through my dad’s accounts who had been through liquidation & had a really tough time just because she cared & wanted to see if she could help. I 100% trust Annabel & she proves time & time again why it was the best move for my business to switch to her. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for someone who genuinely cares, who is meticulously thorough & offers great advice!
Working with Annabel has been fantastic. She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free. Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow, even for someone who does not naturally “speak accounts.” Annabel’s energy, passion, and genuine desire to help people understand their business finances really shine through in everything she does. Her support and knowledge have been superb, and I now see her as a vital part of my business and its continued growth. Thank you, Annabel, for all your help; you truly live up to your company name!
What the clean-up covers
The work is scoped to the state your books are in. A light backlog and a full compliance rescue are different jobs, and the fee reflects that.
Backlog Brought Up to Date
However many months or years behind you are, your records are worked through, reconciled and brought current in Xero. You end up with books you can actually rely on, and figures you can make decisions from.
Scoped per clientFilings and Penalties, Addressed
Missed or late VAT returns, accounts and other filings are identified and dealt with. Annabel is honest about what penalties may apply and what can realistically be recovered or appealed, so there are no nasty surprises later.
Honest from the startPrevious Errors Corrected
Where a former accountant left mistakes, they are found and put right, drawing on Annabel’s Finance Director experience of what the numbers should look like. You get a clear explanation of what was wrong and what has changed.
Meticulously thoroughNot one good experience. A pattern.
Different businesses, different kinds of mess, the same outcome: books brought current and someone who tells you straight what is going on.
Fixed Mistakes And Saved Thousands
“She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands!”
Made Changing Accountants Smooth And Easy
“She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free. Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow.”
Quick To Respond To Any Query
“Friendly, supportive and very quick to respond to any queries or sort advice. I would 100% recommend.”
Why owners hand the mess to Annabel
A clean-up is only as good as the person doing it. Here is what you are getting.
Thorough, Not a Quick Patch
A backlog that has been rushed just creates the next problem. Annabel works through it properly, reconciles everything and checks what a previous accountant did, so the books hold up afterwards. Clients describe it as meticulously thorough, and that is the point.
Straight Talk on Penalties
You will be told honestly what you are facing, what can be appealed, and what is realistically recoverable. No false comfort, and no scaring you for effect. You leave knowing exactly where you stand, which is more than most people know going in.
An FD’s Eye on the Numbers
Sixteen years inside growing businesses, including as a Finance Director, means Annabel knows what the figures should look like. That is how errors get spotted that a desk-bound bookkeeper would miss, and why the advice is commercial, not just tidy.
Sorted in four steps
You do very little. You hand over what you have, honestly, and the rest is worked through for you.
Free Discovery Call
A free 20 to 30 minute call to understand how far behind things are and what is worrying you most. Annabel reviews every enquiry herself. You get honest advice whether you go ahead or not.
Fixed-Fee Clean-Up Quote
Once the scale of the backlog is clear, you get a fixed fee for the clean-up, agreed up front and separate from any ongoing work. No open-ended hourly meter, no surprises at the end.
Hand It Over Once
You pass across whatever you have, in whatever state it is in. The reconciling, the filings and the error-fixing are handled for you. You answer the odd question, nothing more.
Current, and Clear
Your books are up to date, your filings are dealt with, and you know exactly where the business stands. From here you can keep running things yourself or hand over the ongoing work. Either way, considerably less to worry about.
“Having never been self employed or a limited company before, the support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease knowing that any problems or queries I have will be handled or answered.”
What owners usually ask
How far behind can you take on? I am years out of date.
However far behind you are, it can be worked through. Years of unreconciled transactions and missed filings are a bigger job than a few slipped months, and the fee reflects that, but the process is the same. Nothing is too far gone to bring current.
What does a clean-up cost?
There is no fixed price list, because the fee depends entirely on the state your books are in. Once Annabel has seen the scale of the backlog on the discovery call, you get a fixed fee agreed up front. The clean-up is scoped separately from any ongoing work, so you only pay for what you need.
My previous accountant left a mess. Can you fix it?
Yes, and it is a good part of what this service is for. Errors are found and corrected, filings brought up to date, and you get a clear explanation of what was wrong. Several clients came to Annabel exactly this way, after being let down before.
Do I have to sign up for ongoing work afterwards?
No. The clean-up stands on its own, so you can get current and stop there if that is all you want. If you do decide to carry on, there is no long-term contract, just an initial three-month settling-in period, after which either side can walk away with clean books and nothing outstanding.
Can you deal with HMRC and the missed filings directly?
Yes. Outstanding VAT returns, late accounts and other filings are identified and submitted, and Annabel will liaise with HMRC where needed. You will be told honestly what penalties may apply and what can realistically be appealed or recovered.
Once it is cleaned up, will I actually know where I stand?
That is the whole point. Clean, reconciled books mean the figures can be trusted, and from there you get a plain-English picture of where the business really is. If you keep Annabel on, management accounts follow within five working days of each month close.
Hand over the backlog, get your books current.
Book a free 20 to 30 minute call and tell Annabel the state of play. You will get honest advice on where you stand, what it takes to fix, and a fixed fee for the clean-up before any work begins.