WELCOME TO BROWNS
Your Accounting Experts
Browns are an experienced, creative and forward looking Chartered Accountancy practice.
Established in 1992, we pride ourselves in providing an individual and responsive service that is both flexible and proactive to your personal and business requirements.
Our clients are a combination of individuals and owner managed businesses in varying business sectors.
Our approach to accountancy and tax is:
To deliver an efficient compliance service that is commercially driven, exposing every opportunity that is both relevant and of benefit to our clients.
We have three partners, each with unique specialties, including commercial business advancement, audit and financial accounting, tax management and tax minimalisation, and managing personal and family businesses.
If you would like to find out more about Browns or enquire about any of the services we can offer, please contact one of our Partners for a free initial consultation.
SERVICES
What You Need
ACCOUNTANCY
Sole Traders, Limited Companies and Partnerships
Every business requires a set of accounts at least once a year to enable performance to be monitored and to satisfy taxation and other statutory requirements. We use the latest technology to make the process of producing accurate accounts as cost effective as possible as well as ensuring that your accounts conform to the latest requirements of the various bodies that control the content of published accounts.
Our aim is to prepare your accounts within four weeks of you letting us have your books and records.
We do not simply prepare the accounts, we will also be looking at your income and expenditure levels, opportunities to make savings and how you comply with the statutory requirements over records, VAT, and payroll and of course where we can identify ways of saving you tax.
As soon as you have had the opportunity to review your accounts, we are available to meet with you to discuss them in detail.
TAX PLANNING
The preparation of a self assessment tax return is a daunting prospect to say the least, but a task that must be completed properly and on time.
We offer a personal compliance service for the preparation of businesses and personal self assessment tax returns, including, Personal Self Assessment
Sending you annual proformas to help you gather the right information
Reminding you of what you can and should claim for
Meeting with one of our tax partners if you are unsure about what is needed to go on your tax return
Instant and free telephone advisory service on tax matters such as, "should I buy or lease my next car"
Reminding you of deadlines and filing dates
Setting out how we have calculated your tax bill in a simple and easy to understand format
Telling you how much tax you need to pay and when to pay it
Advising you how to reduce payments on account where we feel this is available
BUSINESS SELF ASSESSMENT
Claiming for all deductible expenses, where appropriate
Filing partnership returns online with HM Revenue & Customs
Filing company returns and electronic accounts online with HM Revenue & Customs
Telling you how much tax you need to pay and when to pay it
TAX RETURN
The preparation of a self assessment tax return is a daunting prospect to say the least, but a task that must be completed properly and on time.
We offer a personal compliance service for the preparation of businesses and personal self assessment tax returns, including, Personal Self Assessment
Sending you annual proformas to help you gather the right information
Reminding you of what you can and should claim for
Meeting with one of our tax partners if you are unsure about what is needed to go on your tax return
Instant and free telephone advisory service on tax matters such as, "should I buy or lease my next car"
Reminding you of deadlines and filing dates
Setting out how we have calculated your tax bill in a simple and easy to understand format
Telling you how much tax you need to pay and when to pay it
Advising you how to reduce payments on account where we feel this is available
BUSINESS SELF ASSESSMENT
Claiming for all deductible expenses, where appropriate
Filing partnership returns online with HM Revenue & Customs
Filing company returns and electronic accounts online with HM Revenue & Customs
Telling you how much tax you need to pay and when to pay it
VAT
All business with vatable income over the VAT threshold must register for VAT at the earliest opportunity. Retrospective and compulsory registration is an expensive option.
Here are some of the areas that our full and specialist VAT service includes:
VAT registration
VAT de-registration
Preparing VAT returns
Cash accounting for smaller businesses
Advice on partially exempt and zero rated supplies
Fuel scale VAT
Property VAT
When to register for VAT even if your income is below the VAT thresholds
Group exemption
Flat rate VAT scheme
BOOK KEEPING
In house/internal bookkeeping
If it is advice on your own bookkeeping that you require, then we are ideally placed to offer this.
Whether it is on VAT matters or installing software for the first time, we can provide one to one support , installation and training.
We recommend Sage software for bookkeeping, although sometimes, the solution is much simpler.
If you want your books prepared at your business premises, but do not want to engage a bookkeeper yourself, we can provide one of our "travelling" bookkeepers to carry out this work for you.
The rates are reasonable and we can assure continuity which is so important.
Our Bureau (Internal) Bookkeeping
Where you want to outsource the bookkeeping entirely, then we can offer a fast, efficient and personal service to prepare your records at our offices.
Our Bureau Bookkeeping Team is available to prepare monthly or quarterly books and records, including any VAT records.
We use Sage 50 software and we provide you with a full transaction and summary record.
BUSINESS START UP
It is important to take professional advice from the outset when starting a new business. This is especially important when considering structures and ownerships to minimise future tax.
That is why we offer a FREE intial consultation with one of our partners.
Some of the critical points to consider are:
What type of trading vehicle - limited company, partnership, sole trader or a combination of each
What structure of ownership - here we can design the ownership from the start to minimise future tax bills
Registration - whether registering a new limited company with Companies House or a sole trader with HM Revenue & Customs for VAT, help is at hand.
Bookkeeping, payroll and VAT - sound advice before you start is critical. Get it right now to be in full compliance with the authorities which saves you time and money later.
Business plans, cash flows or raising finance - We can produce business plans, prepare cash flows and profit statements/budgets to help you apply for Business Start Up finance. We can put you in touch with lending sources that may be able to help.
BUSINESS ADVISORY AND CONSULTANCY
We offer a highly commercial and direct business advisory and consultancy service on a range of areas.
Most importantly, we offer non-complicated and plain speaking advice that you can understand, implement and profit from.
Some of the areas include:
Profitability analysis
Restructuring
Income generation
Re-financing
Acquisitions and disposals
Cash management and cash flow projections
Parallel trading
Marketing and selling
Taking on a new director, shareholder or partner
Buying-out a shareholder or partner
Business valuations
Tax planning
Dispute resolutions and arbitration
Forensic analysis and investigations
COMPANY SECRETARIAL
A Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership comes with certain statutory responsibilities. Many of these responsibilities require internet filing in prescribed formats. For small and medium businesses this can seem rather daunting.
That is why we offer a full company secretarial service, including:
Company formation
Registered office facilities
New share issues
Purchase and disposal of existing shares
Annual return completion and filing
Minutes of board meetings
Preparation of dividend vouchers
Company searches
Company disposal and strike off
Capital distributions
AUDITING
Brown & Co Audit Limited are registered Auditors
Larger companies require an audit to be carried out in accordance with exacting standards. Again we use technology to ensure that every audit we perform conforms to the latest regulations.
Auditing has changed beyond recognition in the last six years.
Audits are now governed by the International Standards on Auditing.
The overall objectives have not changed, but the level of detail that Auditors must now report on has increased.
Our Audit Department is fully up to date with the latest Auditing and Accounting Standards, thus ensuring that you are in full compliance with your responsibilities as Directors and making sure the audit runs smoothly and efficiently, minimizing your time and costs.
TEAM
BRIAN COLLINS
History:
Joined Browns in 2002 and became a partner in 2007. Having previously spent twenty years managing a diverse portfolio of small and family owned businesses. Managing principal of a local accounting practice for six years.
Specialises in:
Self employed partnerships, limited companies and personal tax.
His particular interest is in helping clients cope with the enormity of the day to day business and statutory responsibilities of running an owner managed business.
What his clients say:
Always available to give sound and immediate advice. Advises his clients in straight forward terms and without unnecessary jargon
CHRIS COOK
Audit and Accounts Partner
Tel:01732 783574
email: chris@brownco.co.uk
History:
Joined Browns in 2003 and became a partner in 2007.
Having previously spent twenty years managing an audit portfolio of manufacturing and retailing businesses
Specialises in:
Auditing and Accounting for Limited Companies, Charities and Friendly Societies.
Responsible for the Firm’s compliance with the Auditing Standards, Companies Acts and Financial Reporting.
What his clients say:
Very approachable and professional. Technically up to date with a good sense of client commerciality.