You do not have to hire an accountant simply because you are a sole trader. You can keep your records and complete your own tax return. An accountant becomes useful when the decisions, deadlines or time involved are more than you can comfortably handle yourself.

The question is not whether your business looks big enough to need one. It is which parts you understand, which you can keep up with and where a mistake would cost you more than getting help.

Decide what you need help with

Bookkeeping, annual accounts, tax returns and tax advice are different jobs. You might need a bookkeeper to bring records up to date, an accountant to prepare the year-end figures, or a one-off appointment before buying a van or registering for VAT.

Write down the work before asking for a price. For example: “I keep sales, expenses and mileage each week. I need someone to review them, prepare my Self Assessment return and explain the payments due.” That is a clearer request than “Can you do my accounts?”

When doing it yourself can be reasonable

A straightforward business may be manageable without ongoing help if you have one clear source of trading income, complete records and enough time to learn the relevant rules. You still need to distinguish turnover from profit, understand allowable expenses and check your deadlines.

HMRC's record-keeping guidance explains the records a sole trader must keep. Use it as a check against your current routine. If several months of receipts are missing or you cannot explain a figure, software alone will not resolve that gap.

Allow time to review the return before submitting it. Doing it yourself should mean making an informed decision, not accepting whatever a calculator produces because the deadline is tomorrow.

Get advice before a difficult decision

Consider professional help when you are:

• approaching VAT registration or invoicing under the construction reverse charge;

• reconciling CIS deductions with several contractors;

• employing someone, using subcontractors or considering a limited company;

• combining trade income with employment, property or other income;

• buying or financing a significant asset;

• dealing with an HMRC enquiry, overdue returns or uncertain figures.

Ask while the options are still open. Advice on a purchase is more useful before you sign the finance agreement than after the money has gone.

Compare the service, not just the headline fee

Ask each firm the same questions so the quotes are comparable:

1. Do you regularly work with sole traders in my trade?

2. Which returns, submissions and advice are included?

3. Does the fee include VAT, software and answering questions during the year?

4. What records do you need, in which format and by what date?

5. Who will do the work and who covers them when they are away?

6. What professional qualifications, membership and complaints process do you have?

Get the scope and fee in writing. If you only want a one-off review, say so. If the business grows or you register for VAT, ask when the price or service would change.

Agree who does the Making Tax Digital work

If Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to you, establish who keeps the digital records, checks each update and submits it. Ask whether the agreed fee includes the year-end tax return as well as quarterly updates.

Use HMRC's software guidance to check the proposed arrangement. TradePilot helps organise day-to-day invoices, expenses and manually logged mileage. It offers exports, but does not submit MTD updates or tax returns and has no live accounting integration.

Keep responsibility clear after appointing someone

HMRC's agent guidance makes clear that you remain responsible for your own tax affairs. Read the return and ask about anything you do not understand before approving it. Keep copies of what was submitted and the payment dates.

Provide complete records, flag unusual transactions and tell the accountant about other income. A short note explaining a purchase can prevent a chain of questions months later. Good advice depends on the information you supply.

Written by Chris, founder of TradePilot.

This is general business information, not personal tax or financial advice. Official guidance checked on 16 September 2026.