Do you need a license to be a bookkeeper UK?

If you are thinking of starting your own accounting business here’s some help with the question, ‘Do you need a license to be a bookkeeper UK?’. There are plenty of opportunities to successfully produce accounts for small business owners in the UK. Set them up as self-employed bookkeepers working from home providing services to your clients or working for an accounting firm preparing books for their companies.

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More and more people are choosing to start a UK accounting business from home. Why? Well with the entrepreneurial spirit stronger than ever and the government encouraging small business growth, there is more demand than ever for support from self-employed accountants to help entrepreneurs understand their numbers.

How to start as a bookkeeper

If you have the knowledge and/or qualifications, here’s what you need to get started.

Your home office

You can start from home as long as you have enough space to receive and store client documentation. Customers are likely to provide you with a carrier bag containing documents, bills, bank statements, and other related items. It’s your job to make sense of it and prepare the financial accounts from it.

Reception of client documentation

You must have an easy method of receiving customer documentation from your customers. Prepare some kind of checklist that they have to complete so you can get everything done at once. This may involve trial and error at first with your first customers. You can offer customers to email you their scanned statements, or you may have to collect them. Alternatively, of course, people can use courier services or drop them off at your premises.

Since you’ll probably need to meet your clients face-to-face, perhaps visit them at their kick-off meeting and gather paperwork from time to time.

Startup costs

Most home-based businesses have minimal startup costs, but you should research the types of insurance required; see below. Other costs may include:

• some kind of computer
• Hard drive backup
• Accounting software to make your life easier or at least an accounting software package that supports accountants like Kashflow or Sage.
• a lot of printing paper
• shipping costs
• storage cabinets
• Marketing costs to promote your services
• Additional phone line and/or answering service

Then it’s just a matter of investing your time in the business to prepare accounts.

Do bookkeeper need to be licensed?

Accountants play a vital role in maintaining the financial records of a company or organization. In a small business, they handle general ledger, deposits, payroll, and billing, while in larger organizations they tend to specialize. Some recruiters only have a high school diploma, but many employers prefer those with associate degrees. Although bookmakers do not need a license, they can obtain an optional certification or license through national organizations.

National Association of Licensed Certified Public Accountants

For bookmakers with a higher level of achievement, the NACPB also offers three licenses. Each license requires 2,000 hours of work experience in the exam area and an agreement to a code of conduct. To become licensed as a certified public accountant, you must pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and take 24 hours of continuing education each year to maintain your status. The NACPB certified payroll specialist license requires passing the Certified Uniform Payroll Specialist exam and 16 hours of continuing education each year. To obtain the QuickBooks Certified License, you must pass the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification Exam or the QuickBooks Certified Advisor Uniform Exam. You also need 16 hours of continuing education each year to maintain your QuickBooks license.

National Association of Licensed Certified Public Accountants

For bookmakers with a higher level of achievement, the NACPA also offers three licenses. Each license requires 2,000 hours of work experience in the exam area and an agreement to a code of conduct. To become licensed as a certified public accountant, you must pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and take 24 hours of continuing education each year to maintain your status. The NACPB certified payroll specialist license requires passing the Certified Uniform Payroll Specialist exam and 16 hours of continuing education each year. To obtain the QuickBooks Certified License, you must pass the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification Exam or the QuickBooks Certified Advisor Uniform Exam. You also need 16 hours of continuing education each year to maintain your QuickBooks license.

Do you need a license to be an accounting service?

Although an accounting service, to operate legally, must obtain a business license according to the Small Business Association (SBA) regulations, it is not technically required by law to employ “licensed” bookkeepers. However, national accreditation licenses and certifications are available for bookkeepers, which would increase the overall marketability of the business itself and give it an edge over unlicensed competition.

Before you go, I hope that the above article related to do you need a license to be a bookkeeper UK will be informational and beneficial for you.