Bookkeeping and cloud accounting
Practical record keeping, accounting software support, reconciliations, and tidy digital books that keep the rest of the work easier.
What we do
Accountancy services for businesses and individuals
Tax compliance, bookkeeping, payroll, VAT, accounts, inheritance tax planning, HMRC investigation support, company setup, and business advisory support for clients across Kent and South East England.
Ask about servicesService scope
Everything is connected: records, reporting, deadlines, and decisions
J&J keeps the service model broad enough for real business life while keeping communication direct and practical.
Financial and management accounts
Annual accounts, management reporting, and clear financial information for business owners, directors, partnerships, and clubs.
Personal and corporate tax
Tax returns, corporation tax, self assessment, director planning, and year-end conversations before decisions become deadlines.
Inheritance tax planning
Pre-death and post-death tax planning, often alongside local solicitors, to help families understand estate exposure and identify legitimate opportunities for tax savings.
HMRC investigations
Experienced support during HMRC enquiries, reducing the anxiety and administration for clients while working toward a clear, fair, and manageable outcome.
VAT and Making Tax Digital
VAT registration, VAT returns, digital record keeping, and practical support for HMRC-compatible software and processes.
Payroll services
Regular payroll processing, employer compliance support, statutory payment handling, and minimum wage awareness.
Company setup and secretarial
Company incorporation, Companies House filings, registered-office considerations, and ongoing company record support.
Business growth and health checks
A clear view of profitability, cash flow, cost pressure, and the numbers that help owners make better decisions.
Specialist tax support
Inheritance tax planning and HMRC investigations
Some situations need calm, experienced advice and joined-up professional support. J&J helps clients understand their options, stay clear on their position, and reduce the burden of complex tax matters.
Inheritance tax planning
J&J works with local solicitors where appropriate to bring expert tax planning advice into pre-death and post-death scenarios. Good planning can help families understand estate exposure, make informed decisions, and identify legitimate opportunities for significant tax savings.
HMRC investigations
HMRC enquiries can be stressful and administratively heavy. Having an experienced professional in place helps remove anxiety from the client, keeps communication structured, and works toward an amenable outcome while ensuring the client is confident and clear on their position.
How it works
A simple working rhythm
Understand
Start with what you need, how the business or personal position is structured, and where the pressure points are.
Organise
Get records, software, payroll, VAT, and deadlines into a workable system.
Report
Prepare the accounts, returns, correspondence, or management information needed for decisions and compliance.
Plan
Use the numbers and tax position to look ahead, not only to tidy up what has already happened.
Common questions
Questions clients often ask
General guidance, correct as of November 2026. Your own position depends on your circumstances, so ask before acting on it.
Do I need an accountant if I am a sole trader?
There is no legal requirement to use an accountant, and some sole traders with simple affairs file their own Self Assessment return. An accountant becomes worthwhile when your time is better spent on the business, when you are unsure which expenses you can claim, or when your affairs include things like VAT, employees, property income or Making Tax Digital. J&J Accountants works with sole traders across Deal and East Kent and can take on as much or as little as you need, from a year-end tax return to regular bookkeeping.
When does Making Tax Digital for Income Tax apply to me?
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax applies to sole traders and landlords based on their combined gross income from self-employment and property, before expenses. It started on 6 April 2026 for those with qualifying income over £50,000, and is due to extend to those over £30,000 from 6 April 2027 and over £20,000 from 6 April 2028. If you are within the rules you must keep digital records, send HMRC a quarterly update using compatible software, and complete a final declaration after the tax year ends. J&J can check whether you are affected, set up your records, and submit the updates for you.
When is my Self Assessment tax return due?
Online Self Assessment returns are due by 31 January following the end of the tax year, and any tax owed is due on the same date. For the 2025/26 tax year, which ended on 5 April 2026, the deadline is 31 January 2027. Getting your records to your accountant in the autumn leaves time to deal with queries and to know your tax bill before it falls due.
Should I operate as a sole trader or a limited company?
It depends on your profit level, how much of it you need to draw, the risks in your trade, and how much administration you are willing to take on. A limited company gives limited liability and more flexibility over how and when you take income, but it brings annual accounts, a Corporation Tax return, Companies House filings and payroll for directors. A sole trader structure is simpler and cheaper to run. J&J can compare the two using your own figures and, if a company is the right choice, help with company formation and setup.
When do I have to register for VAT?
You must register for VAT if your taxable turnover in any rolling 12-month period goes over the registration threshold, currently £90,000, or if you expect to exceed it in the next 30 days alone. You can also register voluntarily below the threshold, which can make sense if you sell mainly to VAT-registered businesses or have significant VAT on your costs. J&J can monitor your turnover, advise on the most suitable VAT scheme, and prepare and submit your VAT returns.
Can you take over from my current accountant?
Yes. Changing accountant is straightforward and does not need to wait for your year end. You let your current accountant know you are moving, and J&J then deals with the handover and sets up authorisation with HMRC, so you do not have to manage the transfer yourself.
Do I have to live in Deal to use J&J Accountants?
No. J&J is based at Betteshanger Road in Deal and works with clients across East Kent, the rest of Kent and South East England. For clients outside the local area, Zoom meetings can replace face-to-face meetings, and everything else works the same way by email and telephone.
How much does an accountant cost?
J&J has a fee structure, but the fee can vary according to the level of work involved. You receive a quote after an initial chat, once J&J has more information about your needs and position.
Not sure what you need?
Start with the tax or accounting question, not the service label.
Many clients begin with one issue, such as VAT, payroll, a tax return, inheritance tax planning, or an HMRC enquiry, and then discover the real value is in getting the wider position clear.