An accountancy practice in Milton Keynes is working with SMEs to offer a more personal accounting service. DansonOsborne Accountants was founded by Stacey Danson-Osborne in June last year after Stacey felt motivated to do things differently and help business owners in a more proactive and supportive way.
“I have been an accountant for 17 years,” explains Stacey. “I love my industry and what I do and have a genuine desire to help people.
“As an accountancy practice gets bigger, it usually implements different processes and systems to adapt to that growth. This can often lead to a less personal touch with clients or work being passed to junior members of staff or outsourced to other accountants. I saw a gap in the market for an accountancy practice that worked alongside its clients and became an extension of their business.
“I realised that I am at my happiest when I am working with small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs). I want to get to know their businesses and offer a service and advice that is relevant to their needs and will genuinely help them.”
Stacey recognises that trust is a big part of accountancy and when a business ‘hands over’ management of its accounts and tax affairs, it needs to be safe in the knowledge that its accountant is acting ethically, in its best interests and ensuring that everything is legally compliant.
“I have always worked to high standards,” says Stacey. “And one thing I can’t abide is laziness or poor service. A massive bugbear of mine as a customer is when someone sits on an email without replying.
“When a client works with an accountant, they need to be able to trust that accountant whole-heartedly. Part of building that trust is communication and that is why it is so important to provide that level of service.”
Speaking of service, services provided by DansonOsborne include: accounts, corporation tax, management accounts, payroll, VAT, bookkeeping, self-assessment tax returns and CIS matters. All services are tailored to the client’s needs as I do not believe in a ‘one size fits all service’. Additional services are also offered, such as cashflow forecasts and help with credit control. The practice doesn’t specialise in one particular industry, choosing to work with a variety of businesses from all different sectors.
Stacey sees 2020 to be a big year of change when it comes to accountancy and tax rules.
As well as Brexit and the well-documented changes to the IR35 legislation, which ensures that contractors pay the same tax and National Insurance contributions as an equivalent employee, there is also a Budget due on Wednesday 11th March that will announce changes to the tax system. There are rumours of ‘Mansion Tax’ being introduced that will tax those with more expensive properties and a reform of Entrepreneur’s Relief – a reduced rate of tax for those selling their businesses.
“HMRC is not giving too much away with regards to how Brexit will affect our tax system,” says Stacey. “Whatever changes are introduced though, there will be a period of transition. Rules for trading abroad will change and I predict big changes when it comes to VAT, which I think will hit businesses hard. October will also see major changes introduced to VAT registered businesses within the CIS industry. This will no doubt will cause much confusion for many businesses and is therefore a good time to seek advice from an accountant to understand how these changes will affect them.’
To find out more about DansonOsborne Accountants, visit www.doaccounts.co.uk or call Stacey on 01908 965003.
