Accountant in Hastings TN34-TN38 | Your Tax Help Accountants

Accountant in Hastings

Tax & Accounting for Hastings Businesses

Hastings TN34-TN38 is an East Sussex coastal town with a tourism, hospitality, creative and fishing economy — the Old Town, the historic fishing fleet, the seafront and a growing creative and arts community — alongside a town-centre retail base. The town has a substantial self-employed, creative and small-business community, affordable property supporting an active landlord market, and seasonal trading patterns.

That gives Hastings a varied accounting profile. The tourism, hospitality and creative businesses need seasonal and project-based bookkeeping with the right VAT treatment. The fishing and food businesses need cash-business bookkeeping. The self-employed and contractors need the right structure. And the holiday-let and buy-to-let landlord community needs Furnished Holiday Let and Section 24 advice. We work with Hastings clients entirely online, with fixed monthly fees.

💡 As an HMRC-registered agent we deal directly with HMRC on your behalf, so you never have to spend hours on hold or navigate their website yourself.

What We Do

Full-Range Tax & Accounting for Hastings

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Self-Assessment Tax Returns

Full SA100 for self-employed, landlords and individuals. Filed direct to HMRC, same day if urgent.

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CIS Compliance

Complete CIS for contractors and subcontractors. Monthly returns, deduction statements, refund claims.

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Limited Company Accounts

Year-end statutory accounts, Corporation Tax returns, and director self-assessment. All filed on time.

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Landlord Tax Advice

Rental income reporting, capital gains planning, Making Tax Digital, and allowable expense guidance.

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VAT Returns

MTD-compliant VAT submissions and ongoing bookkeeping to keep records clean and cash flow transparent.

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Payroll Services

Monthly payroll processing, RTI submissions to HMRC, and auto-enrolment pension administration.

Client Story

How we got a Hastings self-employed creative £4,800 back and onto the right footing

Client M is a self-employed designer and maker in Hastings' creative community, juggling project income, some retail sales and occasional teaching. They'd been filing basic self-assessments without claiming most of their legitimate expenses, were unsure about VAT as turnover grew, and had overpaid tax for two years.

We reconstructed the expenses: studio costs, materials, equipment (with capital allowances), a home-office proportion, travel, professional and exhibition costs, software and phone. We re-filed the two open years claiming everything, advised on the VAT position as turnover approached the threshold, and set up simple cloud bookkeeping so the right figures are captured going forward.

Total outcome: refund of £4,800 across the two years after proper expense and capital allowance claims, clear VAT guidance, and a simple system that keeps the figures right and the tax bill correct each year.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a Hastings self-employed creative or freelancer. What can I claim?

Studio or workspace costs, materials, equipment (with capital allowances), a proportion of home costs if you work from home, travel, professional and exhibition fees, software, phone and accountancy. These are commonly under-claimed. We capture everything and make sure you only pay tax on your real profit.

Do I need to be local to use you as my Hastings accountant?

No — we work with Hastings clients entirely online, by phone, email, video call and secure document exchange. You get the same depth of understanding and personal service without needing to visit an office. Most modern accountancy is handled remotely.

When do I need to register for VAT as a Hastings business?

When your taxable turnover exceeds £90,000 in any rolling 12 months (or you expect to in the next 30 days). Below that it's voluntary — sometimes worthwhile if you sell to VAT-registered businesses or have significant input VAT. We monitor your turnover and advise on the best time and scheme.

I run a Hastings cafe, restaurant or seafront business. What do you provide?

Seasonal hospitality bookkeeping, the right VAT treatment, payroll, tronc for tips, annual accounts and Corporation Tax if a company, plus self-assessment — bundled into a fixed monthly fee with cloud accounting for automatic bank-feed capture.

Should my Hastings business be a Ltd company?

At profits above £40,000-£50,000 a Ltd company typically saves £2,500-£5,000+ a year through salary-plus-dividend structuring, plus limited liability. Below £30,000, sole trader is usually simpler. We'll model both with your numbers.

I'm a Hastings landlord. What can I claim against rental income?

Repairs and maintenance, letting agent fees, landlord insurance, ground rent and service charges if leasehold, gas and electrical safety certification, mortgage interest (with the Section 24 restriction), and Replacement of Domestic Items relief on furniture. For holiday lets the post-April-2025 standard property rules now apply — we'll advise. We capture everything and file your self-assessment.

My Hastings business is family-run. How do we pay family members?

Through proper PAYE for genuine work at market rates, with payslips and RTI submissions. Family shareholders receive dividends reflecting their shareholding. Roles and rates should be documented so HMRC sees the economic reality matches the tax treatment. We'll set it up correctly.

How do I get started?

Book a free 15-minute call via Calendly, or call our office on 020 8050 4564 or mobile 07478 645331. We work with Hastings clients fully online and we're experienced with creative, tourism and hospitality businesses, the self-employed, landlords and the TN community.

Accountant in Hastings for Small Businesses