Website:
gowinaccountants.co.uk
Job details:
Senior Accountant & Client Portfolio Manager
Company: GOWIN Accountants Ltd
Location: Basingstoke / Remote
Position: Full-time
Reports to: Directors
About GOWIN Accountants
GOWIN Accountants is a growing IFA-registered accountancy practice based in Basingstoke. We support more than 100 limited companies, sole traders, landlords, contractors, healthcare professionals, construction businesses and e-commerce clients.
We are seeking an experienced Senior Accountant who can independently manage a client portfolio, supervise junior staff, control statutory deadlines and support the directors with the day-to-day operation and growth of the practice.
This is a hands-on role. The successful candidate must have strong practical UK accountancy-practice experience and be capable of managing client work from day one.
Key ResponsibilitiesClient Portfolio Management
- Manage an allocated portfolio of companies, sole traders, landlords and individual taxpayers.
- Act as the main contact for assigned clients.
- Request records and follow up missing information.
- Monitor all Companies House and HMRC deadlines.
- Maintain accurate workflow, client and progress records.
- Provide regular updates to the directors.
- Identify compliance risks and delayed work before deadlines are affected.
- Explain accounting and tax matters clearly to clients.
- Identify additional services required by clients.
Annual Accounts
- Prepare and review UK limited-company annual accounts.
- Prepare micro-entity accounts under FRS 105.
- Prepare small-company accounts under FRS 102 Section 1A.
- Review trial balances and correct accounting errors.
- Prepare bank, VAT, payroll, control-account and balance-sheet reconciliations.
- Calculate accruals, prepayments, depreciation and other year-end adjustments.
- Maintain fixed-asset registers.
- Review director’s loan accounts and identify Section 455 implications.
- Review intercompany balances, finance agreements, stock and work in progress.
- Prepare complete working papers and disclosure notes.
- Submit approved accounts to Companies House.
Corporation Tax
- Prepare Corporation Tax computations and CT600 returns.
- Review allowable and disallowable expenditure.
- Calculate capital allowances and loss relief.
- Review associated-company implications.
- Review salaries, dividends and director’s loan transactions.
- Reconcile Corporation Tax to the statutory accounts.
- Advise clients of liabilities and payment deadlines.
- Prepare amended returns and deal with HMRC queries.
Self Assessment
- Prepare and review returns for directors, sole traders, partners, landlords, CIS workers and higher-rate taxpayers.
- Prepare UK property and sole-trader accounts.
- Handle employment, dividends, savings, foreign income and capital gains.
- Prepare non-resident landlord returns and SA109 residence pages.
- Review Personal Allowance eligibility for non-residents.
- Complete SA1, CWF1 and NRL1 registrations correctly.
- Calculate balancing payments and payments on account.
- Explain tax calculations and deadlines to clients.
- Correct previously submitted returns where required.
VAT and Bookkeeping
- Prepare and review monthly and quarterly VAT returns.
- Reconcile VAT returns to the accounting records.
- Review input VAT, output VAT and VAT control accounts.
- Review cash, accrual and Flat Rate Scheme treatment.
- Handle domestic reverse charge, imports, exports and postponed import VAT.
- Complete VAT registrations, deregistrations and amendments.
- Submit returns through Making Tax Digital software.
- Review bookkeeping completed by clients and junior staff.
- Reconcile banks, credit cards, payment processors, loans and control accounts.
- Correct duplicated, omitted or incorrectly coded transactions.
- Prepare management accounts where required.
Payroll, Pensions and CIS
- Process or review weekly and monthly payroll.
- Submit FPS and EPS reports.
- Handle starters, leavers, P45s and P60s.
- Review PAYE, National Insurance and Employment Allowance.
- Review director-only payroll and statutory payments.
- Support workplace-pension and NEST submissions.
- Assist with P11D and benefit-in-kind reporting.
- Register contractors and verify subcontractors.
- Prepare monthly CIS300 returns and deduction statements.
- Reconcile CIS deductions and correct earlier submissions.
Companies House and Company Secretarial Work
- Complete company formations and post-incorporation setup.
- Prepare and file confirmation statements.
- Maintain director, shareholder and PSC information.
- Process director appointments, resignations and registered-office changes.
- Support basic share allotments and transfers, subject to approval.
- Maintain statutory company records.
- Monitor Companies House identity-verification requirements.
- Identify overdue filings and potential strike-off risks.
HMRC and Client Compliance
- Complete Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE and CIS registrations.
- Manage agent authorisation, including 64-8 and online authorisation.
- Review HMRC notices, assessments and statements.
- Draft professional responses to HMRC correspondence.
- Prepare penalty appeals where appropriate.
- Track outstanding HMRC applications.
- Support routine HMRC checks and information requests.
- Retain submission receipts and evidence.
- Escalate complex enquiries and investigations to the directors.
AML, KYC and Onboarding
- Complete client identity, AML and KYC checks.
- Identify directors, shareholders and beneficial owners.
- Complete client and engagement risk assessments.
- Review business activities, expected transactions and source of funds.
- Identify sanctions, fraud and money-laundering risks.
- Issue and maintain signed engagement letters.
- Obtain professional clearance from previous accountants.
- Set clients up correctly in practice and accounting software.
- Maintain accurate and secure client records.
- Complete periodic AML reviews.
Team Management and Quality Control
- Allocate work to junior accountants and bookkeepers.
- Set clear instructions and completion dates.
- Review accounts, tax returns, VAT, payroll and bookkeeping.
- Provide review notes and ensure corrections are completed.
- Train and support junior staff.
- Monitor staff productivity, quality and deadlines.
- Follow internal checklists and working-paper standards.
- Identify repeated errors and improve procedures.
- Support workflow meetings and staff development.
- Ensure no filing is submitted without review and client approval.
Practice Management and Commercial Duties
- Maintain the central deadline and workflow tracker.
- Prioritise work according to statutory deadlines and client risk.
- Monitor work in progress and identify out-of-scope work.
- Assist with fee quotations and billing.
- Monitor Direct Debit arrangements and outstanding invoices.
- Support client retention and resolve service concerns.
- Improve templates, checklists, systems and internal controls.
- Support automation and practice-management improvements.
- Maintain client confidentiality and data-protection standards.
- Complete regular CPD and maintain current technical knowledge.
- Support the directors with practice development and growth.
Essential Requirements
- At least four years of recent UK accountancy-practice experience.
- Strong experience preparing limited-company accounts and CT600 returns.
- Practical knowledge of FRS 105 and FRS 102 Section 1A.
- Strong Self Assessment, landlord, VAT, payroll, CIS and bookkeeping experience.
- Good understanding of Companies House and HMRC requirements.
- Experience managing multiple clients and statutory deadlines.
- Experience reviewing junior staff’s work.
- Strong written and spoken English.
- Confidence communicating directly with clients.
- Excellent attention to detail and professional judgement.
- Ability to work independently and take responsibility for completed work.
- Practical experience with Xero and QuickBooks.
Desirable Requirements
- ACCA, ACA, CTA, ATT or AAT qualification or active study.
- Experience with FreeAgent, Capium, TaxCalc, IRIS, TaxFiler or Moneysoft.
- Experience with non-resident landlords and SA109 returns.
- Experience with healthcare, construction, contractors and e-commerce clients.
- Experience handling HMRC enquiries and penalty appeals.
- Previous responsibility for a UK client portfolio.
Performance Measures
Performance will be assessed through:
- Accuracy and technical quality.
- Completion of filings before deadlines.
- Quality of working papers and review notes.
- Client response times and satisfaction.
- Management of assigned clients and workflow.
- Reduction of overdue and unfinished work.
- Quality of junior staff supervision.
- Compliance with AML and internal procedures.
- Ability to identify and escalate risks promptly.
Recruitment Process
Shortlisted candidates will complete live practical assessments covering limited-company accounts, Corporation Tax, Self Assessment, landlords, VAT, payroll or CIS. Candidates must explain their reasoning and identify when technical matters should be escalated.
We are looking for someone dependable, organised and technically strong who can take ownership of client work and grow into a key long-term position within GOWIN Accountants.
Click on Apply to know more.