Last updated: 15 October 2026
1. About these terms
These terms form the agreement between you (the client) and Books & Returns, 22 Berwick St, Rochdale OL16 5DT ("we", "us"). By ticking "I agree to the Terms of Engagement" when you sign up, or by accepting a written proposal from us, you accept these terms. If anything in a written proposal we send you conflicts with these terms, the proposal wins.
2. Our services
We provide the services in the package you choose, plus any add-ons and one-off services you buy. The current contents of each package are shown on our pricing page and summarised below.
Sole Trader
Your Self Assessment tax return (SA100), year-end sole trader accounts, a review of your records in cloud software, tax payment reminders and deadline tracking, and email and phone support. Optional add-ons: Making Tax Digital quarterly updates, quarterly VAT returns and rental property income (up to 3 properties).
Limited Company Compliance
Annual statutory accounts filed at Companies House, the Corporation Tax return (CT600), the confirmation statement, director payroll for 1 director (RTI), a Self Assessment return for 1 director, dividend paperwork and HMRC correspondence. You keep your own bookkeeping up to date in Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or Sage. Optional add-ons: additional directors, quarterly VAT returns, staff payroll and CIS monthly returns.
Complete Accounting & Tax
Everything in Limited Company Compliance, plus monthly bookkeeping and bank reconciliations, quarterly VAT returns under Making Tax Digital, payroll for up to 5 employees including pension auto-enrolment, quarterly management accounts, an annual tax planning review and a named contact. The fee depends on your monthly transaction volume. Optional add-ons: additional directors, additional employees and CIS monthly returns.
Bookkeeping Only
Transaction coding in your cloud software, monthly bank and card reconciliations, a monthly profit and loss account and balance sheet, and receipt capture setup. The fee depends on your monthly transaction volume. Optional add-on: quarterly VAT returns.
One-off services
One-off services cover only the work named on the pricing page or in your proposal. Any official fees, such as Companies House filing fees, are charged at cost on top.
What is not included
Anything not listed above is outside the scope of your package. This includes catch-up bookkeeping, HMRC enquiries and investigations, R&D tax relief claims and software licence fees, unless your proposal says otherwise. We'll always agree a fixed fee with you before doing extra work.
3. Fees and payment
- Monthly packages are billed monthly in advance. Annual packages are billed 12 months in advance at the annual price shown when you sign up.
- Payments are collected by Bacs Direct Debit or card through Stripe, our payment provider.
- Prices are shown in pounds sterling. We'll tell you clearly if VAT applies.
- There is no setup fee.
4. Contract length and cancellation
Monthly packages run month to month with no minimum term. Either of us can end the engagement by giving 30 days' notice in writing. You can cancel from your billing page or by emailing info@booksandreturns.com. Annual packages run for the 12 months paid for. Section 10 explains what happens to year-end work if you leave.
5. Fee reviews
Your fee is based on the volumes you tell us when you sign up, such as transactions, directors and employees. We review your actual volumes every 6 months. If they have changed enough to move you into a different price band, we'll tell you the new fee and agree it with you before we bill it. If you don't agree, you can end the engagement under section 4.
6. Your responsibilities
- Give us complete, accurate and timely records and information, and tell us promptly about any changes to your business.
- Give us access to your accounting software, bank feeds and any HMRC or Companies House authorisations we need.
- Review and approve returns and accounts before we file them. You remain legally responsible for the information in them.
- Pay any tax due to HMRC on time. We'll remind you of deadlines, but we don't pay tax on your behalf.
We are not responsible for late filing penalties, interest or errors caused by records or information that are late, incomplete or inaccurate.
7. Our responsibilities
We'll carry out our work with reasonable skill and care, meet the filing deadlines that apply to the services in your package as long as you've given us what we need in good time, and keep your information confidential except where the law requires us to share it.
8. Identity checks and anti-money laundering
UK anti-money laundering law requires us to verify the identity of our clients, and of the owners and directors of client companies, before we start work. We'll send you a secure link to do this. We can't start work until the checks are complete.
We may decline to act, or end an engagement, if we can't complete these checks, if information you give us is untrue, or if we have concerns that we are required to report. The law may prevent us from telling you that we have made a report to the authorities.
9. Late or failed payments
If a payment fails, we'll let you know by email and Stripe will try again. If a payment is still outstanding 14 days after its due date, we'll pause work until it is paid. We are not responsible for any penalties or missed deadlines that result from work being paused for non-payment.
10. Leaving us
If you leave before you've been with us for 12 months, and we have already completed your year-end work (such as annual accounts, the Corporation Tax return or your Self Assessment return), that year-end work is charged at our one-off rate for the same service, less the monthly fees you've already paid toward it. We'll send you an invoice showing the calculation. If you leave after 12 months, or before we've done any year-end work, there is nothing extra to pay.
When you leave, we'll give your new accountant the information they reasonably need, once all fees due have been paid.
11. Limitation of liability
Our total liability to you for any claim arising from our services is limited to the fees you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, such as loss of profit or business opportunity, or for losses caused by information you gave us that was late, incomplete or inaccurate. Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited by law.
12. Complaints
If you're unhappy with our service, please tell us so we can put it right:
- Email info@booksandreturns.com with the subject "Complaint", explaining what went wrong and what you'd like us to do.
- We'll acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days.
- We'll investigate and send you a full written response within 28 days. If we need longer, we'll tell you why and when to expect it.
13. Data protection
We handle your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy.
14. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. We'll give you at least 30 days' notice by email of any change that affects you, and you can end the engagement under section 4 if you don't accept it.
15. Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute.