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Xero Certified Adviser
FreeAgent Partner
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Where we work

Manchester. London. Dubai. Wherever your agency is based.

Remote-firstUK & UAE clientsIn-person when it matters
alto.

ACCA accountants for UK creative and marketing agencies. Specialists in agency cash flow, retainer math, and director tax planning.

Alto Accounting Ltd86–90 Paul Street
London EC2A 4NE
Company No. 15343741
Registered practice

Services

  • Bookkeeping
  • Tax Planning
  • Payroll
  • Outsourced FD
  • Xero Accounting
  • R&D Tax Credits
  • VAT Returns
  • Small Agencies

Free tools

  • Salary Calculator
  • R&D Tax Calculator
  • Profitability Calculator
  • Runway Calculator
  • IR35 Checker
  • VAT Calculator
  • Tax Deadlines Calendar

Agency types

  • PPC Agencies
  • SEO Agencies
  • Web Design Agencies
  • Digital Marketing
  • Video Production
  • Branding Agencies
  • PR & Comms
  • Social Media Agencies
  • Creative Studios
  • Advertising Agencies
  • Content Creators
  • Ecommerce Agencies
  • View All Services →

Popular guides

  • Director Salary 2026/27
  • Dubai Relocation Guide
  • Agency Profitability Guide
  • Creator Tax Checklist
  • UAE Expat Tax Checklist
  • View All Guides →

Comparisons

  • Specialist vs General
  • Best Agency Accountants
  • Best Cloud Software
  • In-House vs Outsourced FD
  • Accountant vs Bookkeeper
  • Accounting Costs Guide

Locations

  • London
  • Manchester
  • Birmingham
  • Leeds
  • Bristol
  • Edinburgh
  • Glasgow
  • Liverpool
  • Cambridge
  • Cardiff
  • Nottingham
  • Brighton
  • Newcastle
  • All locations →

Company

  • About Us
  • Pricing
  • Contact
  • Free Consultation
  • FAQ
  • Why Specialist?
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Agency tax brief

Practical finance for UK agency founders

Monthly. Deadlines, quick wins, nothing fluffy.

© 2026 Alto Accounting Ltd
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Replies in 24 hours, usually same dayhello@alto-accounting.com
ACCA registered practice

Accountants for UK
Creative & Marketing
Agencies

We get retainers, media passthrough, freelancer churn, lumpy cash. You won't be explaining your P&L from scratch.

Book a 15-minute callSee pricing
Replies in 24 hours, usually same dayDirect to an ACCA accountant, not a chatbot
Monthly revenue mix
£45,200
Revenue
Retainers£24.8k
Project fees£12.1k
Media passthrough£8.3k
£156k
Cash position
8.2 mo
Runway
63.0%
Gross margin

Accredited & certified

ACCAXeroQuickBooksFreeAgent
Why a specialist

Agency finance has quirks.
We built our practice around them.

Mixed revenue, freelancer churn, lumpy cash, media passthrough. The exact things that break a general accountant are what we do all day.

£

Retainers, projects, passthrough

Most accountants book everything as revenue, inflating your turnover and your tax. We separate earned revenue from money you're holding for clients, so your P&L reflects reality.

Revenue splitRetainer · Project · Passthrough
01
IR35

Freelancer compliance

Every contractor brings IR35, CIS, and PAYE timing exposure. We handle it so you can scale the team without an HMRC surprise.

CoversIR35 · CIS · PAYE timing
02
38%

Per-client margin

A 60% headline margin can hide three clients losing you money. We track margin per client, per project, per retainer, so scope creep surfaces before it eats the quarter.

TrackedPer client · Per project · Per retainer
03
See how we work with marketing agencies
Services

Three things we do well

Done every month, end-to-end. Compliance is included.

10

Monthly reports

P&L, cash position, margins by client. Delivered by the 10th, walked through on a call.

Cash flow management

We track receivables, payables, and your runway. You get early warning when cash is tightening, not a surprise when payroll bounces.

Forecasting

Model out hires, office moves, or winning that big pitch. See what it does to your cash before you commit.

£
alto.Monthly close report
PeriodMarch 2026CurrencyGBP · Net of VAT
Revenue£45,200▲ 12.4% vs February
Gross margin63.0%▲ 2.1pt vs February
Operating profit£12,290▲ £3.8k vs February
A · Revenue
Retainer income£24,800
Project fees£12,100
Media passthrough (held for clients)£8,300
Total revenue£45,200
B · Direct costs
Freelancers & contractors(£8,420)
Media spend (passthrough)(£8,300)
Gross profit£28,48063.0%
C · Operating expenses
Payroll & NICs(£14,200)
Software & tools(£1,180)
Office & overheads(£810)
Operating profit£12,29027.2%
D · Cash & runwayEnd of March
Cash at bank£156,400
Receivables£42,100
Runway8.2mo
Alto Accounting LtdACCA registered practice
How it works

Four steps to proper numbers

A month from first call to your first clean close.

01

Discovery call

Fifteen minutes. You talk, we listen, and we tell you straight if we're the right fit.

Day 0115 min
02

Setup

We connect bank feeds, reconcile, and set up your reporting. Two to four weeks, fully hands-off.

Weeks 1–4We do it
03
10

Monthly reporting

Reports arrive by the 10th. You know your numbers. You can answer "can we afford this hire?" without guessing.

By the 10thEvery month
04

Ongoing support

Contract question? Tax decision? Message us. No tickets, no chatbots.

Always onSlack / email
Tools & insights

Free tools and reading for agency founders

Calculators built for retainers and project work, plus the agency-finance reading list.

Free toolsBrowse all tools
£Salary£12,570Dividends£37,430Save £2,400Free tool
Interactive · 2026/27 rates · ~3 min

Salary & Dividend Calculator

The optimal salary and dividend split for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 tax years, in under three minutes.

Use calculator
£0DANGERFree download
PDF · Updated April 2026

Agency Cash Flow Survival Guide

A playbook for fixing agency cash flow: 14-day recovery plan, collection scripts, and a rolling 90-day forecast template.

Download free guide
Resource library
Library · Xero & FreeAgent compatible

Free Templates & Resources

Templates, checklists, and forecasts for managing cash flow, tracking profitability, and spotting problems early.

Browse resources
InsightsView all insights
Tax£LTD
19 Apr 20267 min readACCA

Sole Trader vs Limited Company for Agencies UK: Which Structure Is Right? (2026/27)

Sole trader or limited company for your UK agency? Side-by-side tax comparison, worked examples at £40k, £60k, and £100k profit, plus the exact point where incorporation saves you money. ACCA-backed guide.

Read the guide
Profitability0FIRE THIS CLIENTABCDEFG
18 Apr 20266 min readStrategy

Client Profitability Analysis for Agencies: Find Your Best and Worst Clients

How to measure per-client profitability in your agency. Formula, worked examples, scope creep cost calculation, red flags for unprofitable clients, and when to fire a client.

Read the guide
Pricing£5kJAN£5kFEB£5kMAR£5kAPR£5kMAY£5kJUNTOTAL£30k
17 Apr 20265 min readAgencies

Retainer Pricing Models for Agencies: How to Price, Structure, and Sell Monthly Retainers

Complete guide to retainer pricing models for UK agencies. Fixed fee, time bank, value-based, performance, and hybrid retainers explained with rates, worked examples, and contract tips.

Read the guide
Contact

Tell us about your agency.

Send a message or book a call. We'll review your current setup and tell you straight whether we can help.

Direct line to an ACCA accountant
Xero certified adviser
Fixed monthly fees · no hourly billing
Reply within 24 hours, usually same day
Reply within 24 hours · Direct from an ACCA accountant