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Alto Accounting© 2026 Alto Accounting Ltd
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Alto Accounting
About
Monthly BookkeepingTax PlanningPayroll & ContractorsOutsourced Finance DirectorXero AccountingR&D Tax CreditsVAT Returns
Pricing
Digital Marketing AgenciesPPC AgenciesWeb Design & Dev ShopsSEO & Digital Growth AgenciesCreative StudiosBranding AgenciesSocial Media AgenciesContent Creators
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All agency types
Calculators
Salary & Dividend CalculatorR&D Tax Credit EstimatorAgency ProfitabilityCash Runway CalculatorVAT Registration CalculatorIR35 Status Checker🇦🇪 SRT Day Counter
Free Guides
🇦🇪 UAE Expat Tax Checklist🎥 Creator Tax Checklist💷 Agency Cash Flow Guide
Insights
TikTok Shop & The £90k VAT Trap: Why Most UK Creators Shouldn't ScaleHMRC Platform Reporting for UK Creators 2026: YouTube, OnlyFans, Etsy, AirbnbSole Trader vs Ltd 2026/27: The New Break-Even After Dividend Tax RiseAll insights

Accountants for UK
Creative & Marketing Agencies

Chartered accountants who understand retainers, media passthrough, freelancer networks, and agency cash flow. You won't have to explain how your business works.

No obligation · Free 15-minute call

ACCA Chartered Certified AccountantsChartered Practice

Software We Use

ACCA - Certified Partner
Xero - Certified Partner
QuickBooks - Certified Partner
FreeAgent - Certified Partner
ACCA - Certified Partner
Xero - Certified Partner
QuickBooks - Certified Partner
FreeAgent - Certified Partner
ACCA - Certified Partner
Xero - Certified Partner
QuickBooks - Certified Partner
FreeAgent - Certified Partner

Why Agencies Choose a Specialist Accountant

Marketing agencies have financial complexity that general accountants miss. We built our practice around solving these problems.

Mixed Revenue Models

Retainers, project fees, and media passthrough all in one month. Most accountants treat everything as revenue, inflating your turnover and potentially your tax liability. We separate earned revenue from money you hold on behalf of clients, so your P&L reflects reality.

Freelancer Networks

Agencies scale with freelancers, but every contractor brings IR35 considerations, CIS obligations, and cash flow timing issues. We manage the compliance so you can build the team you need without worrying about HMRC.

Client Profitability

Knowing your overall margin is not enough. We help you track profitability per client and per project, so you can spot scope creep before it erodes your margins and make informed decisions about which work to pursue.

See how we work with marketing agencies

Who We Work With

We don't do plumbers. Or dentists. Or 'small businesses' generally. Just agencies. It makes things simpler for everyone

Creative Studios

Design and branding teams managing retainers, project work, and the constant question of which clients are actually profitable

Paid Media Agencies

Performance teams managing £200k+ in monthly ad spend. When half your revenue is media passthrough, most accountants can't tell you your real margin

Content Agencies

Video, social, and content teams dealing with variable production costs, scope creep, and 60-day payment terms

Growth Consultancies

Strategy firms where the product is your team's time. High gross margins on paper, but payroll hits every month whether clients pay or not

Three things we do well

We could list 47 services. But you'd stop reading. Here's what matters.

Monthly Reports

P&L, cash position, margins by client. Delivered by the 10th. We walk you through the numbers on a call so you understand what's happening

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 Accounting Dashboard
£45,230
Monthly Revenue
+12% vs last month
£156K
Cash Position
Healthy liquidity
23%
Growth Rate
Annual projection
Cash Flow Trend
This Month+£28.5K
Last Month+£24.2K
Profitability Analysis
Gross Margin55.2%
Operating Margin17.8%
12-Month Forecast
£540K
Projected Revenue
£96K
Expected Profit
£85K
Year-End Cash

How this works

Four steps. About a month from first call to proper numbers. Not revolutionary, just how it should work

01

Discovery Call

15 minutes. You tell us about your agency, your current setup, and what's not working. We tell you honestly if we can help

02

Setup

We connect your bank feeds, reconcile your accounts, and set up your reporting. Takes 2-4 weeks

03

Monthly Reporting

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

04

Ongoing Support

Contract question? Tax decision? Not sure how to structure a deal? Message us. We're here

Ready to see how much you could save?

Most agency founders are paying more tax than they need to. A quick chat can change that.

No obligation · 15-minute call · Free

Insights

What UK agency founders need to know about their finances. No theory. Just what works

View all insights
22 April 2026

TikTok Shop & The £90k VAT Trap: Why Most UK Creators Shouldn't Scale

TikTok Shop pushes creators past £90k in weeks. Crossing the VAT threshold on 20% margins wipes the profit. Contrarian case for capping revenue, dual channels, or staying under the line.

Read guide
21 April 2026

HMRC Platform Reporting for UK Creators 2026: YouTube, OnlyFans, Etsy, Airbnb

Digital platforms now report UK creator earnings to HMRC by 31 January. What YouTube, OnlyFans, Patreon, Etsy, Vinted and Airbnb actually share, what to declare, penalties and how to fix it.

Read guide
20 April 2026

Sole Trader vs Ltd 2026/27: The New Break-Even After Dividend Tax Rise

The 2026 dividend rise and MTD ITSA change the break-even point between sole trader and limited company. Worked examples at £30k, £60k, £100k, £150k. When incorporation stops paying.

Read guide
19 April 2026

Optimal Salary & Dividend Strategy 2026/27: Owner-Manager Planning Guide

The full extraction stack for UK owner-managers in 2026/27. Salary sweet spot, pension sacrifice, spousal rebalance, dividend timing, £100k trap. Saves £3k-£12k/yr.

Read guide
18 April 2026

Should YouTubers Go Limited Company UK? Decision Guide (2026/27)

Should UK YouTubers go limited company? The tax maths at £40k, £75k, £120k and £200k profit, hidden costs of incorporating, and the full 2026/27 decision guide for content creators.

Read guide
4 April 2026

The FIG Regime Explained: UK Expat Tax After Non-Dom Abolition

How the Foreign Income and Gains regime works for UK expats. Eligibility, 4-year election window, Temporary Repatriation Facility rates, IHT changes, and interaction with the Statutory Residence Test.

Read guide

Free Resources & Tools

Calculators and guides we built because we kept answering the same questions

Live Tool

Free Tool

Salary & Dividend Calculator

Calculate your optimal salary and dividend split for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 tax years

  • Personal tax calculations
  • Corporation tax estimates
  • National Insurance calculations
  • Dividend tax optimisation
Use Calculator

Free Guide

Free Download

Agency Cash Flow Survival Guide

Comprehensive guide to transform how you manage cash flow. Includes proven frameworks and UK-specific strategies

  • Emergency cash flow assessment
  • Payment collection strategies
  • 14-day recovery action plan
  • UK-specific tax strategies
Download Free Guide

Free Checklist

Free Download

UK Expat Tax Checklist (Dubai)

Free checklist for UK nationals moving to the UAE. Residency rules, tax codes, rental income, CGT traps

  • Pre-departure HMRC steps
  • Statutory Residence Test rules
  • UK rental income treatment
  • CGT and inheritance tax traps
Get Free Checklist

Free Checklist

Free Download

Content Creator Tax Checklist

HMRC Self Assessment checklist for UK YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and OnlyFans creators

  • Income tracking essentials
  • Allowable expenses for creators
  • Platform reporting rules 2026
  • Self-assessment deadlines
Get Free Checklist

Live Tool

Free Tool

Cash Runway Calculator

How many months will your cash last? Model worst, expected and best case scenarios

  • Monthly burn rate
  • 3-scenario modelling
  • Tailored recommendations
  • Instant results
Calculate Runway

2026/27 Calendar

Free

UK Agency Tax Calendar 2026/27

Every HMRC, Companies House, PAYE and VAT deadline from April 2026 to March 2027 in one place

  • All corporation tax dates
  • Quarterly VAT deadlines
  • Companies House filings
  • 2026/27 rate reference
View Calendar
Browse all 11 free resources

Agency Accountants Across the UK

Specialist accounting for creative agencies in major UK cities

ManchesterBirminghamLeedsBristolEdinburghGlasgowCambridgeLondonLiverpoolCardiffBrightonNewcastleNottinghamUK-wide
View all locations

Let's talk numbers

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

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