ACCA Registered
Xero Certified Adviser
FreeAgent Partner
ICO Registered
Where we work

Manchester. London. Wherever your agency is based.

Remote-firstUK-wide 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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  • Terms
  • hello@alto-accounting.com
alto.
  • About
PricingBook a call
Run monthly
Monthly reportingCash flow forecastingOutsourced FDYear-end accounts
Tax & compliance
Tax planningPayrollR&D tax creditsVATXero accounting
Featured
£
The monthly close

How we close your books

A signed-off report by working day 10 — P&L, cash position, and what matters this month.

See how we close
By agency type
Creative studiosPaid-media agenciesDigital marketingBranding agenciesContent creatorsSee all agency types
By situation
Small agencies
Why specialist
£
Specialist vs generalist

Why a specialist?

Generalist accountants miss what matters for agencies: WIP, utilisation, retainer deferrals, and the rhythm of project work.

Read the case
Calculators
Salary & dividendAgency profitabilityAgency runwayIR35 status checkerR&D tax creditVAT registrationSRT day counterAll tools
Free guides
£
Most read

The agency cash-flow guide

A practical playbook for surviving a slow month: forecast, runway, retainer math, and where founders usually break.

Open the guide
Run a better agency
Agency profitabilityPricing strategyUtilisation rateRetainer pricingValuation & exit
Tax & compliance
Salary & dividend 2026/27IR35 for agenciesSole trader vs limitedMaking Tax DigitalSelf-assessment 2026All articles
Featured
£
Latest

Autumn Budget 2025

What Rachel Reeves' Budget changes mean for UK agency owners and small businesses — the items worth acting on.

Read the breakdown
  • Services
  • Who we help
  • Tools
  • Insights
  • About
  • Pricing
Book a 15-minute call
Replies in 24 hours, usually same dayhello@alto-accounting.com
Home/Resources
Free tools & guides

Calculators, checklists, and answers.

We built these because we kept answering the same questions. Salary splits, IR35 status, VAT thresholds, SRT day counts. Spreadsheets work too — these are just easier.

Browse the toolsTalk to an accountant
11 tools, calculators & guides — all free
Updated for 2026/27 tax year
No sign-up · No spam · No catch
DocLibrary · 11 resources
TEMPLATE · 03 OF 11RESOURCES · LIBRARYFREE · NO SIGN-UP
Calculators · Checklists · Reference docs
01Which tool should you use?

Pick the question. Pick the tool.

"I'm working out my salary/dividend split…"

Salary & Dividend Calculator

"I'm checking my agency's financial health…"

Profitability Calculator

"I'm worried about IR35 for my contractors…"

IR35 Status Checker

"I'm planning for VAT registration…"

VAT Registration Calculator

"I'm a UK expat checking residence status…"

SRT Day Counter

"I'm estimating R&D tax credits…"

R&D Tax Credit Calculator

"I'm checking my cash runway…"

Runway Calculator

"I need every UK tax deadline in one place…"

Tax Deadlines Calendar
02The library

Calculators & guides.

Built by chartered accountants. Specific to UK agencies. Updated for 2026/27.

£Salary£12,570Dividends£37,430Save £2,400Most popular
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.

  • Personal & corporation tax
  • National Insurance calculations
  • Dividend tax optimisation
Use calculator
CREDIT£42,000Free tool
Interactive · SME scheme · ~4 min

R&D Tax Credit Estimator

See how much R&D tax relief your agency could claim for innovation and custom development work.

  • Agency-specific presets
  • Qualifying activities checker
  • SME scheme calculations
Estimate relief
FIRE THISFree tool
Interactive · Margins · Benchmarks

Agency Profitability Calculator

Analyse your agency's margins and compare against industry benchmarks.

  • Utilisation & margin metrics
  • Industry benchmarks
  • Break-even analysis
Check margins
EF12wkFree tool
Interactive · 3 scenarios · Burn rate

Agency Runway Calculator

Calculate how many months of cash runway your agency has with scenario modelling.

  • 3-scenario modelling
  • Burn rate analysis
  • Invoice timing insights
Calculate runway
IR35Free tool
Interactive · CEST factors · ~5 min

IR35 Status Checker

Assess your IR35 status based on HMRC CEST factors with instant analysis.

  • HMRC CEST-based questions
  • Category-by-category breakdown
  • Risk factor analysis
Check status
£90,000YOUROLLING 12-MONTH TURNOVERFree tool
Interactive · 2026/27 threshold

VAT Registration Calculator

Check whether you're approaching the £90,000 VAT threshold and when to register.

  • Rolling 12-month tracker
  • Stagger group reference
  • MTD compliance check
Check threshold
UK TIES · 2Free tool
Interactive · 2026/27 SRT · UK ties

SRT Day Counter

Count your UK days against the Statutory Residence Test thresholds and tie-tests.

  • Day count by tax year
  • Automatic & ties tests
  • UK property + work flags
Count days
£0DANGERFree download
PDF · 12 pages · 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.

  • Emergency cash flow assessment
  • Payment collection strategies
  • 14-day recovery action plan
Download free guide
PASSPORTFree download
PDF · 10-point check · 2026 update

UK Expat Tax Checklist for Dubai

Free checklist for UK nationals in the UAE. Statutory Residence Test, P85, post-non-dom rules, and CFC.

  • Pre-departure HMRC steps
  • SRT day counting rules
  • UK rental income treatment
Get checklist
DAC7Free download
PDF · 14 pages · DAC7 rules

Content Creator Tax Checklist

HMRC Self Assessment checklist for UK creators on YouTube, TikTok, Patreon, and OnlyFans.

  • Income tracking essentials
  • Allowable expenses
  • Platform reporting (DAC7)
Get checklist
26/27Reference
Calendar · 2026/27 · Updated quarterly

UK Agency Tax Calendar 2026/27

Every HMRC, Companies House, VAT, and payroll deadline for UK agency directors in one place.

  • April 2026 to March 2027 dates
  • Colour-coded by deadline type
  • 2026/27 rates reference
View calendar
Calculators only go so far
Questions?

Want to talk through the numbers?

Book a free 15-minute call with a chartered accountant who already understands agencies.

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