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Accountancy Services

About Us

TaxAssist Accountants was founded in 1995. The company has been set up to provide a national network of trained, experienced personnel, offering a professional and personal service in accountancy, taxation and business services to small businesses.

The company's founder, John Westgarth, is an experienced and innovative Chartered Accountant. It was whilst working in practice in 1995 that he saw an opening in the market place. He realised that small businesses would need help with their accounts in the wake of self-assessment, and he anticipated that the demand for such a service would be ideal for a franchise network. TaxAssist Accountants was formed on the back of this realisation.

Self Assessment has revolutionised the way in which small businesses and the self-employed are required to report results and calculate tax liability. To meet this demand, there is an ever-increasing need for a good, local, personal service. Many small businesses find they don't get the service they deserve from their present accountant and resent the large fees they have to pay. Therefore they are often willing to change to an accountant that specialises in offering a complete range of services specifically for small businesses.

Our target market is the sole trader, partnership or small limited company.

The Franchise Opportunity

TaxAssist Accountants is the largest network of accountants specifically servicing the small business market

We focus on a lucrative market that is largely untapped by the more traditional accountancy practices which tend to go for larger business with higher fees, but more complicated work.We operate a tried and tested model that can give you business success

You will have a valuable and tangible asset to sell upon your exit

We provide full support and back up from a professional and experienced team to help your technical competence and your ability to promote and grow your business.You gain rights to an exclusive territory.You gain the ability to trade under a national brand name.

Why become a TaxAssist Accountant?

The business model of TaxAssist Accountants is fundamentally simple - to take on hundreds of small business clients - with relatively simple work, whilst being based in visible, accessible and friendly shop front premises.

Many of our franchisees were fed up with the daily commute, bored, had been made redundant or were frustrated with working hard to make others rich. They realised that taking on a franchise, which offers a service that has been and always will be in demand, could be the answer.

They saw the business model made financial sense, with the potential for taking a good salary whilst creating a real asset for their long term future. Fee banks are very saleable (there are more buyers than sellers) and with the TaxAssist Accountants brand name this could add a premium to the value of the business when you decide to sell.

By adhering to the business model and taking a proactive approach to marketing in your territory, you should be attracting clients at a considerable rate. Client acquisition will be facilitated by your shop front presence, and your marketing and networking activity will significantly help the build-up of your fee-bank.

Training and Support

TaxAssist Accountants Training

BPP Professional Education, the UK’s leading provider of accountancy and taxation tuition, provide our accountancy and taxation training. Training is carried out at our Support Centre in Norwich by qualified personnel in an informal atmosphere.

The courses are residential and TaxAssist Accountants pays for all meals, accommodation etc.

The 5 week Training Programme consists of:

The first and second weeks cover all aspects of accounts production and taxation for sole traders and partnerships.
The third week covers software training on Taxation and Practice Management.
For the fourth week you will be working from home. You will be given relevant case studies to work through.
In the last week you will receive sales, marketing and recruitment training.

TaxAssist Accountants Support

Full training, support and guidance are given to operate your business under the TaxAssist Accountants brand name.

You will receive:

An exclusive marketing territory
Accountancy and Tax training by one of the market leading training providers
Nurture programme which lasts for 6 months after the initial course focusing on business development, HR, staff recruitment and client acquisition
Fully integrated software suite from CCH
Complete ongoing training programme (technical, marketing, software, administration)
Comprehensive operations manuals
Continuous guidance and support
Technical advice helplines including access to our technical support website, support material and visits from our technical experts
Access to specialist advice/in-field back-up
Regular contact with our Franchisee Liaison Manager to monitor and discuss progress

Technical updates
Inbound and outbound lead generation service including 25 free leads
We work closely with you, particularly in the early period of your operation, to ensure everything is going well and clients are being obtained.
National Marketing campaigns and internet optimisation generating inbound leads
Initial stationery and marketing materials including your own personalised website
Marketing, publicity and brand building
Regular regional training and development for franchisees and their staff
A support site with adverts, guidance, stationery etc
First year’s membership of a networking group such as BNI or BRE
Telephone answering service for first year

Financial Information – The franchise packages

We offer two entry levels to the franchise:

The first entry package costs £29,450 + VAT and allows you to work from a commercial office and then move to a shop front by the end of your third year.
Alternatively you can also open up a shop front from day one. The franchise fee includes an exclusive territory, licence fee, a fully configured laptop and IT software, training fees, our Nurture Programme that helps you to maximise your activities and kick-start your business, operations manuals, promotional material and stationery, an accountancy and tax helpline and national marketing amongst many other things.

We also provide 25 free client leads from our lead generation providers and look to arrange membership of a networking organisation wherever possible, simply to help you raise awareness of your business in the area.
The second package is called the ‘Lifestyle Package’ and costs £19,950 + VAT. We are offering this package in limited rural areas.
This package has been created on the back of the increasing desire among many to escape the confines of city practices and the costs of city living through the purchase of a practice in a new location such as smaller market towns or rural areas. We have selected various locations around the country where we wish to offer this package, and it would also be relevant if a reduced size territory is all that is available in a certain area. Please speak to the recruitment department to see what areas are included.
The main differences between this package and the one listed above, are that you would be paying a reduced franchise fee, and your ongoing costs would also be lower. This is because you only have a territory half the size of a standard size territory.