Start-up Accountants in Shoreditch

Company formation, structure and ongoing accounts for Shoreditch start-ups, from first incorporation to first investment round.

Call 020 7790 0793 Book a free consultation

The decisions that matter most for a start-up are taken in the first few months, usually by founders who are busy building something and reasonably assume the admin can wait. Share splits, who owns what, whether founders are employees, how early team members are rewarded — all cheap to get right at the start and genuinely expensive to unwind later.

We work with early-stage companies across Shoreditch and the Old Street area on formation, structure, statutory accounts, payroll and tax, at a fee scaled to where the business actually is rather than where it hopes to be.

Chartered Certified Accountants
Providing a first-class service since 2007
Fixed fees agreed in advance
Free initial consultation

What we do

Accountancy services for Shoreditch businesses and individuals

Whatever stage you are at, we cover the full range of compliance and advisory work from our office a short journey from Shoreditch:

Year-end accounts

Statutory accounts prepared and filed at Companies House, with the numbers explained in plain English.

Bookkeeping

Cloud bookkeeping on Xero, QuickBooks or Sage so your figures are current, not six months old.

Payroll

RTI payroll, pensions auto-enrolment, payslips and P60s handled every pay run.

VAT returns

Registration, scheme selection and Making Tax Digital compliant quarterly filing.

Tax returns & self assessment

Personal and business tax returns prepared, checked for reliefs and filed before the deadline.

Business start-ups

Company formation, HMRC registrations and the structure decisions that are hard to unwind later.

Sole traders

Straightforward accounts and tax for self-employed people, including CIS subcontractors.

Compliance

Confirmation statements, Companies House filings and HMRC correspondence kept on schedule.

Who we help

Shoreditch businesses we work with

The pattern we see repeatedly: two or three founders incorporate with an equal split and no documentation, pay themselves nothing, use freelancers, and eighteen months later have a term sheet, a co-founder who left, no share vesting, an unpaid intern who was legally an employee, and a bookkeeping file that will not survive due diligence. Every part of that is preventable with a couple of conversations early on.

Founders incorporating a new company and setting the share structure
Pre-revenue and pre-seed companies needing proportionate, low-cost compliance
Start-ups preparing for investment and expecting financial due diligence
Companies setting up EMI option schemes for early employees
Technology businesses with potentially qualifying R&D expenditure
Founders moving from freelancing into a funded company

Why MSCO

Why Shoreditch clients choose MSCO

We keep it proportionate. A pre-revenue company does not need a full management accounting service, it needs clean statutory filings, a bookkeeping system that will scale, and someone to ask before making a structural decision. That is what we quote for, and we scale up when there is revenue to justify it.

Chartered Certified Accountants, providing a first-class service since 2007
Free initial consultation with no obligation and no sales pressure
Fixed fees agreed in advance, so there is never a surprise invoice
A named accountant who answers the phone, not a ticket queue
We handle the switch from your current accountant, including the professional clearance letter
Xero, QuickBooks and Sage certified, with in-person or video meetings as you prefer

Call 020 7790 0793 Book a free consultation

Local expertise

Local knowledge, not a call centre

Two things worth doing early because they are hard to retrofit. Founder share vesting: without it, a co-founder who leaves after six months keeps their full equity, which future investors will treat as a serious problem. And EMI options for early employees: the scheme is genuinely tax-efficient, but it requires a valuation agreed with HMRC and correct notification within the statutory window — miss the process and the tax advantage is lost entirely, which is a bad conversation to have with someone you promised options to.

Local proof

The work we do in Shoreditch

Two situations that come up repeatedly here, and how they are usually dealt with:

What is expensive to retrofit

Two things are cheap now and hard later. Founder share vesting: without it, a co-founder who leaves after six months keeps their full equity, which investors treat as a serious problem at diligence. And EMI options: the scheme is genuinely efficient but requires a valuation agreed with HMRC and notification within the statutory window — miss the process and the tax advantage is lost entirely, which is a bad conversation to have with someone you promised options to.

Our credentials

Who prepares your accounts

MSCO Accountants has provided a first-class accountancy service since 2007. The practice is led by Moshin Miah, LLB(Hons), FCA, FCCA, a Chartered Accountant listed with the ICAEW and a Fellow of both the ICAEW and ACCA, admitted in 2011 and holding a current practising certificate. Work is carried out in accordance with applicable UK tax, Companies House and professional accountancy requirements.

London clients500+
Small businesses150+
Sole traders100+
Start-ups75+
Payroll clients50+
Trading since2007

Written and reviewed by Moshin Miah, LLB(Hons), FCA, FCCA — Director and Chartered Accountant, MSCO Accountants Ltd (company no. 16543569), 100 Mile End Road, London E1 4UN. Tax advice is provided based on your individual circumstances and applicable UK legislation.

What clients say

Client feedback

Very professional and friendly team. They have helped me in a lot of ways and now I feel like my business is in safe hands now. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Sam

Before meeting MSCO, taxes were a headache for me. This company has helped me a lot in all kind of taxes without any kind stress — really appreciate them.

Kamran

Find us

Our East London office

We work with Shoreditch clients from our office at Suda House, 100 Mile End Road, London E1 4UN — a few minutes from Stepney Green and Mile End Underground stations, on the A11. Street and paid parking is available nearby. Appointments are recommended, and full directions, parking and transport detail are on our directions page.

Common questions

Start-up accountancy in Shoreditch – frequently asked questions

We are pre-revenue. What do we actually have to file?

Annual accounts and a confirmation statement at Companies House, and a corporation tax return with HMRC, regardless of whether you have made a sale. If you pay anyone, including founders, you need PAYE. We keep the cost of this proportionate at the early stage.

How should we split shares between founders?

Deliberately, in writing, and with vesting. Equal splits are common and often fine, but contribution rarely stays equal, and equity without vesting means someone who leaves early keeps everything they were allocated. Investors will look at this closely, so it is worth structuring properly at the outset.

Can we claim R&D tax relief?

Possibly, if you are resolving genuine technological uncertainty rather than building a conventional application. We will assess it honestly. HMRC has substantially tightened its approach to enquiries, and an overstated claim can cost far more than it returns, so we would rather advise against a weak claim than submit one.

How much do your accountancy services cost?

Fees depend on the size of the business and how much work is involved, so we quote after a short conversation rather than publishing a one-size-fits-all price. What we can promise is that the fee is fixed and agreed in writing before we start. Most sole traders and small limited companies find our pricing sits comfortably against comparable London firms.

How do I switch from my current accountant?

It is easier than most people expect and takes about ten minutes of your time. You tell your existing accountant you are moving, we write to them for professional clearance and your records, and we handle the handover of your HMRC and Companies House authorisations. You can switch at any point in the year, not just at your year end.

Do I have to come into your office?

No. Plenty of our clients we meet in person, and plenty we have never met at a desk at all — documents come in by email or cloud folder and we talk by phone or video. Both work equally well. If you would rather sit down together, our office on Mile End Road is easy to reach and parking nearby is manageable outside peak hours.

Get in touch