What support does my business need?
Specialist accountant
A specialist accountant is an accountant who works mainly with one sector, such as construction, online selling, property or contractors, or with one type of work.
The short answer
A specialist accountant focuses on one sector or one kind of work. It may help if your sector has its own tax rules or ways of working, such as the Construction Industry Scheme or the off-payroll working rules for contractors. We have not found a protected title or qualification for being a sector specialist, so the label is the firm's own description. Ask about their experience with businesses like yours.
Sectors where it may matter
Some sectors have tax rules or record-keeping that a general accountant sees less of. Two examples with their own HMRC rules:
| Sector | What is different | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), contractors deduct money from subcontractors' payments and pass it to HMRC. Contractors must register for the scheme, and deductions are higher if a subcontractor is not registered.1 | Do you file CIS returns for clients? Can you help a subcontractor reclaim deductions? |
| Contractors working through their own company | The off-payroll working rules (also called IR35) can apply when a worker provides services through their own company but would have been an employee if they worked for the client directly. For small clients outside the public sector, the worker's own company decides whether the rules apply.2 | How do you help clients check their status? What do you do if a client's contract changes? |
| Online selling | Sales through several marketplaces and payment apps, stock, refunds and sales to customers abroad can make the records harder to reconcile. | Which marketplaces and software do you work with? Do you handle overseas sales and VAT? |
| Property | Rental income, property bought in a company, and buying or selling property can each have their own tax questions. | Do you work with landlords or property companies? Do you advise on whether to hold property personally or in a company, or refer that to a tax adviser? |
Other sectors, such as farming, charities, medical practices and hospitality, have their own quirks too. This list is not complete.
How it differs from a general accountant
A general accountant can work across several sectors, and some businesses don't need a specialist at all. The difference is in what the accountant sees every week. A firm with a lot of clients in your sector may know the rules, software and recurring problems well. A general firm may know them too. The label alone doesn't tell you which.
A specialist accountant is also different from a tax adviser. A tax adviser focuses on tax planning and harder tax questions across sectors. Some specialist firms have tax advisers in-house; others refer that work out.
Qualifications
We have not found a separate qualification or protected title for being a sector specialist. A specialist accountant may be chartered, chartered certified or a member of another body, like any other accountant. See Accountant for what those titles mean.
What it costs
We have not found a reliable published source comparing specialist and general accountants' fees, so we do not give a figure. Ask for a written quote that sets out what is included.
Questions to test sector experience
- How many clients do you have in our sector, and of what size?
- Which sector rules come up most for clients like us, and how do you handle them?
- Which software and systems used in our sector do you work with?
- Who in the firm would work on our account, and what is their experience?
- Can you give an example, without naming the client, of a problem you have helped a business like ours with?
When a general accountant may be enough
If your business has no sector-specific tax rules, or your current accountant already handles them well, a specialist may add little. It may be enough to ask your accountant how they deal with the rules for your sector, and to check the answer against the HMRC guidance.