Rated as 'better than other accountants' by 98% of our clients - we're working hard to convince the other 2%. 20 years of outstanding customer services.

Contractor accountants Birmingham

SJD Accountancy is the UK's largest firm of contractor accountants providing tax advice to over 11,000 contractors, all of whom work through their own Limited company.

We have offices across the Birmingham area and in all major UK cities and have won more awards for customer service and accounting excellence than any other firm in the contractor accountant sector, including three Accountancy Age Awards, five Contractor UK 'Best Contractor Accountant' reader Awards and two National Customer Service Awards.

What's more, all clients receive their own dedicated accountant, which they can meet, call and email and despite being the UK's largest accountants for contractors, we remain one of the lowest priced at just £110 plus VAT per month.

The first thing contractors usually think of when looking for an accountant is to find a local ‘high street’ company, but they are rarely specialist contractor accountants, so may not have knowledge of specific schemes which can benefit you as a contractor. There are also telephone only and internet based contractor accountants, however we have always felt it's far better for clients to have their own accountant that they can meet up with even if it's just once a year to discuss their business and personal financial goals. Tax is complicated and sometimes there is simply no substitute to meeting with your accountant face to face. Your accountant needs to understand your goals and to be able to provide the highest level of tax advice, something we just don't feel can be archived purely via a telephone/internet only relationship. Sure we could cut costs and reduce fees by closing offices and going telephone/internet only but this would ultimately reduce the level of service we provide. It's also interesting that most telephone and internet only companies aren't really that much cheaper anyway.

If you have any questions about contracting or would like any further advice please either contact your SJD Accountant, call our new client services helpdesk on 0500 152500 / 01442 275789 or email michelle.turbutt@sjdaccountancy.com.

If you're just starting out contracting in Birmingham, find below a few details which you might find helpful.

Contracting in Birmingham

Widely regarded as England’s ‘second city’, Birmingham sits in the heart of the country surrounded by commerce as well countryside. It is home to a population of over a million people, with the greater metropolitan area housing almost four million residents.

Birmingham is a vibrant place to live and work, and in recent years massive rejuvenation has completely transformed the city centre. There are canal-side developments like Brindley Place, with its many restaurants and bars and retail developments such as the new Bullring and the Mailbox. The city has a lively and diverse nightlife, as well as many parks and open spaces to enjoy - and is also close to the countryside of Warwickshire, Derbyshire and the Cotswolds. It is also home to the Birmingham Royal Ballet and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), as well as many museums, theatres and art galleries.

Partly due to its central location, Birmingham has become a major transport hub. There are a number of international airports within an hour’s drive, the largest of these being Birmingham International which handles around ten million passengers annually. Along with major rail and road connections, the National Exhibition Centre, the International Convention Centre and the country’s busiest shopping centre - it’s not hard to see why the city was voted as one of the best places to locate a business in the UK.

Despite being at the heart of the industrial revolution in the UK two hundred years ago, Birmingham’s economy is today dominated by the service sector. Both the Lloyds and Midland Banks were founded in the city, and today over 100,000 people are still employed within the banking, finance and insurance sectors in the city. The NHS is also a large employer, with Birmingham Children’s Hospital being a major healthcare centre for the area, along with University Hospitals Birmingham and Solihull NHS Trust.

Major industries include banking and Finance, insurance, construction, healthcare and leisure. Some of the key employers in the area include:

GKN - One of the UK’s largest private construction and support services companies after the purchase of fellow infrastructure services company Alfred McAlpine in a deal worth £572 million. With an aggregate revenue approaching £5 billion it offers a wide range of contractor opportunities.
Carillion - Another of the country’s major construction and support services companies, employing around 50,000 people across five continents. Its portfolio of work covers health, education and regeneration, road, rail, defence and commercial property.
Zurich Insurance - Zurich Financial Services Group is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries. Founded in 1872, the Group employs approximately 60,000 people serving customers in more than 170 countries, and its UK head office is in Edgbaston, just outside Birmingham.
Mitchells and Butlers - Better known for its Harvester and Toby brands, Mitchells & Butlers plc is the leading operator of managed pubs and pub restaurants in the UK and has its Head Offices on Fleet Street in Birmingham. It has an asset value of around £4.5 billion and its chain of public houses and restaurants account for 10% of the industry’s total sales.
Jaguar Land Rover - Jaguar Land Rover is a world-renowned manufacturer of premium 4x4s. 2012 is estimated to see 1,000 new contractor jobs created at the company's Land Rover plant in Solihull.

Typical rates of pay for contractors do vary depending on individual skill-sets, but as an example, an IT Consultant or Analyst could expect to earn £400 per day on average before tax in a Birmingham-based job, whilst a developer or programmer for example is probably looking at around the £300 to £350 mark.

Most UK-wide recruitment agencies will carry a good number of Birmingham contractor jobs, so they should be quite easy to track down. There are also a number of quality local newspapers in the area, the best read ones probably being the Birmingham Post (www.birminghampost.net) and the Birmingham Mail (www.birminghammail.net).

There are a few pros and cons to working in Birmingham. On the downside, pay rates are lower than in the South and, despite regeneration, for some it still has a rather 'industrial' and ‘urban’ image. On the upside however, it offers a diverse range of industries, an excellent social life, with lower cost of living and very good road and rail links, including a large international airport.

Birmingham has an aspiration to be in the top 20 ‘most liveable cities in the world’ within 20 years and it is estimated that this will cost around £17 billion to achieve. A proportion of which will of course be spent on contractor services across a wide range of areas. These ambitious plans, known collectively as the ‘Big City Plan’ will increase the city centre area fivefold, providing 60,000 new homes, many new landmark buildings and the first new park in the city for 125 years.

For information on other regional contracting guides, see the links below (we will be adding more guides over time):

Contractor Accountants London
Contractor Accountants Reading
Contractor Accountants Manchester
Contractor Accountants Newcastle
Contractor Accountants Milton Keynes
Contractor Accountants Leeds
Contractor Accountants Bristol
Contractor Accountants Aberdeen
Contractor Accountants Glasgow
Contractor Accountants Edinburgh

SJD Accountancy

SJD Accountancy are the UK's largest specialist provider of fixed fee, limited company accountancy services to contractors; we've been acting for contractors across the UK since 1992 and have more than 11,000 clients.

We are the only National specialist firm of accountants with offices in all major UK cities so you’ll never be far from your accountant. SJD also have more qualified staff than any other firm in our market with qualifications from the following major tax and accountancy bodies - ATII, ATT, ACCA, CA, ACA, FCCA, ACMA. You’ll also be pleased to know that we are one of the lowest priced as well.

Free face-to-face meetings. This is another unique service, only SJD offers free face to face meetings - tax is complicated and sometimes only a meeting will do.
Unlimited access to your own dedicated accountant. No call centres, no outsourcing, no automated call handling. Simply telephone, e-mail or meet your own dedicated accountant face to face.
Money back service guarantee. All your telephone calls and e-mails will be answered the same day or we will refund your monthly fee's.
Outstanding reputation. We have won more awards for customer service and accountancy excellence than any other firm in our market.
All inclusive low cost monthly package which includes completion of accounts, payroll bureau, dividends and corporation tax computations, personal taxation, free bookkeeping software, unlimited access to your accountant and all company returns. All this for a fixed monthly fee of £110 plus VAT, which is one of the lowest prices in the market.

If you have any questions about contracting or would like any further advice please either contact your SJD Accountant or call our new client services helpdesk on 0500 152500 / 01442 275789 or email: nikki.hanlon@sjdaccountancy.com.

Appoint SJD Accountancy and never worry about your tax or accountancy affairs again!

You may also find the following pages, guides and case studies useful:

Take home pay calculator - How much could you be taking home
Contractor FAQ - All your frequently asked questions and their answers
First time Contracting or Freelancing? - A summary of the alternatives along with pros and cons
Choosing an accountant - For a full review
Step-by-step Guide to Contracting - Download a FREE copy of our guide
Limited or Umbrella? Can't decide? - We help you decide which is best for you
Guide to Contracting - All the best guides to contracting in one place
Expenses Guide - Know exactly what you can claim
Umbrella company guide - Everything you ever wanted to know about umbrella company services
IR35 Guide - A great plain English guide to IR35