Terms & Conditions
Accusolve Accountants Limited
Last Updated: Jan 2026
38B Monahan Avenue, Purley, CR8 3BA
Tel: 0203 092 6909
Email: mail@accusolveaccountants.com
Last updated:
Important (AML/High-Risk Jurisdictions): We may be unable to provide certain services where a client, beneficial owner, or the activity is connected to jurisdictions classified as high-risk. This includes jurisdictions identified in the UK government advisory notice: HMRC High-Risk Third Countries List . We may request enhanced due diligence or decline work to meet our legal obligations.
These terms and conditions set out the general terms under which we undertake our business. Specific conditions relating to particular assignments will be covered in separate letters of engagement and/or schedules of services. Where there is a conflict, the engagement letter/schedule will take precedence.
- Introduction
- Applicable law & jurisdiction
- Authorisation, regulatory status & audit
- Bribery Act 2010
- Client identification & verification (AML/KYC)
- Client monies
- Commissions or other benefits
- Confidentiality & subcontracting
- Conflicts of interest
- Third party reliance & Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999
- Data protection
- Disengagement
- Electronic and other communications
- Ethical guidelines
- Fees, VAT, payment & late payment
- Implementation
- Intellectual property
- Interpretation & precedence
- Internal disputes
- Investment services
- Insolvency advice
- Lien
- Limitation of liability
- Money laundering disclosures & reporting
- Notification
- Period of engagement & termination
- Professional rules & statutory obligations
- Provision of Services Regulations 2009 & PII
- Quality of service & complaints
- Reliance on advice
- Retention of records
- Timetable
These terms and conditions apply to work undertaken by Accusolve Accountants Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) unless we agree otherwise in writing. The scope of any particular assignment and the services we provide will be set out in a separate engagement letter and/or schedule of services.
Note: We are not chartered accountants. Where relevant, we will explain the professional/regulatory basis on which we act.
2. Applicable law & jurisdiction
These terms and conditions, engagement letters, and any schedules of services are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales shall have jurisdiction in relation to any dispute, save that nothing in this clause limits any mandatory rights a Consumer may have to bring proceedings in their place of residence where applicable.
3. Authorisation, regulatory status & audit
We are supervised for anti-money laundering (AML) purposes by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).
We are not registered auditors and do not accept audit appointments.
We have policies and procedures designed to prevent our business, directors, staff, and associates from offering, promising, giving, requesting, agreeing to receive, or accepting bribes. If you become aware of suspected bribery or corruption connected to our engagement, you should notify us promptly.
5. Client identification & verification (AML/KYC)
We are required to identify and verify clients under UK anti-money laundering legislation. Save in exceptional circumstances, we cannot start work until we have completed appropriate checks. We may request and retain information and documentation for these purposes and/or use electronic verification and database searches.
If we are unable to obtain satisfactory evidence of identity (and where relevant, beneficial ownership and source of funds/wealth), we will not be able to proceed and may decline or terminate the engagement.
We may, from time to time, hold money on your behalf. Where we do so, such money will be held in trust in a client bank account, segregated from our own funds, and operated in line with applicable professional rules and safeguarding requirements.
We will return monies held on your behalf promptly as soon as there is no longer any reason to retain those funds. If funds remain unclaimed and the client has remained untraced for five years, or if we cease to practise, we may (after making reasonable efforts to contact you) pay those monies to a registered charity where permitted.
Fees paid in advance for professional work to be performed, and clearly identifiable as such, are not treated as client monies.
7. Commissions or other benefits
In some circumstances, commissions or other benefits may become payable to us in respect of transactions we arrange for you. Where this happens, we will notify you in writing of the amount (or the basis of calculation) and the terms of payment/receipt. This also applies where the payment is made to, or transactions are arranged by, a connected person/business. Unless we agree otherwise, we will not reduce our fees by the amount of such commissions or benefits.
8. Confidentiality & subcontracting
Communications between us are confidential and we will take reasonable steps to keep your information confidential, except where disclosure is required or permitted by law, regulatory bodies, our insurers, or as part of an external review/quality process. Unless you authorise us to disclose information on your behalf, this duty applies during and after the engagement.
We may subcontract elements of work to other tax, IT, or accounting professionals where appropriate. Any subcontractors will be bound by confidentiality obligations consistent with this clause.
We will inform you if we become aware of a conflict of interest in our relationship with you or in relation to another client. If a conflict cannot be managed in a way that protects your interests, we will be unable to provide further services and will notify you promptly.
Where a conflict can be addressed by suitable safeguards, we may adopt those safeguards and, where appropriate, proceed on the basis of your informed consent. Subject to confidentiality obligations, we reserve the right to act for other clients whose interests may differ from yours.
10. Third party reliance & Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999
The advice and information we provide is for your sole use and not for reliance by any third party unless we expressly agree in writing (for example, in an engagement letter) that a specified third party may rely on our work. We accept no responsibility to third parties for advice, information, or materials produced as part of our work which you make available to them.
Unless we expressly state otherwise, a person who is not a party to our contract with you has no right to enforce any of its terms.
We will comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 when processing personal data about you and (where relevant) your directors, employees and officers. Processing includes obtaining, recording, holding, organising, using, disclosing, storing and deleting personal data.
We process personal data where necessary for: (a) performance of the contract; (b) compliance with legal/regulatory obligations and crime prevention; (c) legitimate interests such as maintaining client records, managing risk, and defending legal claims; and (d) marketing communications where you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law.
Further details are set out in our Privacy Notice, which should be read alongside these terms.
If we resign or are requested to resign, we will normally issue a disengagement letter to help ensure responsibilities are clear. If we have had no contact with you for one year or more, we may issue a disengagement letter and cease to act.
Following termination, we may destroy documents we have not been able to return to you after six months, unless laws/regulations require longer retention.
13. Electronic and other communications
Unless agreed otherwise, we may communicate with you and with third parties you authorise via email or other electronic means. The recipient is responsible for virus-checking emails and attachments.
Electronic communications are not completely secure and can be subject to non-receipt, delay, misdirection, interception, corruption or alteration. We use virus scanning and reasonable security measures; however, we cannot guarantee electronic security. If you do not wish to accept these risks, tell us and we will communicate by hard copy where practicable, except where electronic submission is mandatory.
Any communication sent by post is deemed to arrive two working days after the day it is sent (unless evidence shows otherwise). You must keep us up to date with accurate contact details at all times.
Where applicable, we are bound by professional and ethical requirements, and we will act in accordance with relevant standards. We will not be liable for any loss, damage or cost arising from our compliance with statutory or regulatory obligations.
15. Fees, VAT, payment & late payment
Our fees may depend on time spent, level of skill and responsibility, importance/value of the advice, and the level of risk. Any estimate is not contractually binding unless we state in writing that it is.
Fixed fee quotations
- We may provide a fixed fee for specific services or an indicative fee range. Fee quotations are valid for 30 days unless stated otherwise.
- Fixed fees are typically quoted for no more than one year ahead and may be reviewed based on changes in scope, complexity, risk, or law.
- If unforeseen circumstances make a quote inadequate, we may propose a revised fee/range and seek your agreement before proceeding.
- Fixed fees assume timely, complete and accurate records (for example, correctly recorded transactions within an agreed bookkeeping system).
- Fixed fees generally exclude bookkeeping unless expressly stated. Where bookkeeping is required, it will be billed at our prevailing hourly rates.
- Fixed fees exclude rectifying historic issues, correcting prior agent work, or recalculating past years unless agreed; any such work will be quoted separately.
- Under a fixed fee arrangement, we will normally make one set of requested amendments and issue one revised set of accounts/returns. Further revisions may incur additional fees.
Billing, standing orders & subscriptions
Unless agreed otherwise, invoices are payable on presentation. Invoices must be paid in full before any report is signed or before accounts/returns are made available for filing. We may ask clients to pay by monthly standing order or direct debit and may adjust monthly payments based on actual billings.
Subscription/monthly fees are generally not refundable once the relevant service month has commenced, subject always to your statutory rights and to any separate written agreement specifying a refund/credit arrangement.
VAT & disbursements
Our fees are exclusive of VAT unless stated otherwise. VAT will be added where chargeable. Disbursements and expenses we incur on your behalf may be added to our invoices. Unless agreed otherwise, our fees do not include third-party professional fees.
Late payment
If you are a Business Customer, we may charge statutory interest and fixed compensation on overdue invoices where applicable, and we may recover reasonable debt recovery costs. If you are a Consumer, we may charge interest only where permitted by law and at a reasonable rate, and we will not remove or restrict your statutory rights.
If payment is unduly delayed, we may suspend services or cease to act on written notice where fair and reasonable.
Fee queries and disputes
If you do not accept that an invoiced fee is fair and reasonable, you must notify us within 21 days of receipt, setting out your reasons. We will try to resolve any dispute promptly and in good faith.
If a dispute cannot be resolved, either party may propose independent resolution (including mediation or arbitration). Any arbitration will be by agreement and does not affect any mandatory Consumer rights.
We will only assist with implementation of advice if specifically instructed in writing.
We retain copyright in documents and materials we prepare during the engagement, save where the law provides otherwise. You may use deliverables for your own purposes but must not reproduce, distribute or sell them to third parties without our permission (unless the engagement terms say otherwise).
18. Interpretation & precedence
If any provision of these terms, an engagement letter or schedules is held to be void or unenforceable, that provision will be deemed not to form part of the contract to the extent necessary, and the remainder will continue in full force.
If there is a conflict between these terms and the engagement letter/schedules, the engagement letter/schedules take precedence.
If we become aware of a dispute between parties involved in ownership/management of a business client, our client is the business entity (unless agreed otherwise). We will not provide information to one party without the knowledge/permission of all relevant parties. If conflicting instructions are received, we may pause work until the matter is resolved.
Investment business is regulated. If you need advice on investments or certain insurance products, we may refer you to a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as we are not authorised to provide regulated investment advice.
If you need insolvency advice, we may ask you to contact a licensed insolvency practitioner. We do not provide insolvency practitioner services.
Insofar as permitted by law and applicable professional rules, we reserve the right to exercise a lien over funds, documents and records in our possession relating to your engagements until all outstanding fees and disbursements are paid in full.
We will provide services with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
Subject to the paragraph above, our liability is limited to losses, damages, costs and expenses caused by our negligence or wilful default. We will not be liable for losses arising from: incomplete/misleading/false information provided to us; failure to act on our advice; acts/omissions of other persons; or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
Aggregate cap (Business Customers): In respect of the work detailed within all engagements with you, we limit our aggregate liability to a maximum of £500,000 (including legal costs). This cap applies to the company, its directors, agents and employees, and to persons we have agreed in writing may rely on our work.
If you do not wish to accept this limit, you should contact us before accepting the engagement so we can discuss options (including scope changes or different fee structures).
24. Money laundering disclosures & reporting
You acknowledge that we are subject to UK anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws and may be required to make disclosures to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and other authorities. Where required by law, we may do so without prior reference to you and may be prohibited from informing you that a report has been made.
Records created as part of the AML due diligence process will be retained for at least five years after we cease to act, unless a longer period is required by law or for legal proceedings.
We shall not be treated as having notice, for the purposes of our responsibilities, of information provided to members of our firm other than those engaged on the specific assignment.
26. Period of engagement & termination
Unless otherwise agreed in the engagement letter, our work begins when we receive your implicit or explicit acceptance of that letter. Either party may terminate the agreement by giving not less than 21 days’ notice in writing, except where you fail to cooperate or we have reason to believe you have provided misleading information, in which case we may terminate immediately where lawful and appropriate.
Termination is without prejudice to rights accrued prior to termination. On termination, we will endeavour to agree arrangements for completion of work in progress unless we must cease work immediately for legal or regulatory reasons.
For one-off engagements, the engagement ends when the work is completed. For recurring work, the engagement ends on the termination date set out above (or a later agreed date). We owe you no duties beyond termination and will not undertake further work unless agreed in writing.
27. Professional rules & statutory obligations
We will observe and act in accordance with applicable professional by-laws, regulations, and ethical guidelines, and we will accept instructions to act for you on that basis. You are responsible for bringing to our attention any errors or omissions in submissions once you become aware of them so that we can assist with appropriate corrections.
28. Provision of Services Regulations 2009 & professional indemnity insurance
We maintain professional indemnity insurance (PII) as required. Information about our insurer, cover and territorial coverage is available on request.
29. Quality of service & complaints
We aim to provide a high quality of service at all times. If you would like to discuss how our service could be improved, or if you are dissatisfied, please contact a director using the details above. We will investigate complaints carefully and promptly and do our best to explain the position and agree a fair outcome.
We endeavour to record advice on important matters in writing. Oral advice is not intended to be relied upon unless confirmed in writing. If you want to rely on oral advice, you must ask for written confirmation. Because rules and circumstances change, you should request updated confirmation if a transaction is delayed or repeated.
You have legal responsibilities to retain documents and records relevant to your tax affairs. We may collect information relevant to your affairs and will return original documents if requested. When we cease to act, we may agree access/transfer arrangements for cloud-accounting records (which may require you to contract directly with software providers).
- Individuals (non-business Self Assessment): generally keep records for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year (longer if late filing or an enquiry applies).
- Self-employed/partnership: generally keep records for at least 5 years after the 31 January submission deadline for the relevant tax year.
- Companies (Companies Act accounting records): private companies must generally preserve accounting records for 3 years from the date they are made (6 years for public companies).
These periods may be extended where HMRC opens enquiries or where other legal/regulatory requirements apply. Where in doubt, retain records longer.
Services will be carried out on a timescale agreed between us. Timing depends on prompt supply of information and documentation you provide and timely approvals where required.