Simple plans. Serious value.

Essential covers your core compliance — everything you are legally required to file, done properly and on time. Growth adds the proactive layer: tax planning to reduce your bill, monthly management accounts so you can actually see how the business is performing, and an annual written summary of every tax saving opportunity we identify. Strategic goes further still, with budgeting tailored to your business, a 12-month cash flow forecast maintained monthly, budget vs actuals reporting, and a quarterly strategy session every three months to look at the bigger picture together. Every plan also includes a named accountant, an onboarding health check, proactive deadline reminders, HMRC correspondence and an annual review meeting as standard. The exact inclusions vary by business type, so the quickest way to see precisely what you get is our instant quote calculator.

Yes. Personal self-assessment is included in every plan, at every level, whether you are a sole trader, a partner or a company director. No separate charge, no surprise bill in January.

Yes, on every plan. If HMRC writes to you or raises a query, we deal with it on your behalf. You should never have to sit on hold to HMRC or decode one of their letters again.

Payroll is a separate monthly add-on rather than part of the base plan. We keep it that way on purpose so you only pay for what you actually need, no paying for payroll you don't run. When you do need it, it's a simple monthly fee based on how many people you pay and how often.

No, and that's deliberate. The plans cover your recurring accounting work. Getting set up on Xero or QuickBooks, migrating your data, connecting your bank feeds and training your team is a dedicated one-off Cloud Accounting project. That way the setup gets the proper attention it deserves rather than being rushed in alongside everything else.

No. R&D tax credit claims aren't part of the standard plans, and company formation is a separate one-off service. If either is relevant to you, just ask and we'll quote it clearly upfront.

Fractional CFO is an optional add-on, available to clients who have been with Aethon for at least twelve months. That isn't a barrier, it's the point. To genuinely act as your CFO we need real, lived knowledge of how your business works — your margins, your patterns, your ambitions. Twelve months of handling your numbers gives us the competence to do the role properly rather than guess at it.

Absolutely. Your plan is meant to flex with you. As you take on staff, cross the VAT threshold or start needing sharper insight, we'll move you up. Nothing is locked in stone, and we review your fees every quarter to make sure what you pay still matches what you need.

It's far easier than most people expect, because we do the heavy lifting. Once you give us the go-ahead, we contact your current accountant directly and request everything we need through a process called professional clearance. You don't have to have the awkward conversation or chase anyone. We manage the whole handover behind the scenes.

Very little. Most new clients spend under an hour with us at the start, telling us about the business and signing a couple of forms. From there we handle the transition, the paperwork and the back-and-forth with your old accountant. You stay focused on running the business.

Before we take anything on, we run a full review of your records so we know exactly where you stand, what's been filed, what's outstanding and where you are with HMRC. Nothing gets assumed. If we find a gap, we tell you straight and put a plan in place to fix it.

You don't need to worry about that. Professional clearance is a regulated, routine part of how the industry works, and your outgoing accountant is professionally obliged to pass on your records. We deal with them directly, so any friction stays well away from you.

Fair question, because most people switch out of frustration: unanswered emails, jargon, and an accountant who only surfaces at year end. Aethon is built to be the opposite. Fixed pricing you can see upfront, proactive advice rather than silence, and a straight-talking approach with no hiding behind technicalities. We'd rather earn your trust every quarter than take it for granted.

Our plans run on a rolling twelve-month basis, with fees reviewed every quarter. That's there to protect you as much as us: real results, proper tax planning and a properly organised set of accounts take a full cycle to deliver. Twelve months means you actually get the value you signed up for, not a half-finished job.