Accountants in Eastbourne

The Eastbourne Borough Visitor Economy 2024 figures, produced by Destination Research using the Cambridge Model and published in 2025, show 4.8 million day visitors worth £172.2 million and 0.8 million overnight visitors who stayed 2.3 million nights, worth £225 million. Hotels, guest houses, cafes, attractions and holiday lets all depend on that trade, and many of them have a busy season and a quiet one, which affects cash flow, staffing and when tax bills land.

The Eastbourne Corporate Plan notes that the town has traditionally been seen as a tourist destination and sets out to attract IT, digital and creative businesses, while the county's prosperity strategy describes a growing concentration of digital tech businesses in Eastbourne. The council's Cabinet approved a new Economic Strategy and Action Plan for 2025 to 2035 on 10 December 2025.

We found no additional or selective landlord licensing scheme in Eastbourne. The council's houses in multiple occupancy page says it operates the mandatory scheme under the Housing Act 2004, so a licence is needed where five or more unrelated people share amenities. The same page notes that licensing can also apply to host families with four or more students for 90 days or more a year, which is worth knowing if you host students.

The bigger change for investors is in planning. Under an Article 4 Direction in force from 30 July 2025, you now need planning permission to turn a house into a small HMO with 3 to 6 unrelated occupants in Devonshire, Meads and Upperton wards and a small part of St Anthonys ward. If you are weighing up a conversion, allow for the cost of an application.

Eastbourne Borough Council and Lewes District Council are two separate councils, but they share staff and a single website, alongside East Sussex County Council. Their shared business rate relief page says occupied properties with a rateable value of £12,000 or less get 100% relief, with tapered relief between £12,001 and £15,000. It also links a separate discretionary relief policy for Eastbourne, so make sure you read the Eastbourne one.

For general business advice, the Business East Sussex Growth Hub serves businesses across the county, and Eastbourne unLtd is the town's chamber of commerce.

A few checks save trouble later. Ask how the person or firm is supervised for anti-money laundering, because every accountancy service provider must be supervised by HMRC or a professional body, and trading without registration is a criminal offence.

Remember that anyone can use the title "accountant", whereas "chartered accountant" belongs to members of the chartered institutes under their Royal Charters. Ask for a written quote that sets out the fee and the work included, and if you are a landlord or sole trader within Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, check they can handle quarterly updates through compatible software.

• Accounts for guest houses, cafes and holiday lets with seasonal income.
• Payroll for seasonal staff, including Real Time Information submissions on or before each payday.
• VAT registration, which is required once taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 or is expected to go over it in the next 30 days.
• Company accounts for small digital and creative firms.
• Self assessment tax returns for landlords and the self-employed.

The cost guide explains what usually affects the price, and how it works sets out what we do with your enquiry.