Accountants in Shoreham-by-Sea

Shoreham Port shapes much of the local economy. It was established as a Trust by an Act of Parliament in 1760 and still operates as a Trust Port, and its own website says around 2 million tonnes of commercial cargo come through each year. The port also says fish valued at around £18 million are landed annually, making it the third-largest fishing port in England. That brings demand from boat owners, marine engineers, hauliers and the smaller firms renting space around the harbour.

Away from the water, Adur is a small district. West Sussex County Council's economic strategy evidence report records 2,600 active businesses in 2022, from ONS Business Demography, and this figure covers the whole of Adur rather than Shoreham alone. The same report shows employment in manufacturing at 1.4 times the England share and in arts, entertainment and recreation at 1.6, so there are plenty of makers, workshops, performers and creative freelancers. New company formation has been slow recently, with 108 incorporations against 147 dissolutions or liquidations in Adur between May and July 2026, according to the county's economy snapshot.

A sole trader's turnover counts towards Making Tax Digital before expenses are taken off, and that threshold falls from over £50,000 since April 2026 to over £30,000 from April 2027 and over £20,000 from April 2028. A fishing boat owner or a furniture maker whose takings have grown may therefore be brought in sooner than they expect.

Limited companies have a separate set of deadlines. A private company has 9 months from the end of its accounting period to file accounts at Companies House, and its corporation tax return is due 12 months after the end of the period, with payment usually due 9 months and one day after it.

Shoreham sits in Adur District Council, which runs its services jointly with Worthing as Adur and Worthing Councils. The shared small business rate relief page sets out who qualifies, starting with full relief for a property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less, and links to the changes that took effect from 1 April 2026.

If you let out a shared house, the councils' HMO page explains when a licence is needed. The councils' housing strategy notes that only 10% of private housing stock in Adur is rented.

For wider help, the West Sussex Growth Hub is the county council's free business support service, and the Sussex Chamber of Commerce covers the whole of Sussex.

Start by asking who supervises them for anti-money laundering purposes. The Money Laundering Regulations put every accountancy and tax business under the oversight of HMRC or a professional body, and running one without registering is a criminal offence.

It also helps to know what a title means. Anyone can call themselves an accountant, because the word is not protected by UK law, whereas chartered accountant is a protected title reserved for members of the chartered institutes under their Royal Charters and rules.

Then get the price and the scope in writing, so you know whether bookkeeping or a VAT return is included, and if Making Tax Digital applies to you, ask which compatible software they use. You can read about self assessment tax returns and the cost guide before you get in touch.