Accountants in Worthing

Worthing had 4,400 active businesses in 2022, according to ONS Business Demography figures published in West Sussex County Council's economic strategy evidence report. The town's strongest specialism in that report is human health and social work, with a location quotient of 2.1, which means the share of local jobs in the sector is roughly double the England average. The Centre for Cities 64 Cities Factbook 2024 puts publicly funded services at 19,000 jobs in Worthing in 2022, or 39.9%, fourth highest of the 62 places it compares.

So a physiotherapist or counsellor taking private clients alongside an employed role may need to register for self assessment, while small care agencies and clinics need payroll and year end accounts. Property is the other big theme. The Adur and Worthing Housing Strategy 2025 to 2030 says 26% of the private housing stock in Worthing is rented, compared with only 10% in neighbouring Adur, so rental income is a common reason for people in Worthing to need a tax return.

Worthing Borough Council shares its services with Adur District Council as Adur and Worthing Councils, and business rates are handled jointly. The councils' small business rate relief page explains that a property with a rateable value of £12,000 or less gets 100% relief and that relief then tapers away, and it links to changes from 1 April 2026.

For landlords, a house in multiple occupation needs a licence where five or more people live there as more than one household, according to the councils' HMO page. The housing strategy lists selective licensing in Heene, Selden and Central wards as a priority action, but we have not been able to confirm that any such scheme is in force, so check the council's licensing pages before letting a property in those wards.

Free business support is available through the West Sussex Growth Hub, run by West Sussex County Council, and the Sussex Chamber of Commerce, which describes itself as the accredited British Chamber of Commerce for Sussex.

The word accountant gives you less protection than many people assume, because the title is not protected by UK law. Chartered accountant is different: it is a protected title on the government's register of regulated professions, reserved by the institutes' Royal Charters and rules for their members.

A sensible early question is which organisation oversees their anti-money laundering compliance. The rules require any business providing accountancy or tax services to sit under either HMRC or a professional body for this, and GOV.UK warns that trading without that registration is a criminal offence.

Get the fee and the scope of the work in writing, so a landlord with three flats knows whether the quote covers all of them. If your combined gross self-employment and property income on your 2024 to 2025 return was over £50,000, Making Tax Digital has applied to you since 6 April 2026, so ask which compatible software the accountant uses.

• Self assessment tax returns for health and care workers with private income. The online deadline for 2025 to 2026 returns is 31 January 2027.
• Rental accounts for landlords, including working out allowable expenses such as letting agent fees, repairs and insurance. Mortgage interest relief is restricted to the basic rate of income tax.
• Payroll for small care businesses and clinics. The Employment Allowance for 2026 to 2027 is £10,500.

The cost guide explains what usually affects the price.