What SJD Accountancy does

Caroola (formerly SJD Accountancy) is a UK specialist accountancy firm providing fixed-fee subscription accountancy services to individual contractors, freelancers, and small business owners, operating continuously since 1992 under the legal entity Caroola Group Limited (Company No. 06277058). The firm is positioned as the only national specialist firm of accountants with offices across the UK and is a founding and Accredited Member of the Freelance and Contractor Services Association (FCSA), holding Cyber Essentials PLUS certification. It serves 14+ persona segments including IT professionals, engineers, content creators, medical and legal professionals, surveyors, landlords, and project managers, with 501-1,000 employees.

The product portfolio is structured as three tiered limited-company subscription packages: Accountancy Lite (£89+VAT/month), Accountancy (£135/month), and Accountancy+ (£179/month), supplemented by an MTD-for-Income Tax add-on (from £14+VAT/month) and a Self-Employed package (from £40+VAT/month). All packages include FreeAgent cloud-based bookkeeping software for automated bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking; the premium tier additionally bundles Parasol umbrella services for inside-IR35 engagements, Qdos IR35 contract review, 2nd director services, registered office address, and reference fees. Core deliverables across tiers include company formation, year-end filing, Corporation Tax, Self-Assessment, P11D, VAT management, Confirmation Statements, and tax-efficiency reviews.

The business model is recurring monthly subscription billing, sold through a multi-channel direct-to-consumer stack: self-serve online sign-up via caroola.com, phone-based inside sales (0333 034 2481), live chat, and a £300/50%-off referral programme, supported by Trustpilot social proof (5,000+ 5-star reviews) and a content/SEO resource centre. No channel partners, resellers, or external funding are disclosed; the firm operates as a privately held company within the Caroola Group holding structure.

Name

SJD Accountancy

Legal name

Caroola Group Limited

Website

https://sjdaccountancy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Caroola (formerly SJD Accountancy) is a UK specialist accountancy firm providing fixed-fee subscription accountancy services to contractors, freelancers, and small business owners since 1992, with FreeAgent bookkeeping software integrated into tiered monthly packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Accountancy Services: Caroola generates revenue through recurring monthly subscription fees for accountancy services, with three tiered packages (Accountancy Lite at £89+VAT/mo, Accountancy at £135/mo, and Accountancy+ at £179/mo). Additional services such as company formation, VAT management, and IR35 contract reviews are bundled or available as add-ons within these packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SJD Accountancy (trading as Caroola) provides fixed-fee, monthly subscription accountancy services primarily to UK contractors, freelancers, and small business owners running limited companies or operating as sole traders. Its core offering consists of three tiered limited-company packages (Accountancy Lite at £89+VAT/month, Accountancy at £135/month, and Accountancy+ at £179/month) that bundle company formation, a UK-based accountant, FreeAgent bookkeeping software, HMRC submissions, VAT and IR35 support, and tax reviews. Adjacent offerings include a self-employed package from £40+VAT/month and a Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax add-on from £14+VAT/month.

Product overview

Caroola (formerly SJD Accountancy) operates as a unified accountancy services platform offering tiered packages centered around limited company contractor accounting. The product portfolio comprises three main service tiers—Accountancy Lite (£89), Accountancy (£135), and Accountancy+ (£179)—which build upon each other with escalating features from basic bookkeeping to full IR35 contract support. Additionally, the company offers MTD for Income Tax services from £14/month and Self-Employed services from £40/month, with FreeAgent bookkeeping software integrated as a standard component across all packages. The Accountancy+ tier serves as the premium offering, incorporating 2nd director services, IR35 support, and exclusive benefits like privacy services and contract reviews.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accountancy Lite Entry-level fixed-fee limited company accountancy package for UK contractors, priced at £89 +VAT per month. Designed for businesses that are not VAT-registered or have annual turnover under £90k. Includes company formation, unlimited access to a UK-based accountant by phone/email/video, FreeAgent bookkeeping software, year-end filing, and an initial tax review.
• Accountancy Standard fixed-fee limited company accountancy package for UK contractors, priced at £135 per month. Suited to VAT-registered businesses or those with turnover over £90k/year. Includes everything in Accountancy Lite plus VAT management, all HMRC submissions (Self-Assessment, P11D, Corporation Tax, Confirmation Statement), and annual tax reviews.
• Accountancy+ Premium fixed-fee limited company accountancy package for UK contractors, priced at £179 per month. Includes everything in Accountancy plus 2nd director services, inside IR35 umbrella support via Parasol, quarterly tax reviews, Caroola Rewards, reference fees, registered office address for privacy, and IR35 contract review from Qdos.
• Self-Employed Services Accountancy services for UK self-employed individuals and sole traders, starting from £40 +VAT per month. Includes accounting, Self-Assessment tax filing, and advisory support tailored to sole-trader needs.
• MTD for Income Tax Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax service for UK contractors, freelancers, and self-employed clients, from £14 +VAT per month. Enables digital compliance with HMRC's MTD for Income Tax obligations.

Quantifiable outcome

• FreeAgent bookkeeping software savings of over £396/year included in all packages
• +5 more outcomes

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FreeAgentcoreTechnology or IntegrationFreeAgent is integrated as the bookkeeping software provided to all Caroola clients. The integration is highlighted as saving clients over £396/year in software costs. All packages include FreeAgent access for automated bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense management.
• FCSA (Freelance and Contractor Services Association)coreOthersCaroola is a founding member and Accredited Member of the FCSA. The FCSA regularly and independently assesses Caroola to ensure compliance with high compliance standards for contractor and freelancer accounting services.
• ParasolcoreTechnology or IntegrationParasol umbrella company services are offered within the Accountancy+ package for contractors working inside IR35 roles. The umbrella service is valued at £1,547/year and is included in the premium package to help contractors comply with IR35 regulations.
• TrustpilotcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTrustpilot is the customer review platform where Caroola displays over 5,000 5-star reviews rated as 'Excellent'. The Trustpilot rating serves as primary social proof and marketing credibility signal for customer acquisition.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InTouch Accounting: UK contractor and freelancer accountancy practice offering fixed monthly fees, online accounting software integration, and IR35 services to the same SME contractor segment as Caroola.
• 1st Contact Accounting: Long-established UK contractor accountant providing fixed-fee limited company accounting, IR35, and tax services to a similar contractor and freelancer audience.
• Nixon Williams: UK specialist contractor and freelancer accountancy firm offering fixed-fee monthly subscription packages for limited companies, directly comparable to Caroola's Accountancy Lite/Accountancy/Accountancy+ tiers.
• Orange Genie: UK contractor accountancy and umbrella firm offering compliance, accounting, and IR35 support to limited company contractors, closely overlapping with Caroola's service mix.
• Brookson: UK-based specialist contractor accountant and umbrella provider targeting freelancers and limited company contractors with similar bundled accounting, tax, and IR35 services.
• PayStream (MyPayStream): UK umbrella and accountancy services provider for contractors and freelancers, offering similar fixed-fee accounting, payroll, and IR35 compliance services.

Emerging players

• Qdos Contractor: UK IR35 specialist providing contract reviews, status determinations, and tax insurance; partner to Caroola via Accountancy+ but also sells directly, representing adjacent competition in IR35 advisory.
• Parasol Group: UK umbrella company and contractor services group; embedded inside Caroola's Accountancy+ tier but also operates its own contractor accounting, payroll, and IR35 offerings as a broader competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Intuit QuickBooks (UK): Global small-business accounting software provider with a UK presence; competes at the DIY/self-serve tier of the contractor accounting market and represents the threat of software-led commoditization for low-end packages.

Others

• FreeAgent: Cloud bookkeeping software provider embedded across all Caroola packages; not a direct accountancy competitor but a critical technology partner whose own end-customer SaaS offering overlaps with the low end of Caroola's market.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sjdaccountancy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sjd-accountancy
• Xx.com/sjdaccountancy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SJD Accountancy