The Small Business Service

What The Small Business Service does

The Small Business Service Limited is a privately held accounting, tax, compliance, and business advisory firm headquartered at 444 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded over 20 years ago to serve the practical day-to-day needs of small businesses in the region, the firm delivers a horizontal portfolio of nine core services: Business Accounts (statutory and management reporting), Corporation Tax, VAT Returns, Cash Flow Management, Business Plans, Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) compliance, Self Assessment, Capital Gains Tax, and Payroll. Payroll is delivered through a trusted specialist partnership rather than in-house operations, keeping overhead light while maintaining service breadth.

The firm serves a long-tail mix of start-ups, sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, contractors, landlords, and individuals across Northern Ireland. Service delivery is relationship-led, with face-to-face, video call, and remote support options, and is anchored by transparent, quote-based pricing with fixed-fee options. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; the firm uses standard MTD-compliant accounting software for digital tax reporting and does not describe any AI/ML tooling, proprietary models, or data assets. Marketing is content-led, with a blog covering VAT, Making Tax Digital, capital gains, and HMRC deadlines, supplemented by Facebook and Instagram presence under the "accountantbelfast" handle to capture organic local search traffic.

The business operates independently with no parent company, no disclosed external investment, and a 1–10 employee headcount. Revenue is generated entirely through professional service fees on ongoing accounting, tax compliance, and advisory engagements, with pricing tailored per engagement and free consultations offered to prospective clients. The firm's growth posture is local and stable, focused on deepening relationships within Northern Ireland's SMB population rather than geographic or vertical expansion.

Name

The Small Business Service

Legal name

The Small Business Service Limited

Website

https://thesmallbusinessservice.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Small Business Service is a Belfast-based accounting and tax advisory firm serving small businesses and individuals across Northern Ireland with services including accounts preparation, corporation tax, VAT returns, payroll, self assessment, and capital gains tax planning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Tax Advisory Services

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)

akta.pro primary industry

Indirect Tax (VAT/GST/Sales & Use) Services (BPAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Tax compliance
• Bookkeeping services
• Business advisory
• Payroll services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting and Tax Services: Professional accounting services including business accounts preparation, corporation tax, VAT returns, payroll, self assessment, capital gains, and business planning. Services are offered with transparent, fair quotes and fixed fee options where possible. Revenue is generated through service fees for ongoing accounting, tax compliance, and advisory engagements with small businesses and individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Small Business Service provides professional accounting, tax compliance, and business advisory services to small businesses and individuals in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Its core offerings include business accounts preparation, corporation tax, VAT returns, cash flow management, business planning, CIS (Construction Industry Scheme) compliance, payroll (delivered through a trusted partner), Self Assessment, and capital gains tax. Services are delivered by local advisors via face-to-face meetings, video calls, or remote support, with transparent fixed-fee pricing and free consultations.

Product overview

The Small Business Service is an accounting and tax advisory firm based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, serving small businesses and individuals for over 20 years. Their service portfolio comprises nine distinct offerings: Business Accounts (statutory and management financial reporting), Corporation Tax (compliance and planning), VAT Returns (registration, scheme selection, and filing), Cash Flow Management (forecasting and scenario modeling), Business Plans (strategic planning and funding support), CIS (Construction Industry Scheme monthly returns and compliance), Payroll (outsourced via trusted partner), Self Assessment (individual tax returns), and Capital Gains Tax (property and investment disposal planning). Services are tailored to sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, landlords, contractors, and freelancers, with a focus on practical, affordable administrative and operational support for small businesses across Northern Ireland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Accounts Financial reporting and accounting services for limited companies and other small businesses, including statutory accounts preparation, management accounts, bookkeeping reconciliation, and compliance with HMRC and Companies House requirements.
• Corporation Tax Corporation tax computation, filing, and planning for limited companies, including capital allowances and R&D reliefs, plus liaison with HMRC on assessments and enquiries.
• VAT Returns VAT registration review, scheme selection (standard, cash accounting, flat rate), return preparation and submission, and ongoing VAT planning and compliance for VAT-registered small businesses.
• Cash Flow Management Cashflow forecasting and scenario modelling for small businesses, including timing gap analysis, payment term negotiations, and integration with strategic planning.
• Business Plans

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Trusted Payroll Specialist PartnercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe company partners with a trusted payroll specialist to deliver seamless, accurate payroll services. This partnership allows The Small Business Service to offer comprehensive payroll services (RTI submissions, NIC, pension, statutory payments) without adding to their internal overhead, while maintaining full integration with client accounting and compliance needs. The company acts as a bridge liaison between the client and the payroll partner.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RSM UK: Mid-tier UK accounting and consulting network with a Northern Ireland presence, serving SMEs through to mid-market companies with audit, tax and advisory — broad incumbent that overlaps with The Small Business Service at the small-company end.
• Forvis Mazars UK: International audit, tax and advisory firm with UK-wide coverage including Northern Ireland — broad incumbent whose SME and owner-managed business practice competes for the same compliance and advisory mandates.
• BDO UK: Large UK accounting and advisory network with a full Belfast office; competes for the upper end of the NI SME market while also serving mid-market and corporate clients — broader incumbent with overlapping compliance and advisory capabilities.

Emerging players

• Bench (acquired by Empower): Online bookkeeping and accounting service for small businesses — illustrates the digital-first, software-augmented model that competes with traditional local accountancy firms for SMB compliance work.
• Xero: Cloud accounting platform serving millions of small businesses globally, including in the UK — disrupts traditional bookkeeping and compliance work and increasingly competes for the advisory layer via Xero-advisor partnerships.
• Pilot.com: AI- and tech-enabled bookkeeping, accounting and tax service for small businesses and startups in the US and Canada — represents the emerging digital-native model that pressures traditional local accountancy pricing on basic compliance.

Direct peers

• Baker Tilly Mooney Moore: Belfast-based member of the Baker Tilly network offering accounting, tax and advisory services to owner-managed businesses and individuals in Northern Ireland — competes head-on for the same local SMB and sole-trader segments.
• PKF-FPM Accountants: Belfast-based chartered accountancy firm providing accounting, tax, audit and advisory services to SMEs and individuals across Northern Ireland — directly comparable in geography, client base and service mix to The Small Business Service.
• Friel Stafford: Independent chartered accountancy firm headquartered in Belfast serving SMEs, sole traders and individuals across Northern Ireland with compliance and advisory services — a close local-market peer.
• Azets: UK and Ireland-focused accountancy group with a Northern Ireland presence, providing accounting, tax, payroll and advisory services to SMEs — comparable service portfolio at larger scale, often cited as a roll-up consolidator of regional practices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• Instagraminstagram.com/accountantbelfast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Small Business Service