elver e-commerce

What elver e-commerce does

Elver E-Commerce Accountants (trading name of Elver Consultancy Limited) is a UK chartered accountancy firm founded in 2011 by Steve Blackmore in Wigan, United Kingdom. After operating as a general practice firm through 2018, the company restructured in 2019 to serve exclusively UK-based ecommerce businesses ranging from £500k to £15m+ annual revenue selling across Amazon, Shopify, eBay, Etsy, and WooCommerce. The firm combines accounting and tax compliance with strategic financial advisory — bookkeeping, payroll, VAT/GST filings across multiple jurisdictions, fractional CFO services, forecasting, management reporting, carbon accounting, R&D tax relief, exit planning, and company formation — delivered through an integrated technology stack built on Xero as the core accounting platform, A2X for marketplace data extraction, Apron for supplier payments, BrightPay for payroll, Dext for invoice capture, and the firm's proprietary Elvervision management reporting tool.

The business operates on a subscription-based monthly retainer model with rolling 28-day terms and no long-term contracts. Pricing scales with client revenue, channel count, order volume, and VAT complexity, starting at approximately £150+VAT per month for basic services and reaching roughly £2,096+VAT per month for full-service multi-channel clients at £5m+ turnover. The firm supplements core accounting fees with one-time alignment fees, company formation fees (£50-£90+VAT), a bundled Xero/A2X/Briefcase software package from £86+VAT per month, and a referral programme paying other accounting firms a percentage of first-year revenue for introducing ecommerce clients outside their specialism. Go-to-market is sales-led through direct website consultation bookings via Calendly, content marketing on ecommerce accounting topics, SEO, and the accountant referral channel.

The firm is founder-owned, with Steve Blackmore and his son Oliver Blackmore (Chartered Accountant trained at Ernst & Young) directing the practice. Headcount peaked at 12 during the COVID period after tripling from 4, with team credentials spanning ICAEW, AAT, and Xero certifications, plus A2X Gold Partner status. The firm holds no external investment, has no subsidiaries, and operates from a single office in Wigan serving clients whose end-markets span the UK, EU, US, Canada, Australia, and Japan.

Name

elver e-commerce

Legal name

Elver Consultancy Limited

Website

https://elverecommerceaccountants.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UK chartered accountancy firm providing specialist accounting, tax compliance, and fractional CFO services exclusively for ecommerce businesses selling across Amazon, Shopify, eBay, and Etsy, operating on monthly retainers from Wigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wigan

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Retained Accounting Services: Recurring monthly fees for bookkeeping, VAT compliance, management reporting, and advisory services tailored to ecommerce businesses. Pricing scales with client revenue, sales channels, order volumes, and VAT obligations. Clients typically pay monthly on a rolling basis with 28-day notice period.
2. Company Formation Services: One-time fees for UK company registration. Standard limited company formation at £50 + VAT, Company Limited by Guarantee at £90 + VAT.
3. Software Subscriptions: Bundled software subscriptions including Xero, Briefcase document management, and A2X starting at £86 + VAT per month, offered below individual purchase cost.
4. Alignment/Onboarding Fees: One-off alignment fee for clients joining mid-financial-year to fund statutory accounts and corporation tax return preparation across the full year.
5. Xero Health Check Service: One-time review service for Xero setup assessment. Single-platform businesses from £300 + VAT; multi-channel sellers may require broader review.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Elver E-Commerce Accountants is a UK-based chartered accountancy firm that delivers specialist accounting, tax compliance, and financial advisory services exclusively to ecommerce businesses. Services span weekly bookkeeping, VAT/GST registrations and filings (UK, EU, OSS/IOSS, US, Canada, Australia), payroll, management reporting, forecasting, carbon accounting, R&D tax services, exit planning, and fractional CFO support, delivered through a cloud technology stack centred on Xero, A2X, BrightPay, and Apron.

Product overview

Elver E-Commerce Accountants is a UK-based chartered accountancy firm offering a unified suite of accounting and financial advisory services exclusively for e-commerce businesses. The core offering combines a Virtual Finance Office (integrating weekly bookkeeping, VAT compliance, management reporting, and Virtual Finance Director support) with specialist platform-specific services for Amazon, eBay, and Shopify sellers. Additional modules include Fractional CFO services, Forecasting, Carbon Accounting, Exit Strategy planning, R&D Tax Services, and Company Formation. All services are delivered through a technology stack centered on Xero (primary accounting platform), A2X (e-commerce data pipeline), and BrightPay (payroll), with integrations across major marketplaces and payment gateways. The firm positions itself as a single point of contact for all accounting, tax compliance, and financial advisory needs for online sellers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fractional CFO Ecommerce Part-time finance leadership service providing strategic CFO support for ecommerce businesses, including cash flow forecasting, SKU profitability analysis, strategic budgeting, monthly performance reviews, KPI tracking, and profitability improvement strategies.
• Virtual Finance Office Full outsourced finance department for ecommerce brands covering weekly bookkeeping, rolling cashflow forecasts, VAT compliance (UK, EU, OSS/IOSS), integrated channel margin reporting, and dedicated Virtual Finance Director support.
• Management Reporting Analytics and reporting service providing cashflow forecasting, three-way forecasting (cash flow, P&L, balance sheet), scenario modelling, budgets by month and channel, KPI dashboards, business alerts, variance analysis, and decision support through the Elvervision platform.
• Carbon Accounting & Reporting Emissions tracking and reporting service covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, providing audit-ready carbon footprint reports, emissions breakdowns, recommendations for reductions and offsets, and optional CSRD/SECR preparation.
• Forecasting Financial forecasting service for ecommerce brands using driver-based models, channel-aware projections, inventory-sensitive planning, cash-focused mapping, and scenario testing (base, stretch, conservative), with 12-month rolling projections.
• Exit Strategy Business exit planning service covering initial review, valuation and forecasting, financial clean-up, due diligence preparation, and exit execution support, including MBO, EOT, aggregator sale, and IPO routes.
• Ecommerce Bookkeeping Specialist ecommerce bookkeeping service handling marketplace/platform reconciliation, international VAT/GST, control account reconciliation, stock deposits, and stock valuation, using Xero and A2X with weekly updates.
• Payroll Services End-to-end payroll outsourcing including payslips, HMRC RTI submissions, pension scheme submissions, PAYE administration, student loan and attachment order handling, starter/leaver reporting, P45s, P11ds, and Xero integration.
• Ecommerce VAT Accountancy UK VAT compliance service covering registration, scheme selection, error correction, reconciliations, platform fee VAT treatment, and full Making Tax Digital (MTD) compliance using Xero and A2X.
• International VAT & GST Services Cross-border tax compliance service covering EU (OSS/iOSS), US (sales tax/SSTRS), Canada (GST/HST/PST), Australia (GST), and Japan (Consumption Tax), managing registrations, filings, marketplace rules, and fiscal representation.
• Company Formation Services UK company registration service handling Companies House applications, statutory records, and incorporation documents, with Limited Company Formation from £50+VAT and Company Limited by Guarantee from £90+VAT packages.
• Partnership Accounting Partnership accounting service covering partnership tax returns (SA800), profit allocation, VAT returns, payroll, and management reporting for UK partnerships.
• Xero Health Check Focused Xero setup review for ecommerce businesses covering platform integrations, VAT treatment, bank reconciliation routines, bank rules, user permissions, tracking categories, and security settings, with single-platform review from £300+VAT.
• Corporation Tax Services Corporate tax compliance and advisory service covering CT600 preparation and filing, capital allowance advice, profit extraction and dividend policy, HMRC enquiry handling, and business purchase/sale support.
• Personal Self Assessment Self-assessment tax return service for directors, sole traders, and individuals with multiple income sources, providing accurate returns, tailored advice on claims and allowances, HMRC liaison, and ongoing support.
• R&D Tax Services Research and Development tax relief claim service covering eligible project identification, technical narrative preparation, cost analysis (staff, subcontractors, consumables, prototypes, software), HMRC submission, and pre-notification handling.
• Amazon Accounting Specialist accounting for Amazon sellers (FBA and FBM) covering settlement reconciliation, fee tracking, VAT/GST registrations in multiple countries, and Amazon Pan-EU compliance, as an approved Amazon SPN Provider.
• eBay Accounting Specialist eBay accounting service covering bookkeeping, tax advice, VAT returns, and financial management for eBay sellers.
• Shopify Accounting Specialist Shopify accounting service covering payout reconciliation across payment gateways (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Klarna, Stripe), A2X integration, inventory handling, international VAT/GST, and growth advisory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Example pricing for £5m turnover multi-channel client with full services: £2,096 + VAT per month
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A2XcoreTechnology or IntegrationA2X is a critical integration partner for Elver's ecommerce accounting operations. It extracts financial data from Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and Etsy and posts accurate summaries to Xero, grouping transactions by payout to maintain reconciliation accuracy while keeping transaction volumes within Xero limits. Elver holds Gold Partner status with A2X, providing priority support for their clients.
• PolicyBeeminorOthersSpecialist insurance partner providing off-the-shelf protection for online sellers. PolicyBee offers coverage tailored to ecommerce business risks and requirements.
• BermansminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTrusted partner law firm specialising in ecommerce legal services including terms and conditions, cross-border sales agreements, and GDPR compliance. Elver refers clients requiring legal services to Bermans.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Avask: International VAT/GST and ecommerce compliance specialist firm; competes with Elver's international VAT services across EU, UK, US, and other jurisdictions.
• Forrest Brown: UK chartered accountants focused on ecommerce, Amazon, and DTC brands — a near-twin of Elver in target customer, service mix (bookkeeping, VAT, advisory), and niche specialisation.
• VT Plus: UK chartered accountants specialising in ecommerce and Amazon sellers, offering bookkeeping, VAT, and growth advisory — direct competitor for UK ecommerce founder clients.
• Cataacus: UK-based ecommerce accounting firm serving online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, eBay, and Etsy — comparable service set including marketplace bookkeeping, VAT, and reporting.
• Ecommerce Accountants Ltd: UK ecommerce-focused accountancy firm providing bookkeeping, VAT, and tax services to online sellers — direct overlap in niche and customer segment.
• IWA Accountancy: UK-based accountancy practice serving ecommerce and Amazon sellers with bookkeeping, VAT, and advisory services — comparable target market and product set.

Others

• A2X: Ecommerce-to-accounting data pipeline used by Elver (Gold Partner status); competes indirectly by automating the same marketplace-to-Xero workflows Elver monetises through advisory.

Emerging players

• Webgility: Ecommerce accounting automation software connecting Shopify, Amazon, eBay, and QuickBooks/Xero — partial overlap as a software-driven alternative to outsourced ecommerce bookkeeping.

Broad incumbents

• Brightpearl: Retail-first ERP and accounting platform serving ecommerce merchants; competes for the same online sellers' financial workflows and offers native bookkeeping/reporting features.
• Avalara: Public tax compliance automation company with strong ecommerce VAT/sales-tax software — overlaps with Elver's international VAT/GST service line at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ElverEcommerce
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsLe8EvvOUOSkiel4qI6BUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/elverecommerce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elver-e-commerce-accountants

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 elver e-commerce