Accounts and tax support across a large county.
Northumberland covers a great deal of ground. The south-east of the county is busy and well connected, with Cramlington, Blyth, Bedlington and Ashington close to Newcastle. Further north and west, market towns such as Morpeth, Hexham and Alnwick serve wide rural areas of farms, villages and holiday cottages. That variety means the people who contact us have very different needs. We are a small firm of Chartered Certified Accountants, and we work with sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, landlords and individuals who want their accounts and tax handled carefully and explained plainly.
It is worth saying clearly that we do not have an office in Northumberland. Our only office is at A2 Marquis Court on the Team Valley Trading Estate in Gateshead. For a county of this size, that matters less than you might expect. Bank feeds and cloud bookkeeping software let us see the same figures you do, documents can be shared securely, and most questions are answered by phone or email. If you would like to meet in person, you are welcome to come to Team Valley, which sits beside the A1.
Every new piece of work starts with a conversation. We will ask what you do, how your records are kept and what is worrying you, whether that is a company year-end, a self assessment return, a payroll that has outgrown a spreadsheet or a letter from HMRC. From there we can explain what is likely to apply to you and suggest a practical way to handle it. Good advice. Clearer thinking. We would rather give you a straight answer than a long report you do not need. We can also explain what we need from you and when.
Working life in Northumberland.
South-east Northumberland has a long industrial history. Coal mining shaped Ashington, Bedlington and the villages around them, and Blyth grew as a port exporting coal. Today the Port of Blyth and the town’s offshore renewable energy activity sit alongside manufacturing and distribution on the industrial estates of Cramlington and Blyth. The A19 and the A189 link these towns to Tyneside, and the reopened Northumberland Line now carries passengers between Ashington and Newcastle. Firms here often employ staff and use subcontractors, so payroll, construction industry scheme returns and reliable year-end accounts come up regularly.
Beyond the south-east, much of the county is rural. Farming, forestry and tourism matter a great deal around Hexham, Alnwick and the Tyne Valley, and visitors come for Hadrian’s Wall, the Northumberland coast and Northumberland National Park. That brings holiday lets, guest houses, cafes and outdoor businesses, many of them small and family-run. Farming households may have several income streams, from the farm itself to diversified activities and property. Each of these raises its own record-keeping and tax questions, and the right approach depends on how the business is set up.
Who we work with in Northumberland
- 01
Manufacturers and engineering firms
- 02
Farms and diversified rural businesses
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Holiday lets and guest houses
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Builders, electricians and other CIS trades
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Independent shops in market towns
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Consultants and professional contractors
Services Northumberland clients ask about
An example of how we might help.
Suppose, for illustration, a farming family in the Tyne Valley who have converted an old stone barn into holiday accommodation alongside the main farm business. Bookings, cleaning costs and farm receipts all pass through the same bank account, and nobody is quite sure how the new income should be reported or whether it affects VAT. Priestman & Co. could help separate the records, set up cloud bookkeeping that shows each activity clearly, and explain how the different income streams may be treated for tax. The family would then have a clearer picture of what each part of the business earns.
Getting to our Team Valley office
Team Valley lies beside the A1 on the Gateshead side of the Tyne. From Morpeth and much of central Northumberland, the A1 leads south around Newcastle to the estate. From the Tyne Valley, the A69 joins the A1 west of the city, and from the south-east towns the A19 and A1 both connect. Many Northumberland clients never need to make the trip, as we can help by phone or email.
Tax and reporting rules can change. This page offers general information, not advice specific to your circumstances. The example above is illustrative only.
Northumberland: common questions
No. Our office is at A2 Marquis Court on Team Valley in Gateshead, south of the river. Northumberland is a large county, so most of our work there is done by phone, email and shared cloud software, which saves a long trip from Hexham or Morpeth for a short question. When a meeting would help, for example to review year-end accounts, you can arrange one at Team Valley.
Yes. We prepare accounts and tax returns for sole traders, partnerships and companies, and that includes farming and rural businesses. Farms often have several income streams and their own particular tax rules, so the right approach depends on your circumstances. We can look at how your business is structured and your records are kept, then explain what is likely to apply.
It depends on how the property is let. Furnished holiday lets used to have their own tax regime, but those rules have changed, and the treatment of your income and costs will depend on your circumstances and when the income arose. We can review your bookings, costs and ownership arrangements and explain how the current rules may apply to you.